Edward Trenchard (1785–1824) was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of 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 saw service in 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 Congres ...

with France, 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 ...

, the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, and the

Second Barbary War The Second Barbary War (1815) or the U.S.–Algerian War was fought between the United States and the North African Barbary Coast states of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers. The war ended when the United States Senate ratified Commodore Stephen De ...

. He was the father of Rear Admiral

Stephen Decatur Trenchard Stephen Decatur Trenchard (July 10, 1818 – November 15, 1883) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat throughout the American Civil War, seei ...

Biography

Early life and background

Trenchard was born in

Salem, New Jersey Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population was 5,146,

, the son of Curtis Trenchard. The family were descendants of George Trenchard (1655–1712) from the village of Wolverton in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, who had come to America with

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

in 1682. Edward's grandfather, also George, (1706–1780), was the Attorney-General of West New Jersey in 1767-1775 and commanded the Salem Light Horse during the Revolutionary War. Edward was initially apprenticed as an engraver under his uncle,

James Trenchard James Trenchard (1747–?) was an American artist, printmaker, and engraver. He was born in Penns Neck, Salem County, New Jersey and by 1777 had moved to Philadelphia to work as an engraver. He was an illustrator for the ''Columbian Magazine'' ...

, the editor of the ''

Columbian Magazine The ''Columbian Magazine'', also known as the ''Columbian Magazine or Monthly Miscellany'', was a monthly American literary magazine established by Mathew Carey, Charles Cist, William Spotswood, Thomas Seddon, and James Trenchard. It was published ...

'', and a distinguished designer and an engraver of book-plates. However, a sea voyage to England at the age of 16 turned his mind to a military career, and on his return, he obtained 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 ...

's warrant on April 30, 1800.

War service

He was appointed to the frigate for a cruise in the West Indies during the

with France. A strong friendship sprang up between Trenchard and a junior

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Stephen Decatur Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...

, so much so that Trenchard later named his son,

. After the French war the ''Adams'' was ordered to the Mediterranean, and participated in the operations off

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

in 1803. The following year Trenchard was transferred to the seeing more action off Tripoli, and when his ship was fired upon by the Spanish batteries near the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medi ...

on September 21, 1805. Trenchard served aboard the in the

Home Squadron The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys, ...

from 1806 to 1810, and was assigned to duty at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

in 1811. On August 30, 1812, he was ordered to Sacketts Harbor on

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

, to supervise the building of the sloop by Henry Eckford. The building of ''Madison'' progressed with extraordinary speed, the 500-ton ship being launched on November 26. Trenchard assumed command of the ''Madison'' with the rank of

Master Commandant Master commandant was a rank within the early United States Navy. Both the Continental Navy, started in 1775, and the United States Navy created by the United States Congress, in 1796, had just two commissioned ranks, lieutenant and captain. Maste ...

and took part in the naval operations on Lake Ontario during the

. Trenchard fell ill with "lake fever" (the ''Madison'' at one time having eighty of her two hundred men on the sick list) and on July 21, 1813, left the ship to recuperate. On May 15, 1814, he rejoined the ship, taking part in the blockade of

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...

, in September 1814. After the end of the war he commanded the frigate , and took part in the operations off Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis, during the

of 1815.

Africa Squadron

In 1820 Trenchard was placed in command of the 20-gun sloop-of-war of the

Africa Squadron The Africa Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy that operated from 1819 to 1861 in the Blockade of Africa to suppress the slave trade along the coast of West Africa. However, the term was often ascribed generally to anti-slavery oper ...

on anti-slavery operations off the west coast of Africa. His officers included

Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the op ...

Silas Stringham Rear Admiral Silas Horton Stringham (November 7, 1798 – February 7, 1876) was an officer of the United States Navy who saw active service during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, and the Mexican–American War, and who commanded the Atlan ...

, and

William Mervine William Mervine (14 March 1791 – 15 September 1868) was a Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral in the United States Navy, whose career included service in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Born in Phi ...

, who all went on to distinguished navy careers. ''Cyane'' had not long been on station when on April 10, she captured two brigs and five schooners close in shore near the mouth of the River Gallinos. The officers and crew of the captured vessels were sent to the United States. However

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

and

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

, endemic in West Africa, took a heavy toll on the crew of ''Cyane''. On April 20, Trenchard reported that thirty-six of his men were on the sick-list. In response ''Cyane'' was ordered home, and the replaced her. On his return to the United States, Trenchard was assigned to duty in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but his health had been irrevocably damaged; he died in 1824.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trenchard, Edward 1785 births 1824 deaths People from Salem, New Jersey American people of English descent United States Navy officers American military personnel of the Quasi-War American military personnel of the First Barbary War United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 American military personnel of the Second Barbary War Military personnel from New Jersey