Peter Umstead Murphey (born July 20, 1810, in Caswell County, North Carolina; died 1876) was a former officer of the United States Navy who joined the Confederate States Navy 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 ...

. He was the son of Archibald DeBow Murphey and Jane Armistead Murphey.

Biography

Murphey (sometimes incorrectly spelled Murphy) was born in Caswell County, North Carolina, the son of

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Archibald Debow Murphey and Jane Debow. Appointed from that state as a

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 ...

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 ...

on May 12, 1834, he was promoted to passed midshipman on July 8, 1839, and to the rank of

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 sub ...

on May 29, 1846. Murphey resigned from the U.S. Navy, in which he served as an instructor at the Norfolk Military Academy in Norfolk, Va., in April 1861. In April 1861 he joined the Virginia State Navy, and was appointed commander of the steam tug ''Arrow'' on picket duty in the vicinity of Craney Island. Murphey became a Confederate States Navy officer on 10 June 1861, with the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

. After working on naval defenses in Virginia and North Carolina, he served at the

Gosport Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

in 1861–62, and then commanded the gunboat in the Mobile Squadron from March 7, 1862. Murphey assumed command of the gunboat in July 1862, and was wounded when ''Selma'' was captured in the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, by a U.S. Navy squadron headed by Admiral David Farragut. Murphey, who was fondly referred to by his crew and fellow officers as "Captain Pat", was held as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

at Fort Warren, until exchanged at Cox Wharf, Virginia, on October 18, 1864. He surrendered to Union forces on May 4, 1865, and was paroled on May 10, 1865.

References

Confederate States Navy officers United States Navy officers People from Caswell County, North Carolina People of North Carolina in the American Civil War 1810 births 1876 deaths {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub