Charles Stewart (28 July 1778 – 6 November 1869) was an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

who commanded a number of US Navy ships, including . He saw service during the Quasi War and both

Barbary Wars The Barbary Wars were a series of two wars fought by the United States, Sweden, and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Barbary states (including Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli) of North Africa in the early 19th century. Sweden had been at wa ...

in the Mediterranean along North Africa and the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. He later commanded the navy yard in Philadelphia and was promoted to become the Navy's first flag officer shortly before retiring. He was promoted to rear admiral after he retired from the Navy. He lived a long life and was the last surviving Navy captain who had served in the War of 1812.

Early life

On 28 July 1778, Stewart was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, to Charles and Sarah Harding ('' née'' Ford) Stewart, Scots-Irish immigrants from

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, only a month after the British evacuated the city. His father died in 1780, leaving his mother little means to support him and his three siblings. She later remarried a former bodyguard of General Washington. Stewart attended Dr. Abercrombie's Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia where he met Stephen Decatur and Richard Somers. He went to sea at the age of thirteen as a cabin boy and rose through the grades to become master of a merchantman.

Early naval service

During the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War (french: Quasi-guerre) was an undeclared naval war fought from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States. The ability of Congress ...

with

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, Stewart was one of the first officers in the rebirth of the United States Navy. At the age of nineteen, he was commissioned a lieutenant on 9 March 1798 and joined the frigate , under the command of John Barry, as fourth lieutenant for a cruise in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

to restrain French privateers. Stewart was in charge of the ship's outfitting and recruiting of crew. On 16 July 1800 he assumed command of the schooner and captured two armed French vessels and recapturing several American ships.Maclay 1906, pp. 205. While anchored at the island of Dominica for water, he secured the release of an American impressed on a British warship. He later rescued approximately seventy people, mostly women and children from a vessel in distress at a reef near

Saona Island Saona Island ( es, Isla Saona) is a 110 square kilometer tropical island located off the south-east coast in Dominican Republic's La Altagracia province. It is a government-protected nature reserve and is part of '' Parque Nacional Cotubanamá''. ...

, just before the schooner sank, for which the Governor of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

sent a letter of thanks to

President Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

After brief command of in 1801 and service in in 1802, Stewart sailed to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

in command of the brig . He was promoted to master-commandant on 19 May 1804. There, he participated in the destruction of after her capture by Tripoli, helped to maintain the blockade of Tripoli, and distinguished himself in assaults on the enemy in August and September 1804. After the

First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the Barbary Wars, in which the United States and Sweden fought against Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war against Sw ...

, he participated in a show of force at

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

. He was second in command to Preble from 1803 through 1805. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 22 April 1806 and returned home on leave from US Navy, joining the merchant fleet, where he remained until the late 1811.

War of 1812

During the

, Stewart commanded, successively, , , and . Since ''Constellation'' was closely blockaded in Norfolk by the British, he took command of ''Constitution'' ("Old Ironsides") at

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

on 18 July 1813. He made two brilliant cruises in her between 1813 and 1815. Under Stewart's command, ''Constitution'' captured and on 20 February 1815. The

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

had been ratified by the United States government three days earlier but both sides in the battle were unaware of that event. By capturing two British warships with a single ship of his own, Stewart became a national hero and was awarded a

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

on 22 February 1816. He was also admitted as an honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati in the same year.

Postwar career

Stewart's later service included command of the American Mediterranean squadron from 1816 to 1820 and of one in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

from 1820 to 1824. For South American patriots fighting for their independence, commodore Stewart's conduct in Peruvian waters was controversial because, claiming "neutral rights" for U.S. merchants, he escorted their ships through a patriot blockade to trade with Spanish royalists. His flagship, the USS Franklin, also transported a Spanish spy. (Stewart said he was unaware the Spaniard was on his ship, and he blamed his wife for secreting the man on board.) For these and other actions, the U.S. Navy subjected Stewart to a highly publicized court-martial upon return to the United States. Stewart's wife refused to testify in his defense, and they soon divorced. Stewart biographers Berube and Rodgaard concluded about his trial that, “the Navy desperately needed a not-guilty verdict as several of its senior-most captains faced courts-martial in the summer of 1825.” A board of twelve of Stewart's fellow officers found him not guilty. Stewart served as a Naval Commissioner from 1830 to 1832. In 1836 Stewart saw service in the

and commanded a vessel that captured a Portuguese slaver ship as it came into

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

. Before Stewart's boarding crew took control of the ship, the commander of the vessel jumped overboard, swam ashore and escaped. On board the captured ship were 250 surviving negro children, many others having died from lack of water during the voyage. Outraged at the conditions and health of the children Stewart informed British commissioner Kennedy in Havana of the dire situation. In the later years of his career, Stewart commanded the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

from 1838 to 1841, in 1846, and again from 1853 to 1861.

Senior officer

Upon the death of Captain

James Barron James Barron (September 15, 1768 – April 21, 1851) was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Quasi-War and the Barbary Wars, during which he commanded a number of famous ships, including and . As commander of the frigate , h ...

in 1851, Stewart became the most senior ranking officer in the Navy. By a joint resolution passed on 2 March 1859, Congress made Stewart "senior flag officer" on 22 April 1859, a rank created for him in recognition of his distinguished and meritorious service. Stewart was placed on the retired list on 21 December 1861 after serving 63 years in the Navy. His age at the time of his retirement was 83 years, 4 months and 24 days – making him the second oldest officer on active duty in the history of the U.S. Navy (after William D. Leahy). He was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list on 16 July 1862. Stewart holds the all time records for the longest active duty career and longest time holding a single rank on active duty (52 years 10 months). Shortly before his death, Stewart was elected a companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

– a military society of officers who had served the Union during the Civil War. He was assigned the Society's insignia number 1119. Stewart died at Bordentown,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

on 6 November 1869 at the age of 91. He was buried at

Woodlands Cemetery The Woodlands is a National Historic Landmark District on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. It includes a Federal-style mansion, a matching carriage house and stable, and a garden landscape that in 1840 was transformed into a ...

in Philadelphia.Find-a-Grave: Charles Stewart
/ref>

Dates of rank

*Lieutenant, USN – 9 March 1798''Biographical Sketch, and Services of Commodore Charles Stewart of the Navy of the United States'', J. Harding, Philadelphia, 1838
/ref> *Captain, USN – 22 April 1806 *Senior Flag Officer, USN – 2 March 1859 *Retired List – 21 December 1861 *Rear Admiral, USN (Retired) – 16 July 1862

Personal life and legacy

He first married Delia Tudor. His grandchildren, by their daughter Delia Tudor Stewart Parnell (1816–1918) and John Henry Parnell, included

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...

, a prominent Irish political leader who fought for Irish home rule until his death in 1891, and Anna Parnell and

Fanny Parnell Fanny Parnell born Frances Isabelle Parnell (4 September 1848 – 20 July 1882) was an Irish poet, Irish nationalist, and the sister of Charles Stewart Parnell and Anna Catherine Parnell, important figures in nineteenth century Ireland. Early ...

, Irish nationalists who co-founded the

Ladies' Land League The Ladies' Land League (founded 31 January 1881; dissolved 10 August 1882) was an auxiliary of the Irish National Land League and took over the functions of that organization when its leadership was imprisoned. Background The Irish National Land L ...

in 1880 to raise money in America for the

Land League The Irish National Land League ( Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farme ...

. Secondly he married Margaretta W. Smith. Their daughter Julia Smith Stewart (1834–1910) married Harry Laguerenne, the son of Eliza Beauveau and Pierre Louis Laguerenne. He was a wine and spirits importer in Philadelphia. Several of Stewart's nephews served in the Navy, including Commodore

Charles Stewart McCauley Charles Stewart McCauley (February 3, 1793 – May 21, 1869) was an American naval officer in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Biography McCauley was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the decade after the American Revolution and educated ...

. Charles Stewart was buried beneath an obelisk at Woodland Cemetery in Philadelphia. In the late 19th century, his estate became the site of the Bordentown School, a residential high school academic and vocational training program.Staff

'

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', June 29, 1902. Two U.S. Navy destroyers, DD-13 and DD-224, and one destroyer escort, DE-238, have been named in Stewart's honor.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. V, pp. 685-6, "STEWART, Charles, naval officer,..."
by Wilson, James Grant, 1832–1914; Fiske, John, 1842–1901.
Letter of Don Joaquin Garcia, Governor of Santo Domingo to Pres. Thomas Jefferson commending Lt Stewart for his rescue of persons from a reef off Saona Island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Charles 1778 births 1869 deaths American people of Scotch-Irish descent People from Bordentown, New Jersey 18th-century American naval officers 19th-century American naval officers United States Navy commodores American military personnel of the Quasi-War American military personnel of the First Barbary War United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 Congressional Gold Medal recipients Burials at The Woodlands Cemetery Commanders of the USS Constitution Military personnel from New Jersey