''John Minturn'' was a three-masted packet ship that was lost on February 14, 1846. The ship left New Orleans headed for New York carrying $80,000 in goods and crew and passengers totaling 51 individuals. Captain Dudley Stark was Master of the ship. Her commander was Dudley Stark, who was a native of

Stonington, Connecticut The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington (borough), Connecticut, Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and W ...

. When the weather got bad, ''John Minturn'' took on pilot boat ''Blossom's'' Pilot

Thomas Freeborn The Pilots' Monument is a monument within the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City built to commemorate Thomas Freeborn, pilot of the pilot boat ''Blossom'' who lost his life while on board the steamship '' John Minturn''. The monume ...

who tried to guide the ship to port.

Construction and service

The ''John Minturn'' was a three-masted packet ship. Captain Dudley Stark was Master of the ship. She was used as a passenger ship from New Orleans. She had accommodations for cabin, second cabin and steerage passengers.

End of service

The ship was caught in a gale off

Mantoloking Mantoloking is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 296,Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Pilots' Monument The Pilots' Monument is a monument within the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City built to commemorate Thomas Freeborn, pilot of the pilot boat Blossom (pilot boat), ''Blossom'' who lost his life while on board the steamship ''John Mi ...

, by Currier and Ives. Later, newspapers reported widespread plundering of the dead. The reports prompted the New Jersey Senate to appoint a commission to investigate the validity of the claims. In a March 20, 1846, report by the commission to the Senate, the commission found the claims to be unwarranted. Monument to Thomas Freeborn, Pilot

The 1846 wreck sparked the development of the United States Life-Saving Service, an agency that would assist shipwrecked crews and passengers. That service would eventually merge with the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

. In 1847 the New York Pilots constructed the

Pilots' Monument The Pilots' Monument is a monument within the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City built to commemorate Thomas Freeborn, pilot of the pilot boat Blossom (pilot boat), ''Blossom'' who lost his life while on board the steamship ''John Mi ...

in memory of their comrade pilot

(1808-1846). It is located at the top of Battle Hill in the Green-Wood Cemetery.

References

External links

Journal of the Proceedings of the Second Senate of the State Of New Jersey (1846)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minturn, John 1846 in New Jersey Maritime incidents in January 1846 Shipwrecks of the New Jersey coast Disasters in New Jersey

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 ...

Transportation disasters in New Jersey 1840s ships