Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Pierce CROSBY
Crosby, Peirce, naval officer, was born in Delaware county, Pa., Jan. 16, 1824; son of John P. and Catharine (Beale) Crosby; grandson of Peirce and Christiana (Richards) Crosby; great-grandson of Judge John (a captain in the Revolutionary army) and Ann (Peirce) Crosby; great great grandson of John (member of Provincial assembly, 1768-71) and Eleanor (Graham) Crosby; great great great grandson of John (member of Provincial assembly, 1723-24) and Susannah Crosby; and great great great great grandson of Richard and Ellinor Crosby, who came from Moore in the County Pallatine, Chester, England, in 1682, and settled in Pennsylvania, on the lands which had been purchased by him from William Penn in 1681. He was appointed acting midshipman, June 5, 1838, and served in the Mediterranean squadron on board the flagship Ohio, Commodore Isaac Hull, 1838-41. He returned to the United States, and afterward served on the frigate Congress and the sloop Preble, 1841-43, in the Mediterranean squadron, and on detached duty at the Philadelphia naval school, 1843. In May, 1844, he was promoted passed midshipman, serving on the U.S. coast survey till 1846 when he cruised on the sloop Decatur and on the gunboat Petrel in the Gulf of Mexico during the Mexican war, taking part in the capture of Tuxpan and Tabasco. In 1848-53 he was acting master of the Belief on the coast of Africa, and on the Savannah at Norfolk, Va. On Sept. 3, 1853, he was promoted lieutenant and ordered to the Germantown, sailing for Brazil, returning in 1857. In 1858-59 he cruised on the Saratoga, in the Gulf of Mexico, and returning was attached to the receiving ship at Philadelphia. In 1860 he was on duty on Chesapeake bay at the commencement of the civil war, and afterward at Fort Monroe. In 1861, he volunteered on the Butler expedition to the coast of North Carolina and the capture of forts at Hatteras Inlet, and with the army boats and a launch of the Pawnee he landed the troops through the surf. He received special commendation from Gen. B. F. Butler in his official report of the operations. In December, 1861, he was in command of the gunboat Pinola, fitted out in Baltimore. He ran the batteries of the Potomac, received her battery in Washington, and joined Admiral Farragut at Ship Island. He took his vessel within two hundred yards of Fort Jackson in trying to break the chain barrier across the Mississippi river, and saved the Itsaca which had grounded near the guns of the fort while breaking the chain on the Fort St. Philip side of the river. He aided the mortar fleet in its bombardment of the forts, fought his way with Farragut and his fleet by Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and participated in the capture of the Chalmette batteries and of New Orleans. He also took part in the passage of the batteries at Vicksburg and the engagement with the Arkansas. In September, 1862, he was promoted commander and became fleet captain of the North Atlantic squadron under Acting Rear [p.54] Admiral S. P. Lee. He commanded an expedition up the York river to cooperate with the army at White House, Va. While in command of the steamer Florida in 1863, he destroyed two blockade runners undertaking to make Wilmington, N.C. With the Keystone State he captured five blockade runners in 1864 besides causing others to discharge their cargoes at sea in order to escape. He commanded the Metacomet on blockade duty off Galveston, Texas, 1864-65, and with this vessel aided in the attack on the city of Mobile in 1865. He first planned and directed the use of nets in removing one hundred and forty torpedoes that prevented the passage of the fleet to the city and had already destroyed two iron-clads. For this service he received the special commendation of Rear-Admiral Thatcher. He commanded the Shamokin at the South Atlantic station, 1865-68. He was promoted captain, May 27, 1868; was inspector of ordnance, Norfolk navy yard, 1869-70; executive officer, Philadelphia navy yard, 1871-72; commanded the Powhatan, 1872-73, and was acting commandant of the Washington navy yard until Oct. 3, 1874, when he received his commission as commodore. He commanded the League Island navy yard, 1877-81. He received his commission of rear-admiral March 18, 1882; commanded the South Atlantic station in 1882, and was afterward transferred to the command of the Asiatic station. In October, 1883, he was placed on the retired list by his own request, and ordered home, having been in active service over forty-eight years. He died in Washington, D.C., June 15, 1899.
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