Edward Simpson (March 3, 1824 – December 1, 1888) served as 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 ...

during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, eventually attaining the rank of

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 ...

. His service included being assigned as

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of several Navy ships and serving with distinction in various shore assignments.

Early life

Edward Simpson was born on March 3, 1824, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, to parents

Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...

and Elizabeth (Jones) Simpson, both actors.

U.S. Navy career

Simpson was appointed

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 ...

in the United States Navy in February 1840, shortly before his sixteenth birthday. He served afloat until late 1845, when he became a member of the first class of

midshipmen 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 ...

to be trained at the new

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

Pre-Civil War service

After graduation on July 9, 1846, Simpson reported to USS ''Vixen'' and participated in numerous bombardments during the

. During the next 15 years, he served afloat in the

Brazil Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

and the

China Squadron The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

and with the

U.S. Coast Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...

, and ashore in two tours at the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

: first as gunnery instructor, then in 1860 as head of the department of ordnance and gunnery.

Civil War service

In May 1861, shortly after the outbreak of the

, Simpson moved with the Naval Academy to Newport, Rhode Island, where it was relocated for the duration of the war. In 1862 he became Commandant of Midshipmen. In June 1863 he took command of the

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, USS ''Passaic''. He participated in bombardments at

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, from July to November 1863. From July to December 1864, he commanded ''Isonomia'' in the

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

; and, then served from February to April 1865 as Fleet Captain of the

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

and of the forces attacking

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

Post-war activity

After the war, he alternated tours of command ashore and afloat with tours of ordnance duty, including a mission to

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in 1870–72, and command of the

Naval Torpedo Station The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is the United States Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and offensive and defensive weapons ...

in 1873 and again from 1874 to 1875. As of 1880, he was the officer in charge of the naval station in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...

. In 1883, he was appointed president of a board to select a site for a government gun factory and made another study trip to

. Promoted to

on February 9, 1884, he served as president of the

Naval Advisory Board The Naval Consulting Board, also known as the Naval Advisory Board (a name used in the 1880s for two previous committees), was a US Navy organization established in 1915 by Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy at the suggestion of Thomas ...

and president of the

Board of Inspection and Survey The Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) is a United States Navy organization whose purpose is to inspect and assess the material condition of U.S. Navy vessels. The Board is currently headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virgin ...

until his retirement on March 3, 1886.

Post-Navy career

Rear Admiral Simpson died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, December 1, 1888, and was buried in

Cypress Hills Cemetery Cypress Hills Cemetery is non-sectarian/non-denominational cemetery corporation organized in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, the first of its type in the city. The cemetery is run as a non-profit organization and is loca ...

. The destroyer USS ''Simpson'' (DD-221), commissioned on November 3, 1920, was named in his honor. His son, Edward Simpson Jr., also became a rear admiral, and his daughter Ruth married Rear Admiral

Charles Mitchell Thomas Charles Mitchell Thomas (October 1, 1846 – July 3, 1908) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy who served for 47 years. He was briefly the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet while it was in port at San Francisco on the tour of ...

Promotions

* Midshipman – February 11, 1840 * Passed midshipman – July 11, 1846 * Master – July 10, 1854 * Lieutenant – April 18, 1855 * Lieutenant commander – July 16, 1862 * Commander – March 3, 1865 * Captain – August 15, 1870 * Commodore – April 26, 1878 * Rear admiral – February 9, 1884 * Retired list – March 3, 1886

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Edward 1824 births 1888 deaths United States Naval Academy alumni Union Navy officers United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War United States Navy admirals Military personnel from New York City People of New York (state) in the American Civil War