Edward Donaldson naval officer, (November 17, 1816 – May 15, 1889) was 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 ...

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 ...

Biography

Donaldson was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. He entered the Navy as cadet midshipman on July 21, 1835, and served on several vessels of war in the West India Squadron. In 1838, he went to the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

in the ''

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

'', and in 1839 participated in the attack on the forts on the coast of

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

. He was promoted passed midshipman in June 1841, and attached to the Mosquito fleet in Florida during 1841–1842, after which he served on various vessels until 1846, when he was appointed on the coast survey. He received his commission as lieutenant in October 1847, and was connected with the ''

Dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

'', the '' Water Witch'', the '' Merrimac'', and the '' San Jacinto'', and was on special shore duty until 1861. During 1861 he commanded the gun boat '' Sciota'', attached to the

Western Gulf Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

, and took part in the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the subsequent capture of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. He participated in the passage of the Vicksburg batteries, and was made commander in July 1862. After a year in command of the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...

at Philadelphia Navy Yard, he was transferred to the ''

Keystone State 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, Maryl ...

'' as executive officer during her trip to the West Indies in search of the

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 1 ...

cruiser '' Sumter'', and was her commander in 1863–1864. During the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, he commanded the '' Seminole'', and rendered efficient service by his coolness and judgment in piloting his vessel while passing Fort Morgan, the regular pilot being ill. In 1865 he was on ordnance duty in

. He was made captain in July 1866, and subsequently had command of the

at Philadelphia until 1868, when he was assigned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In September 1871, he became commodore, and for a time had charge of the naval station in Mound City, Illinois. He was promoted to rear admiral on September 21, 1876, and placed on the retired list a few days later.

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External links

* 1816 births 1889 deaths United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) Military personnel from Baltimore People of Maryland in the American Civil War {{US-navy-bio-stub