Commodore William Montgomery Crane (February 1, 1776 – March 18, 1846) 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 ...

during the

First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the Barbary Wars, in which the United States and Sweden fought against Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war against Sw ...

and the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. He was the son of General William Crane who was wounded at the Battle of Quebec while serving under Richard Montgomery in honor of whom he was given the middle name of Montgomery. His brother was Colonel Ichabod Crane who also served in the War of 1812 as well as the Mexican War.

Biography

Crane was born at

Elizabethtown, New Jersey Elizabeth Township, also called Elizabethtown, was a township that existed in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, from 1664 until 1855. The area was initially part of the Elizabethtown Tract, purchased from the Lenape on October 28, 16 ...

on February 1, 1776, and appointed midshipman in 1799. Serving as a lieutenant on the he won honors for his gallant fighting in the attacks on

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

in 1804. He was in command of the brigantine USS ''Nautilus'' on 29 July 1812, when it was captured by a British squadron, according to the then Lieutenant Crane; Crane was promoted to

master commandant Master commandant was a rank within the early United States Navy. Both the Continental Navy, started in 1775, and the United States Navy created by the United States Congress, in 1796, had just two commissioned ranks, lieutenant and captain. Maste ...

on March 4, 1813, and to captain on November 22, 1814. He was assigned command of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1827 and acted as one of the commissioners in the negotiations with the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. He was on the

Board of Navy Commissioners The Board of Navy Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Departme ...

and the first Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography from 1842 until his death by suicide at the age of 70 years on March 18, 1846.

Legacy

The Naval Ammunition Depot in Burns City, Indiana was renamed US Naval Ammunition Depot, Crane, in honor of Commodore Crane. The depot is currently named

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...

. was also named in his honor. The town of Crane, Indiana was named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, William M. 1776 births 1846 deaths People from Elizabeth, New Jersey United States Navy officers American military personnel of the First Barbary War United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 War of 1812 prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom Crane family of New Jersey