Henry A. Walke
Encyclopedia
Henry Walke was an officer in the United States Navy
during the Mexican–American War
and the American Civil War
.
, Walke was appointed a midshipman
on February 1, 1827, and reported for duty at the Gosport Navy Yard
, Virginia
. He received his initial naval training at Gosport and, from July 1827 to November 1828, cruised the Caribbean
in sloop
in the campaign against pirates
in that area. He made a voyage to the Mediterranean Sea
on between August 1829 and November 1831. Walke received his warrant as a passed midshipman
on July 12, 1833, and, after several months of post-sea duty leave, transferred to duty ashore at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
on March 7, 1834. Between January 1836 and June 1839, he cruised the Pacific Squadron
in the 74-gun ship of the line
, primarily along the western coast of South America
protecting American commerce during a period of unrest caused by strained relations between the United States
and Mexico
and the war between Peru and Chile
.
During service in the receiving ship at New York, Walke was promoted to lieutenant before reporting on board on October 5, 1840. While Walke was assigned to that sloop of war, she made a cruise to the East Indies
. Returning home in 1843, he went ashore for an extended leave before returning to sea in the brig
in May 1844 for a cruise along the Brazil
ian coast.
He returned home early in 1846 and, after a year assigned to the receiving ship at New York, made an eight-month voyage in during which his ship participated in the Mexican–American War
, blockading Laguna and supporting landings at Tuxpan and Tabasco
. In October 1847, Lt. Walke went home for another extended leave after which he reported back to the receiving ship at New York on September 22, 1848.
On June 23, 1849, he returned to sea in for a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea
which lasted until mid-January 1851. Following a post-voyage leave, he reported to the Naval Observatory
on April 22 for a very brief tour before beginning further duty in the receiving ship at New York Harbor
. That tour lasted three years, from July 17, 1851 to July 17, 1854, but consisted of two distinct periods separated by a very short tour of duty in during September 1853.
. On the 12th, Captain James Armstrong
surrendered the navy yard to Confederate
forces from Alabama
and Florida
. After providing temporary support for the defenders of Fort Pickens
who refused to follow Armstrong's example, Walke took off some of the loyal sailors and navy yard employees and got underway for New York on the 16th. After arriving at New York on February 4, the commander and his ship loaded supplies and reinforcements for Fort Pickens. Supply set sail on March 15 and anchored near the fort on April 7 and landed the troops and supplies.
Operations supporting the nascent Union blockade
occupied the ship for the next month, at the end of which Walke received orders to New York to take command of one of the Navy's newly acquired steamers
. Following that service—during the summer of 1861—and a four-day tour as lighthouse inspector
for the 11th District early in September, Walke headed west in response to orders to special duty at St. Louis, Missouri
.
That assignment proved to be the command of , one of the river gunboat
s of the Army's Western Flotilla
. In September and October, he took his gunboat downriver to bombard Confederate
shore batteries at Hickman
and Columbus
in western Kentucky
and traded a few shots with the Confederate gunboat . Early in November, his ship supported Ulysses S. Grant
's move on the Southern camp at Belmont, Missouri, escorting troop transports, bombarding shore batteries and, finally, covering the withdrawal of Grant's forces from the Battle of Belmont
.
In mid-January 1862, Commander Walke assumed command of the ironclad warship
, also assigned to the Western Flotilla. In February 1862, during his tenure as Carondelet's commanding officer, Walke led her during the captures of Forts Henry
and Donelson
which guarded the Tennessee
and Cumberland River
s, respectively. In April, he led her in the passing of heavily fortified Island Number Ten
and in the attack on and spiking of shore batteries below New Madrid, Missouri
, in Battle of Island Number Ten
. From April through the end of June, his ship participated in the drawn-out series of operations against Plum Point Bend
, Fort Pillow
, and Memphis
. On July 15, Commander Walke almost met his match when the Confederate ironclad ram made its move down the falling Yazoo River
toward Vicksburg
. Carondelet supported by and Walke's former command, Tyler, engaged the Southern ironclad. During the brisk opening exchange, Carondelet suffered heavy damage and was forced out of action in a disabled, though floating, condition. Queen of the West retreated immediately, leaving only little Tyler to face the powerful ram. The Southern warship, consequently, made it safely to the stronghold at Vicksburg.
On August 4, 1862, Walke was promoted to captain and assumed command of the ironclad ram then under conversion from a river steamer at St. Louis. He put her in commission on February 27, 1863, and commanded her during the dash past Vicksburg on April 6 and during the duel with shore batteries at Grand Gulf on the 29th. That summer, his ship briefly blockaded the mouth of the Red River early in June.
Later, on July 24, Captain Walke was ordered back to the East Coast to prepare the sidewheeler for service. He put her in commission on August 18, 1863 at New York, but his command of that steamer proved brief. On September 22, he was transferred to the screw sloop , which he commanded through the final two years of the Civil War, cruising the South America
n coast in search of Confederate commerce raiders. On August 17, 1865, he was detached from Sacramento and returned home to await orders.
. While waiting orders to his next assignment, Walke was promoted to rear admiral
on July 20, 1870. He was placed on the retired list on April 26, 1871. However, his service to the Navy did not end, for, on that same day, he reported for some variety of special duty under the senior admiral of the Navy, Admiral David Dixon Porter
. That tour lasted until October 1, at which time he was appointed to the United States Lighthouse Board
.
Detached on April 1, 1873, he retired to a life of writing and sketching until his death in Brooklyn
, New York
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
and the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
Born in Princess Anne County, VirginiaPrincess Anne County, Virginia
Princess Anne County is a former county which was created in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach...
, Walke was appointed a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on February 1, 1827, and reported for duty at the Gosport Navy Yard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He received his initial naval training at Gosport and, from July 1827 to November 1828, cruised the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
in the campaign against pirates
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
in that area. He made a voyage to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
on between August 1829 and November 1831. Walke received his warrant as a passed midshipman
Passed midshipman
A Passed Midshipman, sometimes called as Midshipman, Passed, is an unused and historic term which describes a Midshipman who had passed the Lieutenant exam and was eligible for promotion to Lieutenant as soon as there was a vacancy in that grade....
on July 12, 1833, and, after several months of post-sea duty leave, transferred to duty ashore at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
on March 7, 1834. Between January 1836 and June 1839, he cruised the Pacific Squadron
Pacific Squadron
The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...
in the 74-gun ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
, primarily along the western coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
protecting American commerce during a period of unrest caused by strained relations between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the war between Peru and Chile
War of the Confederation
The War of the Confederation , was a conflict between the Peru-Bolivian Confederation on one side and Chile, Peruvian dissidents and Argentina, on the other, fought mostly in the actual territory of Peru and which ended with a Confederate defeat and the dissolution of the...
.
During service in the receiving ship at New York, Walke was promoted to lieutenant before reporting on board on October 5, 1840. While Walke was assigned to that sloop of war, she made a cruise to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. Returning home in 1843, he went ashore for an extended leave before returning to sea in the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
in May 1844 for a cruise along the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian coast.
He returned home early in 1846 and, after a year assigned to the receiving ship at New York, made an eight-month voyage in during which his ship participated in the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, blockading Laguna and supporting landings at Tuxpan and Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
. In October 1847, Lt. Walke went home for another extended leave after which he reported back to the receiving ship at New York on September 22, 1848.
On June 23, 1849, he returned to sea in for a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
which lasted until mid-January 1851. Following a post-voyage leave, he reported to the Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
on April 22 for a very brief tour before beginning further duty in the receiving ship at New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
. That tour lasted three years, from July 17, 1851 to July 17, 1854, but consisted of two distinct periods separated by a very short tour of duty in during September 1853.
Civil War
In January 1861, as the Civil War approached, Commander Walke was in command of at Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. On the 12th, Captain James Armstrong
James Armstrong (Commodore)
Commodore James Armstrong was an officer in the United States Navy.Armstrong joined the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1809 and served on the sloop-of-war Frolic when it was seized by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812...
surrendered the navy yard to Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
forces from Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. After providing temporary support for the defenders of Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
who refused to follow Armstrong's example, Walke took off some of the loyal sailors and navy yard employees and got underway for New York on the 16th. After arriving at New York on February 4, the commander and his ship loaded supplies and reinforcements for Fort Pickens. Supply set sail on March 15 and anchored near the fort on April 7 and landed the troops and supplies.
Operations supporting the nascent Union blockade
Union blockade
The Union Blockade, or the Blockade of the South, took place between 1861 and 1865, during the American Civil War, when the Union Navy maintained a strenuous effort on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the Confederate States of America designed to prevent the passage of trade goods, supplies, and arms...
occupied the ship for the next month, at the end of which Walke received orders to New York to take command of one of the Navy's newly acquired steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
. Following that service—during the summer of 1861—and a four-day tour as lighthouse inspector
United States Lighthouse Board
The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...
for the 11th District early in September, Walke headed west in response to orders to special duty at St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
That assignment proved to be the command of , one of the river gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s of the Army's Western Flotilla
Mississippi River Squadron
The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and was then known as the Western Gunboat Flotilla and sometimes as the...
. In September and October, he took his gunboat downriver to bombard Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
shore batteries at Hickman
Hickman, Kentucky
Hickman is a city in Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,560 at the 2000 census. Named for Captain Paschal Hickman, a Kentucky officer who was killed by Indians in the Massacre of the River Raisin during the War of 1812, it is the county seat of Fulton County.Hickman is...
and Columbus
Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
in western Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and traded a few shots with the Confederate gunboat . Early in November, his ship supported Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's move on the Southern camp at Belmont, Missouri, escorting troop transports, bombarding shore batteries and, finally, covering the withdrawal of Grant's forces from the Battle of Belmont
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S...
.
In mid-January 1862, Commander Walke assumed command of the ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
, also assigned to the Western Flotilla. In February 1862, during his tenure as Carondelet's commanding officer, Walke led her during the captures of Forts Henry
Battle of Fort Henry
The Battle of Fort Henry was fought on February 6, 1862, in western Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater....
and Donelson
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S...
which guarded the Tennessee
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
and Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
s, respectively. In April, he led her in the passing of heavily fortified Island Number Ten
Island Number Ten
Island Number Ten was a former island in the Mississippi River near Tiptonville, Tennessee and the site of a major eponymous battle in the American Civil War....
and in the attack on and spiking of shore batteries below New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...
, in Battle of Island Number Ten
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
. From April through the end of June, his ship participated in the drawn-out series of operations against Plum Point Bend
Battle of Fort Pillow (Naval)
The naval battle at Fort Pillow, Tennessee took place on the Mississippi River between ships of the Confederate River Defense Fleet, which consisted of a number of wooden sidewheel paddleboats converted to naval rams, and ships of the Union Mississippi River Squadron, which consisted of a number...
, Fort Pillow
Fort Pillow State Park
Fort Pillow State Park is a state park in western Tennessee that preserves the American Civil War site of the Battle of Fort Pillow. The 1,642 acre Fort Pillow, located in Lauderdale County on the Chickasaw Bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, is rich in both historic and archaeological...
, and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. On July 15, Commander Walke almost met his match when the Confederate ironclad ram made its move down the falling Yazoo River
Yazoo River
The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi.The Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. The exact meaning of the term is unclear...
toward Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
. Carondelet supported by and Walke's former command, Tyler, engaged the Southern ironclad. During the brisk opening exchange, Carondelet suffered heavy damage and was forced out of action in a disabled, though floating, condition. Queen of the West retreated immediately, leaving only little Tyler to face the powerful ram. The Southern warship, consequently, made it safely to the stronghold at Vicksburg.
On August 4, 1862, Walke was promoted to captain and assumed command of the ironclad ram then under conversion from a river steamer at St. Louis. He put her in commission on February 27, 1863, and commanded her during the dash past Vicksburg on April 6 and during the duel with shore batteries at Grand Gulf on the 29th. That summer, his ship briefly blockaded the mouth of the Red River early in June.
Later, on July 24, Captain Walke was ordered back to the East Coast to prepare the sidewheeler for service. He put her in commission on August 18, 1863 at New York, but his command of that steamer proved brief. On September 22, he was transferred to the screw sloop , which he commanded through the final two years of the Civil War, cruising the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n coast in search of Confederate commerce raiders. On August 17, 1865, he was detached from Sacramento and returned home to await orders.
Post-war years
On July 31, 1866, Walke was promoted to commodore. From May 1, 1868 until April 30, 1870, he commanded the naval station at Mound City, IllinoisMound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
. While waiting orders to his next assignment, Walke was promoted to rear admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
on July 20, 1870. He was placed on the retired list on April 26, 1871. However, his service to the Navy did not end, for, on that same day, he reported for some variety of special duty under the senior admiral of the Navy, Admiral David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter was a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the United States Navy. Promoted as the second man to the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G...
. That tour lasted until October 1, at which time he was appointed to the United States Lighthouse Board
United States Lighthouse Board
The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...
.
Detached on April 1, 1873, he retired to a life of writing and sketching until his death in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.