Thomas Nelson
Captain (ret) Thomas Nelson (5 December, 1834 – 1 June, 1916) served in the United States Navy. He was the father of Rear Admiral (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 Ensign in the Volunteer Navy on 7 November, 1862.[1] He was later promoted to the rank of Acting Master on 18 March, 1865.[2] During the war, he commanded the steamer Dragon, the side-wheel steam tug Mercury, and the steamer Couer de Lion.[3]
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 Lieutenant on 18 December, 1868, and to Lieutenant Commander on 25 January, 1870.[4][5]
After serving as Executive Officer on receiving ship New Hampshire and gunboat Saco, 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 screw sloops Alaska and from 1884 to 1887 Nelson served as commanding officer of steam tug Palos on the Asiatic Station. While in this command, Nelson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 13 December, 1886.[6][7]
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 gunboat Adams 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.[8][9][10][11][12]
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.[13][14]
Nelson reverted to inactive status and saw no further duty. However, he was promoted to the rank of Captain 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.[15] He resided in Annapolis, where he died on 1 June, 1916.[16]
See Also
Bibliography
Service Records
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by ? |
Equipment Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island 1 Nov, 1888[17] |
Succeeded by Bowman H. McCalla |
| Preceded by N. Mayo Dyer |
Ordnance Officer, Navy Yard, Portsmouth 22 Feb, 1895[18] – Dec, 1896[19] |
Succeeded by Robert E. Impey |
Footnotes
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1864. p. 135.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1866. p. 115.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. pp. 117-118.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1869. pp. 26-27.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1871. pp. 24-25.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. pp. 117-118.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1889. pp. 10-11.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1889. p. 10.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1893. p. 8.
- ↑ The Hawaiian Gazette 20 February, 1894 p. 6
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1896. p. 6.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1897. p. 70.
- ↑ Boston Globe 7 June, 1895 p. 5.
- ↑ Boston Globe 25 October, 1898 p. 4.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. pp. 144-145.
- ↑ Washington Post 4 June, 1916 p. 16.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1892. p. 10.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1896. p. 8.
- ↑ Records of Living Officers (6th ed). p. 118.
