Donald MacNeil Fairfax (March 10, 1818 – January 10, 1894) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

Early life and family

The son of George William Fairfax, and Isabella McNeill, grandson of

Ferdinando Fairfax Ferdinando Fairfax (born in 1766 at Shannon Hill, Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia); died on 24 September 1820 at Mount Eagle, Fairfax County, Virginia) was a Virginia landowner and member of the prominent Fairfax family. Early ...

, and great-grandson of Bryan Fairfax, he was born at Mount Eagle, Virginia. Fairfax entered the Navy as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

on August 12, 1837. He was the only member of the family who took the Union side in the American Civil War.

The Trent Affair

As executive officer in , he was a participant in the 1861 "

Trent Affair The ''Trent'' Affair was a International incident, diplomatic incident in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain. The United States Navy, ...

," a diplomatic controversy involving the U.S. Navy's removal of Confederate commissioners from the British mail-steamer, . On November 8, 1861, Fairfax boarded ''Trent'' to remove

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

commissioners

James M. Mason James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798April 28, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as senator from Virginia, having previously represented Frederick County, Virginia, in the Virginia House of Delegates. A grandson of George M ...

and John Slidell, after the ship had been stopped by his captain, Charles Wilkes. Wilkes had given Fairfax the following written instructions: Fairfax demanded the passenger list, but Mason and Slidell identified themselves. He escorted Mason by the collar, to the cutter, and with two officers took hold of Slidell from the main cabin. He failed to claim ''Trent'' as a prize, citing the loss of manpower of a prize crew (avoiding a worse incident).

Civil War Service

Fairfax's distinguished service in the Civil War included command of the , and . Fairfax was later promoted to flag rank, retiring as a

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

on September 30, 1881. He retired to

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...

, where he served on the vestry of Saint John's Church. Admiral Fairfax died in 1894.

Namesake

In 1917 the was named in his honor.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfax, Donald McNeill 1818 births 1894 deaths 19th-century American Episcopalians American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent Burials at Rose Hill Cemetery (Hagerstown, Maryland) Episcopalians from Maryland Episcopalians from Virginia Donald Military personnel from Maryland Military personnel from Virginia People from Fairfax County, Virginia People from Hagerstown, Maryland People of Virginia in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy rear admirals (upper half)