Levin Mynn Powell (April 8, 1798 – January 15, 1885) was a

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

of 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 was known for his service in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

and developing

riverine warfare The term brown-water navy or riverine navy refers in its broadest sense to any naval force capable of military operations in littoral zone waters. The term originated in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, when it referred to ...

techniques to fight the

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

. He also served with the

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

in 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 ...

Early life

Levin Mynn Powell was born on April 8, 1798, in

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 ...

Career

Powell joined the

in 1813. On March 1, 1817, Powell was appointed midshipman. He served in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

for three years and in the China Seas for three years. He was promoted to lieutenant on April 28, 1826, following service in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

and

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

fight pirates. He then served again in the Mediterranean aboard the schooner USS ''Porpoise''. He was transferred to another ship in the squadron, the frigate USS ''Java'', in 1830. He then served in the sloop USS ''Natchez'' 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 ...

, and then moved back to Europe and was stationed off the French coast. From 1836 to 1838, Powell commanded forces and the USRC ''Washington'' during the

and fought with the

in Florida. The

that Powell developed would be used to improve amphibious techniques against the Seminoles. He was engaged at the First Battle of the Loxahatchee on January 15, 1838, sometimes called "Powell's Battle". He was wounded in the battle. From 1840 to 1841, Powell was commanding officer of the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

USS ''Consort'' and surveyed the coast from the

Appalachicola River The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately 160 mi (180 km) long in the state of Florida. The river's large watershed, known as the ACF River Basin, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The distance to its fa ...

to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. In June 1843, Powell was commissioned as commander. From 1848 to 1849, he was Assistant Inspector of Ordnance in Washington, D.C. In July 1849, Powell commanded the sloop-of-war USS ''John Adams''. He was with the ''John Adams'' for one and a half years; sailing to Brazil and the African coast. Powell then served as an executive officer at the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administrativ ...

for three years. Powell commanded the USS ''Potomac'' and was promoted to captain in September 1855. From 1856 to 1860, Powell was inspector of contract steamers. During the

, Powell commanded the USS ''Potomac'' of the

Union Navy ), (official) , colors = Blue and gold , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label ...

, from August 20, 1861, to June 29, 1862. The ''Potomac'' was on blockade duty in the

. He was promoted to commodore on July 1866 and promoted again to

on the retired list in 1869. He did not retire until 1872. Powell served as Inspector of the Third Lighthouse District for four years and was on special service at the department for six years.

Personal life

Powell was married. Powell died on January 15, 1885, at his house in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

Powell left an endowment in his will with the

Columbian University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , presid ...

to establish a naval school to "prepare young men...to enter the Naval Academy at Annapolis". The will was disputed due to the belief that Powell was not of sound mind while signing it. The will was sustained. On March 15, 1885, the Admiral Powell Scholarships were established at Columbian University. The riverine warfare techniques that Powell developed in the Second Seminole War would be used more than one hundred years later in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

by the United States military.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Levin M. 1798 births 1881 deaths People from Virginia American military personnel of the Seminole Wars People of Virginia in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy rear admirals Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)