Joseph Saville Cony (1834 – February 10, 1867) 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 ...

who served 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 ...

. The was named in his honor.

Biography

Cony was born in 1834 in

Eastport, Maine Eastport is a city and archipelago in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,288 at the 2020 census, making Eastport the least-populous city in Maine. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainla ...

. He was appointed acting ensign November 3, 1862. First attached to , he commanded several successful small-boat expeditions along the Carolina coast. On August 22, 1863, while

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of , he commanded a boat expedition of six men which surprised a much larger enemy encampment at New Topsail Inlet, near

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

. This small force captured ten men, one 12-pounder howitzer, eighteen horses, and destroyed the

blockade running A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

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 ...

''Alexander Cooper'' and extensive salt works. For this accomplishment Joseph S. Cony was promoted to Acting Master on September 7, 1863. In April 1864, while attached to , he received the thanks of Major General Peck for his cooperation with the landing expedition at Bogue Inlet. During his cruise in this vessel he participated in the first attack on

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River' ...

. At the time of the second attack he was attached to and was one of the volunteers in the Navy assault party which assisted in carrying the fort. Cony was honorably discharged November 7, 1865. In 1866, Mr. Cony was appointed Lieutenant in the regular navy. By that time he was master of the merchant vessel, ''City of Bath'', at sea. Before he could accept this appointment, he went down with his ship off

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shape ...

on February 10, 1867.

References

External links

DANFS biography of Joseph Cony
1834 births 1867 deaths Union Navy officers People from Eastport, Maine United States Navy officers People of Maine in the American Civil War {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub