View source for Thomas Nelson

{{CaptUS}} (ret) '''Thomas Nelson''' (5 December, 1834 &ndash; 1 June, 1916) served in the [[United States Navy]]. He was the father of {{RearUS}} (ret) [[Charles Preston Nelson]].

==Life & Career==

Nelson was born "at sea". He volunteered for naval serviced during the Civil War, and was commissioned an Acting {{EnsUS}} in the Volunteer Navy on 7 November, 1862.{{USOfficerReg1864|p. 135}} He was later promoted to the rank of Acting Master on 18 March, 1865.{{USOfficerReg1866|p. 115}} During the war, he commanded the steamer ''Dragon'', the side-wheel steam tug ''Mercury'', and the steamer ''Couer de Lion''.{{LivingOfficers1898|pp. 117-118}}

He remained on active duty following the war, and was commissioned into the Regular Navy as a Master on 12 March, 1868, being quickly promoted to the rank of {{LieutUS}} on 18 December, 1868, and to {{LCommUS}} on 25 January, 1870.{{USOfficerReg1869|pp. 26-27}}{{USOfficerReg1871|pp. 24-25}}

After serving as Executive Officer on {{US-1NewHampshire|f=t}} and {{US-Saco|f=t}}, Nelson held his first peacetime command when he moved up from Executive Officer to commanding officer of store ship ''Idaho'' in 1873. In 1882-1883 he served as Executive Officer of {{US-Alaska|f=t}} and from 1884 to 1887 Nelson served as commanding officer of {{US-1Palos|f=t}} on the [[Asiatic Squadron|Asiatic Station]]. While in this command, Nelson was promoted to the rank of {{CommUS}} on 13 December, 1886.{{LivingOfficers1898|pp. 117-118}}{{USOfficerReg1889|pp. 10-11}}

After spending more than three years as Equipment Officer at the [[Mare Island Navy Yard]] Nelson went to sea one last time as commanding officer of {{US-Adams|f=t}} from 1892 to 1894. He then finished his active duty career by serving as Ordnance Officer at the [[Portsmouth Navy Yard]] before he was placed on the Retired List due to age on 5 December, 1896.{{USOfficerReg1889|p. 10}}{{USOfficerReg1893|p. 8}}<ref>''The Hawaiian Gazette'' 20 February, 1894 p. 6</ref>{{USOfficerReg1896|p. 6}}{{USOfficerReg1897|p. 70}}

However, Nelson was recalled to active duty during the Spanish-American War to serve as Lighthouse Inspector for the Second District, and to command the "mosquito fleet" in and around Boston from June to October, 1898.<ref>''Boston Globe'' 7 June, 1895 p. 5.</ref><ref>''Boston Globe'' 25 October, 1898 p. 4.</ref>

Nelson reverted to inactive status and saw no further duty. However, he was promoted to the rank of {{CaptUS}} on the Retired List on 29 June, 1906 due to a provision in the Naval Appropriations Act passed that date granting a one rank promotion on the Retired List to Civil War veterans.{{USOfficerReg1907|pp. 144-145}} He resided in Annapolis, where he died on 1 June, 1916.<ref>''Washington Post'' 4 June, 1916 p. 16.</ref>

==See Also==
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{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nelson}}
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==Bibliography==
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==Service Records==
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<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[U.S.S. Palos (1864)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Palos'']]'''<br>after Oct, 1884 &ndash; 1887{{LivingOfficers1898|pp. 117-118}}|Succeeded by<br>'''?'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[Mare Island Navy Yard|Equipment Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island]]'''<br>1 Nov, 1888{{USOfficerReg1892|p. 10}} &ndash; before 22 Mar, 1892{{USOfficerReg1893|p. 8}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Bowman Hendry McCalla|Bowman H. McCalla]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edwin Tully Woodward|Edwin T. Woodward]]'''|'''[[U.S.S. Adams (1874)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Adams'']]'''<br>22 Mar, 1892{{USOfficerReg1893|p. 8}} &ndash; Mar, 1894{{USOfficerReg1896|p. 6}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Walton Goodwin|Walton Goodwin]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Nehemiah Mayo Dyer|N. Mayo Dyer]]'''|'''[[Portsmouth Navy Yard|Ordnance Officer, Navy Yard, Portsmouth]]'''<br>22 Feb, 1895{{USOfficerReg1896|p. 8}} &ndash; 6 Dec, 1896{{HamerslyRecords6|p. 118}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Robert Elijah Impey|Robert E. Impey]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Thomas}}

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