Joseph Pitty Couthouy
Encyclopedia
Joseph Pitty Couthouy was an American naval officer, conchologist, and invertebrate palaeontologist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he entered the Boston Latin School
in 1820. He married Mary Greenwood Wild on 9 March 1832.
Couthouy applied to President Andrew Jackson
for a position on the Scientific Corps of the U.S. Navy's Exploring Expedition
of 1838. President Jackson said that all positions were filled, to which Couthouy replied "Well General, I'll be hanged if I don't go, if I have to go before the mast!" The President replied "Go back to Boston and I will see if anything can be done for you."
A few days later his commission was received. He sailed with the expedition on 18 August 1838, but was returned home from Honolulu in November 1840 by Lt. Charles Wilkes
for "disobedience of orders." Although he meticulously labeled all of his specimens from the expedition, Dall recounts how "The authorities in Washington had appointed a reverened gentleman who knew nothing of science, with a fat salary, to unpack and take care of the specimens sent home by the expedition." This gentleman then separated the specimens from the tags thus rendering many of them useless. Couthouy returned to Washington and tried to work up what he could of the collection and was then informed, "to crown all of his misfortunes", that his pay was to be reduced by forty-four percent. He then returned to his profession as a master in the merchant marine, visiting South America and the Pacific. In 1854, he took command of an expedition to the Bay of Cumaná
, where he spent three unsuccessful years in search of the wreck of a Spanish treasure ship, the San Pedro, lost there in the early part of the century. A good linguist, he spoke fluent Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, and had mastered several dialects used in the Pacific Islands
.
In the American Civil War
, Couthouy was ordered to command the on 31 December 1862, which was wrecked, and Couthouy made prisoner. He later commanded the and finally the , during the Red River Campaign
. On 3 April 1864, while off Grand Ecore, Louisiana
, he was shot during an ambush and died the following day.
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
in 1820. He married Mary Greenwood Wild on 9 March 1832.
Couthouy applied to President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
for a position on the Scientific Corps of the U.S. Navy's Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
of 1838. President Jackson said that all positions were filled, to which Couthouy replied "Well General, I'll be hanged if I don't go, if I have to go before the mast!" The President replied "Go back to Boston and I will see if anything can be done for you."
A few days later his commission was received. He sailed with the expedition on 18 August 1838, but was returned home from Honolulu in November 1840 by Lt. Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
for "disobedience of orders." Although he meticulously labeled all of his specimens from the expedition, Dall recounts how "The authorities in Washington had appointed a reverened gentleman who knew nothing of science, with a fat salary, to unpack and take care of the specimens sent home by the expedition." This gentleman then separated the specimens from the tags thus rendering many of them useless. Couthouy returned to Washington and tried to work up what he could of the collection and was then informed, "to crown all of his misfortunes", that his pay was to be reduced by forty-four percent. He then returned to his profession as a master in the merchant marine, visiting South America and the Pacific. In 1854, he took command of an expedition to the Bay of Cumaná
Cumaná
Cumaná is the capital of Venezuela's Sucre State. It is located 402 km east of Caracas. It was the first settlement founded by Europeans in the mainland America, in 1501 by Franciscan friars, but due to successful attacks by the indigenous people, it had to be refounded several times...
, where he spent three unsuccessful years in search of the wreck of a Spanish treasure ship, the San Pedro, lost there in the early part of the century. A good linguist, he spoke fluent Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, and had mastered several dialects used in the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
.
In 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...
, Couthouy was ordered to command the on 31 December 1862, which was wrecked, and Couthouy made prisoner. He later commanded the and finally the , during the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
. On 3 April 1864, while off Grand Ecore, Louisiana
Grand Ecore, Louisiana
Grand Ecore is an unincorporated community on the Red River in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located approximately eight miles north of Natchitoches and west of Clarence....
, he was shot during an ambush and died the following day.
Further reading
- Joseph Pitty Couthouy: The Death of a Sailor-Scientist; edited by Gary D. Joiner and Jimmy H. Sandefur. In