Joseph P. Fyffe (26 July 1832 – 25 February 1896) was a rear admiral 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 ...

. He saw service in both the Mexican War and 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 ...

Naval career

Fyffe was born in Champaign County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, on 26 July 1832, the son of Edward Pierce Fyffe (1810–1867) and the former Sarah Ann Robinson (1814–1872).Find-A-Grave Memorial: Adm Joseph P. Fyffe (1832–1896)
/ref> He was appointed a midshipman on 9 September 1847. He was attached first to the bomb brig in the

Home Squadron The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys, ...

from 1847 to 1848, seeing service on

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are leg ...

duty off

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

during the Mexican War. His next assignment was to the sloop-of-war off the coast of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

from 1848 to 1850, after which he was back in the Home Squadron during 1852. He attended 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 Annapolis,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, from 1853 to 1854 and, upon completing his studies, was promoted to

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 ...

on 15 June 1854.Lewis Randolph Hamersly.
The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Fifth Edition
'. Philadelphia: L. R. Hamersly & Company, 1894, p. 59. Fyffe was assigned to special service aboard the

screw frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for exa ...

in 1855, and was promoted 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 ...

on 16 September 1855. He served aboard the

store ship Combat stores ships, or storeships, were originally a designation given to ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward that navies used to stow Materiel, supplies and other goods for naval warfare, naval purposes. Today, the United States ...

in the Brazil Squadron from 1856 to 1857, aboard the sloop-of-war in 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 ...

from 1857 to 1859, and on the steam sloop from 1860 to 1861. The

broke out in April 1861, and Fyffe was promoted to

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

on 16 July 1862. He served aboard the

steam frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for exa ...

, flagship of the

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

, from 1863 to 1865. While aboard ''Minnesota'', he participated in the

Union blockade The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlanti ...

of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

, and took part in the destruction of the blockade runner ''Hebe'' and of two Confederate guns on the beach near

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 Rive ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, in August 1863; the destruction of the blockade runner ''Ranger'' and an engagement with Confederate infantry near Fort Caswell, North Carolina, in January 1864; combat with Confederate

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

above Cox's Wharf on

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

's James River in May 1864; two engagements with Confederate artillery on the James River in June 1864, at Deep Bottom and at Curtis's Neck near Tilghman's Wharf; and an engagement with Confederate artillery and

rams In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)Dutch Gap in January 1865.Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
/ref> After the Civil War, Fyffe performed duty at 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 ...

in Charlestown,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, in 1867 and was promoted to commander on 2 December 1867. He served aboard the

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to f ...

sloop-of-war in the

Asiatic Squadron The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily inv ...

from 1868 to 1869. He was commanding officer of the

monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...

(known briefly as USS ''Centaur'' in 1869) in the

North Atlantic Fleet The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...

from 1869 to 1870, officer-in-charge of the

nitre Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits. Historically, the term ''niter'' was not well differentiated from natron, both of w ...

depot at Malden, Massachusetts, from 1871 to 1872, and commanding officer of the sidewheel

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

in the Asiatic Squadron from 1875 to 1878. Promoted to captain on 13 January 1879, Fyffe commanded the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...

League Island League Island was an island in the Delaware River, part of the city of Philadelphia, just upstream from the mouth of the Schuylkill River. The island was developed as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Since the late 20th century, it has been ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, from 1879 to 1880 and the receiving ship at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, Virginia, from 1880 to 1882. He returned to sea as commanding officer of the screw steamer on the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of ...

from 1882 to 1883, and then returned to the Boston Navy Yard for duty from 1885 to 1888. Fyffe was promoted to

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

on 28 February 1889, then awaited orders from 1889 to 1890. He was on special duty at

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts, as President of the Board to Examine Naval and Merchant Vessels from October 1890 to June 1891, and from 29 June 1891 to June 1893 he was commander of Naval Station New London at

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. In his final tour, he served as commander of the Boston Navy Yard and Naval Station from 13 July 1893 to July 1894. As Fyffe approached his mandatory retirement at age 62 on 26 July 1894, he faced the possibility of retiring as a commodore rather than as a rear admiral, as no rear admiral billets were due to become open before that date. Rear Admiral Joseph S. Skerrett was due to retire upon reaching the age of 62 on 18 January 1895, but in order to make room for Fyffe to be promoted, Skerrett voluntarily requested an earlier retirement based on time in service. Skerrett thus was placed on the retired list early, on 9 July 1894, allowing Fyffe to be promoted to rear admiral on 10 July 1894. Fyffe then retired as a rear admiral on 20 July 1894.

Permanent change of station travel expenses

Traditionally, the cost of transportation for a Navy officer and his family was initially paid for by the officer receiving the permanent change of station orders, and he would be reimbursed upon arrival for all expenses and pay en route. Lieutenant commander (United States) Joseph P. Fyffe changed this custom in 1870 when he was assigned to travel from New England to San Francisco in order to take a new assignment. Since he had no funds for travel, he walked. He strapped his dress sword to a small suitcase and began walking from New England to San Francisco, sending a telegram each night showing his progress and nightly accommodations. After five days on the road, his shoes gave out, and he sent this telegram: "30 August 1870. En route X on foot X requested recruiting officer be authorized issue me new shoes X shoes fell apart noon today X entered Albany (New York) barefooted X will remain Seward Hotel two days awaiting answer X earned my keep as bartender X local rum far superior to that served in the US Navy X am sending sample X very respectfully Fyffe." The next day, the local recruiting station received a telegram from the Secretary of the Navy advancing funds for the transportation of officers to their new duty stations. "Pass following message to Lt. Comdr J. P. Fyffe USN now at Seward Hotel Bar Quote I strike my colors X

United States Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

authorizes recruiting officer Albany issue you shoes and provide you quickest transportation from Albany to San Francisco X Even Chief Bureau of Navigation (United States Navy) can laugh when outsmarted X unquote X Respectfully Bureau of Navigation".Lederer, William J
All the Ship's at Sea
New York: Sloane, 1950. Condensed and reprinted i
Treasury of Wit & Humor
Pleasantville, N.Y.: Reader's Digest Association, 1958. Pages 24-26.

Personal life

Fyffe was married to the former Clifford Neff (25 April 1840 – 19 January 1911). Among their children were Elizabeth Fyffe (1867–1958) and Mary Fyffe Mitchell (1873–1934).Find-A-Grave Memorial: Clifford Neff Fyffe (1840–1911)
/ref>

Death

Fyffe died on 25 February 1896 in Champaign County, Ohio. He is buried with his wife at Oak Dale Cemetery in

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

, Ohio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fyffe, Joseph P. 1832 births 1896 deaths United States Navy rear admirals United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War Union Navy officers United States Naval Academy alumni People from Champaign County, Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War Burials in Ohio