Foxhall Alexander Parker Jr. (August 5, 1821 – June 10, 1879) 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 ...

during 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 ...

and became one of the founders of the

United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

Biography

He was born in New York on August 5, 1821, the son of

Foxhall A. Parker Sr. Foxhall Alexander Parker Sr. (1788 – 23 November 1857) was an officer in the United States Navy. He was Commander-in-Chief of the East India Squadron (ie. U.S. Navy forces in the Far East), commanded the Home Squadron, and was commander of ...

and Sarah Jay Bogardus (born 1794), daughter of Robert Bogardus (1771–1841). Parker was appointed a midshipman March 11, 1837. He was attached to the West Indian Squadron, then transferred to the

Philadelphia Naval School The Philadelphia Naval Asylum is a complex of buildings at Gray's Ferry Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1827 as a hospital, it later housed the Philadelphia Naval School, served as a home for retired sailors for the United States Na ...

, graduating in 1843. In 1842, he served under his father,

, in ''

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

''. He also served under his father in '' Brandywine''. On September 21, 1850, he was commissioned lieutenant. He served against the Florida Indians, on the Great Lakes, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, and on various coast surveys. From 1861 to 1862, he was executive officer of the navy yard at

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, ...

During the Civil War, he cooperated with the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, protecting

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

, after the First Battle of Bull Run. His capable manipulation of the forces at his command went far toward restoring order and confidence at Washington. He built Fort Dahlgren, and drilled 2,000 seamen in the exercise of artillery and small arms, thereby promoting the success of Admiral

Andrew H. Foote Andrew Hull Foote (September 12, 1806 – June 26, 1863) was an American naval officer who was noted for his service in the American Civil War and also for his contributions to several naval reforms in the years prior to the war. When the war cam ...

's operations with the

Mississippi Flotilla The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union brown-water naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and was ...

. He became commander on July 16, 1862, had charge of the steam gunboat '' Mahaska'' in active service off Wilmington and Yorktown, and of the gunboat '' Wabash'' off

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

from June to September 1863. He commanded a naval battery at the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Later, until the close of the war, he commanded the

Potomac Flotilla The Potomac Flotilla, also called the Potomac Squadron, was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to ...

, which consisted at one time of 42 vessels, and frequently engaged Confederate forces. In 1866, he received the rank of captain. In 1872, as commodore and chief of staff of the North Atlantic Fleet, he drew up a code of signals for steam tactics. In 1877/8 he was in charge of the Boston Navy Yard. He became superintendent of the

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 ...

in 1878 and was one of the founders of the

. Parker died at

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 ...

. His brother was

William Harwar Parker William Harwar Parker (October 8, 1826 – December 30, 1896) was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy. His autobiography, entitled ''Recollections of a Naval Officer 1841–1865'', provides a unique insight ...

, who served in the U.S. Navy and in the Confederate States Navy.

Writings

Textbooks for the U.S. Naval Academy: * ''Fleet Tactics Under Steam'' (1863) * ''Squadron Tactics under Steam'' (1863) * ''The Naval Howitzer Afloat'' (1865) * ''The Naval Howitzer Ashore'' (1865) History: * ''The Fleets of the World: the Galley Period'' (1876) * ''The Battle of Mobile Bay'' (1878)

Namesakes

Two ships have been named USS ''Parker'' for him.

Notes

References

* * * *
Photo of Parker

External links