John Herbert Dent (22 February 1782 – 29 July 1823) was an officer in the
United States Navy during the
Quasi-War, the
First Barbary War, and the
War of 1812. He was acting captain on the ''
USS Constitution" (Old Ironsides) during the attacks on
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 t ...
in 1804.
Early years
Born in
Charles County,
Maryland, Dent was the eldest son of Congressman
George Dent
George Dent (1756 – December 2, 1813) was an American planter and politician from Maryland who served in the House of Representatives from 1793 to 1801.
Early life
Dent was born on his father's estate, "Windsor Castle", on the Mattawoman C ...
and Anne (Truman) Dent. His family had arrived in Maryland in the early Colonial days and had a long history of public service. With his parents, we moved to
Columbia County, Georgia.
Navy career
At the age of sixteen he was appointed 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 ...
16 March 1798. The Department of Navy had just been created by Congress in response to increasing attacks on merchant ships.
He served on
USS ''Constellation'' when she captured the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
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 ...
''
Insurgente'' on 1 February 1799, and after serving on
USS ''Constitution'' in the
Mediterranean, commanded the
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
s
''Nautilus'' and
''Scourge'' in
Preble’s squadron during the
First Barbary War, taking part in the attacks on
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 t ...
. He was in command of
''Hornet'' from 1806 to 1809.
During the
War of 1812, he was senior officer in charge of U.S. Naval affairs in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
.
Dates of ranks
* Midshipman, 16 March 1798
* Lieutenant, 11 July 1799
* Master commander 5 September 1804
* Captain 29 December 1811
Personal life
On 7 February 1809, Dent married Elizabeth Anne Horry. They had eight children. Captain Dent never returned to Maryland. He took up plantation life in
St. Bartholomew’s Parish in South Carolina, where he died on 29 July 1823.
He is buried in
Jacksonboro, South Carolina in Bethel Cemetery.
The destroyer
USS ''Dent'' (DD-116) was named for him.
Further reading
* Naval History and Heritage Command
John Herbert Dent
References
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dent, John H.
1782 births
1823 deaths
United States Navy officers
American military personnel of the First Barbary War
American military personnel of the Quasi-War
United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812
People from Charles County, Maryland
Military personnel from Charleston, South Carolina