CSN Tucker, John Randolph - Commander

John Randolph Tucker

:CSA1stNat:
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Born: January 31, 1812

Birthplace: Alexandria, Virginia

Father: John Tucker

Mother: Susanna Douglas 1785 – 1846
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​

Wife: Virginia Webb 1819 – 1858
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Married: June 7, 1838

Children:

Alfred Tayloe Tucker 1841–1842​
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Virginia Flemming Tucker 1846–1847​
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Harriet R. Tucker 1847–1862​
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​
Randolph Tucker 1849 – 1928​
(Buried: Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia)​
Tarlton Webb Tucker 1851–1922​
(Buried: Forrest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee)​
Virginius Tucker 1857–1926​
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​

Occupation before War:
1826: Joined the United States Navy as a Midshipman on June 1, at the age of fourteen​
Served afloat in the Mediterranean and Brazil Squadrons​
1837: Promoted to Lieutenant on December 20​
1847: Served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Gulf of Mexico, commanding the brig USS Stromboli as part of the blockade in the Mexican–American War, until illness forced him to return north​
1849–1852: Assigned to the Home Squadron flagships​
1852–1855: Assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron flagships​
1855: Received his commission as Commander and commanding officer of USS Pennsylvania on September 14​
Ordnance Officer in the Norfolk, Virginia, Navy Yard​

Civil War Career:
Tucker.jpg


1861 – 1865: Commander in the Confederate States Navy​
Commander in the Virginia Navy​
1861 – 1862: Commander of CSS Patrick Henry
Battery Commander at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia​
Commander of the Ironclad CSS Chicora
1863 – 1865: Commander of Confederate Warships in Charleston, South Carolina​
1865: Participated in the Defense of Richmond, Virginia​
1865: Surrendered on April 6, 1865 at Battle of Sayler's Creek, Virginia​
1865: Held as Prisoner of War by Union Army, until July 24
IMG_0156.JPG

Occupation after War:

Agent for Southern Express Company of Raleigh, North Carolina​
1866 – 1871: Rear Admiral in Peruvian Navy​
President of Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon​

Died: June 12, 1883

Place of Death: Petersburg, Virginia

Age at time of Death: 71 years old

Burial Place: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia
 
Last edited by a moderator:
After Drewry's Bluff he was promoted to captain and placed in charge of all naval forces at Charleston. When Charleston fell he was returned to Drewry's Bluff and joined in the retreat from Richmond/Petersburg. He was captured at Sayler's Creek along with most of his command.
 
John Randolph Tucker

:CSA1stNat:View attachment 374673

Born: January 31, 1812

Birthplace: Alexandria, Virginia

Father: John Tucker

Mother: Susanna Douglas 1785 – 1846
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​

Wife: Virginia Webb 1819 – 1858
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Married: June 7, 1838

Children:

Alfred Tayloe Tucker 1841–1842​
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Virginia Flemming Tucker 1846–1847​
(Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​
Harriet R. Tucker 1847–1862​
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​
Randolph Tucker 1849 – 1928​
(Buried: Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia)​
Tarlton Webb Tucker 1851–1922​
(Buried: Forrest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee)​
Virginius Tucker 1857–1926​
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia)​

Occupation before War:
1826: Joined the United States Navy as a Midshipman on June 1, at the age of fourteen​
Served afloat in the Mediterranean and Brazil Squadrons​
1837: Promoted to Lieutenant on December 20​
1847: Served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Gulf of Mexico, commanding the brig USS Stromboli as part of the blockade in the Mexican–American War, until illness forced him to return north​
1849–1852: Assigned to the Home Squadron flagships​
1852–1855: Assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron flagships​
1855: Received his commission as Commander and commanding officer of USS Pennsylvania on September 14​
Ordnance Officer in the Norfolk, Virginia, Navy Yard​

Civil War Career:View attachment 372672

1861 – 1865: Commander in the Confederate States Navy​
Commander in the Virginia Navy​
1861 – 1862: Commander of CSS Patrick Henry
Battery Commander at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia​
Commander of the Ironclad CSS Chicora
1863 – 1865: Commander of Confederate Warships in Charleston, South Carolina​
1865: Participated in the Defense of Richmond, Virginia​
1865: Surrendered on April 6, 1865 at Battle of Sayler's Creek, Virginia​
1865: Held as Prisoner of War by Union Army, until July 24View attachment 372673

Occupation after War:

Agent for Southern Express Company of Raleigh, North Carolina​
1866 – 1871: Rear Admiral in Peruvian Navy​
President of Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon​

Died: June 12, 1883

Place of Death: Petersburg, Virginia

Age at time of Death: 71 years old

Burial Place: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia
 
According to one source during the Mexican War he commanded a ship called the "Stromboli"?
Correct.
Not named for the Italian American (not Italian) created food item.

That Stromboli and the steamboat Stromboli are both named for the small island north of Sicily, which has one of Italy's 3 active volcanoes.

Apparently Stromboli was considered an appropriate name for a vessel that was powered by fire and steam and emitted lots of smoke.

Mount Etna (on Sicily) and Mount Vesuvius, near Naples and Pompeii, are the other two active volcanoes in Italy.

I been to both of them and only saw smoke.

Stromboli I only saw at night from the deck of a cruise ship, but it glowed orange red from the molten lava.Quite a sight.

As an aside Mount Etna erupted in !944 during the Allied invasion.
British and American troops were "treated" to the spectacle, I don't think there were any Allied or German casualties.
 
Correct.
Not named for the Italian American (not Italian) created food item.

That Stromboli and the steamboat Stromboli are both named for the small island north of Sicily, which has one of Italy's 3 active volcanoes.

Apparently Stromboli was considered an appropriate name for a vessel that was powered by fire and steam and emitted lots of smoke.

Mount Etna (on Sicily) and Mount Vesuvius, near Naples and Pompeii, are the other two active volcanoes in Italy.

I been to both of them and only saw smoke.

Stromboli I only saw at night from the deck of a cruise ship, but it glowed orange red from the molten lava.Quite a sight.

As an aside Mount Etna erupted in !944 during the Allied invasion.
British and American troops were "treated" to the spectacle, I don't think there were any Allied or German casualties.
Vesuvius also erupted in March 1944 and damaged 80+/- USAAF aircraft at a nearby base.
 
Around 1860 1861 he briefly commanded a boat called the Yorktown. Was it a USS or CSS ship?
The privately owned steamer Yorktown was seized by the Virginia navy when the state seceded and later turned it over to the Confederate navy. Tucker was given command, refurbished it as a gunboat and renamed it CSS Patrick Henry.
 
According to one source during the Mexican War he commanded a ship called the "Stromboli"?

Stromboli
(Brig:- t. 180; Ibp. 80'; b. 22'8"; dph. 8'; a. 1 10" columbiad)
An island, about three miles long and two and one-half miles wide, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The island has been known since antiquity for volcanic activity and possesses a constantly active volcano.

In 1846, the Navy purchased brig Howard at Boston to strengthen its forces for the Mexican War. Commissioned on 18 March 1847 as bomb brig Stromboli, the ship sailed for the Gulf of Mexico under the command of Comdr. William S. Walker.

Stromboli performed blockade duty in the Bay of Compeche, especially off the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River. In mid-June, she sailed to the mouth of the Tabasco River. On the 14th, she and Bonita were towed across the bar into the river as Commodore Perry's squadron occupied Frontera. The force then moved upstream and took Tabasco the following day.

Stromboli later returned to blockade duty off the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos. That summer, the ship's crew was stricken by yellow fever, but she continued to help guard the Army water communications through the winter and spring.

In July 1848, Stromboli sailed home, and she was decommissioned on 6 September 1848. She was sold later that year.



Cheers,
USS ALASKA
 
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