Henry A. Clemson (12 July 1818 – 8 December 1846) 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 ...

in the early 19th century. Clemson died at sea during the

Mexican American War Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

(1846) and was memorialized on the

Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument The Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument at the intersection of Cornelius Stribling, Stribling Walk and Chapel Walk, center campus of the United States Naval Academy, US Naval Academy, is in memory of two passed midshipman#United States Navy, passed m ...

and the naming of a naval destroyer, .

Early life

Clemson was born in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

to Ann Maria (Oliver) and Captain Eli B. Clemson.

Naval service

He served on several ships throughout his short career. The following is his known service based on newspaper accounts. In 1837, he was midshipman on the frigate with Commander John B. Nicholson. In 1840, he was a midshipman on the ship which was returning from the Pacific and Rio Janeiro with Captain J. M. McKeever. Clemson requested permission to sit for the midshipman exams in 1841 at the

Philadelphia Naval Asylum 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 ...

. He passed the exams in 1842 which made him eligible for promotion to

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 ...

. He served on the in 1842 as

passed midshipman A passed midshipman, sometimes called as "midshipman, passed", is a term used historically in the 19th century to describe a midshipman who had passed the lieutenant's exam and was eligible for promotion to lieutenant as soon as there was a vacan ...

. The ''Concord'' ran aground in November 1842 and then was abandoned. Clemson returned to the United States on the

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore and aft. Sometimes, the mizzen is only partly fore-and-aft rigged, b ...

''Margaret Hugg'' along with surviving crew. By late 1843, he was serving as passed midshipman on the with Commander

Francis Gregory Francis Hoyt Gregory (October 9, 1789 – October 4, 1866) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 through to the Civil War, serving then as a rear admiral. Early life Gregory was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of ...

, Esq. In January 1844, Clemson served as passed midshipman on the with Commander Thomas W. Fennelon, arriving in Haiti in June 1944 to protect the commercial interests of the United States. By late 1844, Clemson began his service as DO (duty officer) on the ship, , with Lt Commander Charles C. Turner. The ''Erie'' was taking supplies to the west coast of Africa. In May 1845, Clemson was serving as acting master on the with Commander Henry Bruce, when the ''Truxtun'' captured the slaver ship, ''

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

''. By March 1846, Clemson was serving as passed midshipman on the with Captain John H. Aulick. By late November 1846, Clemson was serving as acting master on the brig with Lt. Commander

Raphael Semmes Raphael Semmes ( ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860. During the American Civil War, Semmes wa ...

. The ''Somers'' had been dispatched for blockade duty in the Gulf of Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Clemson, along with 38 other crew, drowned on 8 December 1846 when ''Somers'' capsized off Vera Cruz in a squall while chasing a blockade runner.

In memoriam

The

was erected at 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 1848 in the memory of Clemson and three other midshipmen who died at Vera Cruz. The monument has also been called the Clemson Monument since the side with Clemson's name faces the Academy Yard and is first seen by the midshipmen (students) on the way to classes. was named in his honor.

Citations

External links

Braque ''Margaret Hugg'' of Baltimore at Maryland Center for History and Culture

Historical Markers Database: Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument (photographs)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clemson, Henry A. 1818 births 1846 deaths United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War Military personnel from New Jersey United States Navy officers