Thomas Tingey Craven (December 30, 1808 – August 23, 1887) was a 19th-century

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer who rose to prominence during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Origins and education

He was the oldest son of Tunis Craven, a navy purser, and Hannah (Tingey) Craven, the daughter of Commodore

Thomas Tingey Thomas Tingey (11 September 1750 – 23 February 1829) was a commodore of the United States Navy. Originally serving in the British Royal Navy, Tingey later served in the Continental Navy. Tingey served with distinction during the Quasi-War and ...

, a longtime commandant of the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

. He was born in the commandant's residence at the Washington Navy Yard on December 30, 1808. His brother

Tunis Craven Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven (11 January 1813 – 5 August 1864) was an officer in the United States Navy. His career included service in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Early life Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven was b ...

also joined the navy, and perished with at the

Battle of Mobile Bay The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was a naval and land engagement of the American Civil War in which a Union fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fle ...

. Another brother, Alfred Wingate, was a noted civil engineer who constructed railroads. Their father was reassigned to

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...

from 1813 to 1823 and Thomas and Alfred attended the nearby

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

. Thomas, like his brothers, was a graduate of the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy, the forerunner of

Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...

, entering in 1822 and graduating in December 1823.

Naval career

Already a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

as of May 1, 1822, from 1823 until 1828, he served in the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron of the United States Navy, established c. 1821 and disbanded in 1907, was a naval squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Developing from a small force protecting United States commerc ...

on and on . Becoming a Passed Midshipman on May 24, 1828, in 1828 he joined , of the West India Squadron, as sailing master, and took part in the capture of the pirate ''Federal''. After being commissioned lieutenant on May 27, 1830, he spent three years in cruising on USS ''Boxer'', and in 1835/36 was attached to the receiving ship at New York, after which he joined . In 1838 he commanded , Captain

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

in the Antarctic exploring expedition. He then served on , , USS ''Monroe'', USS ''Macedonia'', and , principally in the

African Squadron The Africa Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy that operated from 1819 to 1861 in the Blockade of Africa to suppress the slave trade along the coast of West Africa. However, the term was often ascribed generally to anti-slavery oper ...

, after which, during 1846, he was attached to the naval rendezvous in New York. He then served on , in the Pacific Squadron, and on in the Mediterranean Squadron, returning home in January 1850. In the following July he was made commandant of midshipmen in the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

in Annapolis, becoming commander on December 16, 1852, and remaining at the academy until June 1855. After commanding of the Mediterranean Squadron for several years, he was ordered to resume his post at Annapolis. In October 1860, he was detached from this place, and, after a short time spent in recruiting service in

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, was commissioned captain on June 7, 1861, and assigned to the command of the

Potomac Flotilla The Potomac Flotilla, also called the Potomac Squadron, was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to ...

. In the autumn of 1861 he was placed in command of , participating in the capture of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and subsequent operations on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. He was made commodore on July 16, 1862, and during the subsequent years of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

commanded off the coasts of England and France. In September 1866, he was placed in command of the navy yard at

Mare Island Mare Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait junc ...

, California, where he received, on October 10 of the same year, his commission as rear admiral, and continued there until August 1868, when he assumed command of the

North Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron of the United States Navy, established c. 1821 and disbanded in 1907, was a naval squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Developing from a small force protecting United States commerc ...

. In June 1869, Tingey was relieved by Rear Adm. Thomas Turner and returned to his command of the

Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...

. On December 30, 1869, he was retired, but continued on duty in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

until that office was dispensed with.

Family

He married Virginia Wingate, and later Emily Henderson. He had eight children, and four of his sons attended the naval academy or were connected with the U.S. Navy: Charles Henderson (1843–1898), Henry Smith (1845–1889), Alfred (1846–1926) and Macdonough (1858–1919). His grandson (Henry's son) Thomas Tingey Craven served in the U.S. Navy in the early 20th century and played a prominent role in the development of naval aviation. His daughter Ida married Frank W. Hackett, who would go on to become Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He died 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 ...

on August 23, 1887 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.Burial Detail: Craven Thomas T.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, Thomas Tingey (Union Navy admiral) 1808 births 1887 deaths People from Portsmouth, New Hampshire Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Norwich University alumni Military personnel from Washington, D.C. United States Naval Academy faculty People of New Hampshire in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy rear admirals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery