Joel Abbot (January 18, 1793 – December 14, 1855) was a U.S. naval officer who served notably in 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 commanded a ship during Commodore Perry's 1853-1854 visit to Japan. Commodore Joel Abbot was Admiral

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 o ...

's second in command when they opened Japan in 1853–1854.

Military career

Abbot was born in

Westford, Massachusetts Westford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was at 24,643 at the time of the 2020 Census. History Westford began as 'West Chelmsford', a village in the town of Chelmsford. The village of West Chelmsfor ...

on January 18, 1793, son of Joel and Lydia (Cummings) Abbot. He entered the Navy at the age of 19 as

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 ...

at the beginning of the

.''Who Was Who in American History - the Military'', Marquis Who's Who, 1976, page 1. He served first on the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

and next on

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

with Commodore Macdonough, who, when he asked Abbot if he were ready to die for his country received the reply "Certainly, sir; that is what I came into the service for." For his success in this dangerous exploit, and for his bravery in the engagement at

Cumberland Head Cumberland Head is a census-designated place and region of the town of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census. Cumberland Head is a peninsula projecting into Lake Champlain, and includ ...

on 11 September 1814, the young officer received a sword of honor from

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

and was commissioned a

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 ...

. In 1818, he was given charge of the captured pirate ship ''Mariana''. Abbot was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in 1838, and the following year was given command of the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

until 1842. In 1843 he took command of the

sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...

in Commodore Perry's African Squadron. On 3 October 1850, Abbot was promoted to captain. In 1852, he was made commander of the "Macedonian", when Commodore Perry was entrusted with power to select the officers to accompany him on his famous Japan expedition, he chose Abbot to command the sailing

. In 1854, he was appointed commodore of the

East India Squadron The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East while the Pacific Squadron concentrated on the western coast ...

. (At that time, commodore was the title of the commander of a squadron of ships, rather than a rank in the Navy.) He died in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

on December 14, 1855. His remains were returned to the United States where he was buried in the Abbot family tomb in

Warren, Rhode Island Warren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 11,147 at the 2020 census. History Warren was the site of the Pokanoket Indian settlement of Sowams located on a peninsula within the Pokanoket region. The reg ...

Family life

Abbot married Mary Wood in January 1820. After Mary's untimely death, he married Laura Wheaton on November 29, 1825. He had 10 children by his two wives. His son, Walter Abbot, served in the U.S. Navy 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 ...

, rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and died on active duty in 1873. Another son, Charles Wheaton Abbot, Sr., served in the Navy from 1856 to 1891 and rose to the rank of Pay Director (equivalent to the rank of captain) and was later promoted to rear admiral on the retired list. Abbot's grandson, Charles Wheaton Abbot Jr., was a career Army officer and rose to become the Adjutant General of Rhode Island with the rank of brigadier general. Both Walter Abbot and Charles Jr. were companions of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

Namesakes

Two ships of the US Navy were named in his honor. Joel Abbot Camp 21 of the

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is an American congressionally chartered fraternal organization that carries out activities to preserve the history and legacy of the United States Armed Forces veterans who fought during the Civil ...

was named after him when it was founded in 1907 in Warren, Rhode Island. The camp was relocated to Newport in the mid-1990s and was active until 2012.

Dates of rank

*Midshipman - 18 June 1812 *Lieutenant - 1 April 1818 *Commander - 8 December 1838 *Captain - 3 October 1850 *Commodore - 6 September 1854

References

: *''Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896.'' Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967. {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbot, Joel 1793 births 1855 deaths People from Westford, Massachusetts United States Navy officers People from Massachusetts in the War of 1812 Military personnel from Massachusetts

Military career

Family life

Namesakes

Dates of rank

See also

References