William Kennison
William W. Kennison (1825–1893)[1] was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
William W. Kennison | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 28, 1825 [1] Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | January 4, 1893 (aged 67) [1] |
| Buried | Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts[1] |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1861–1868 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Commands held | USS Samuel Rotan |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Biography
Born in Massachusetts, Kennison was appointed Acting Master's Mate on 28 August 1861.[2] On 26 March 1862[3] he was promoted to Volunteer Lieutenant in recognition of his gallant conduct in the action between the CSS Virginia and the USS Cumberland during the Battle of Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862, [2] in which Kennison was in charge of the forward 10-inch (250 mm) pivot gun.[4] He was subsequently appointed commander of the schooner Samuel Rotan in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in 1863,[5] capturing the schooner Champion off the Piankatank River, Virginia, on 2 July, and a large yawl off Horn Harbor, Virginia, with cargo including salt, on 10 October.[6] He later served aboard the steam gunboat South Carolina, involved in operations off Charleston and Savannah in 1865.[7] Following the war, he was honorably discharged on 4 May 1866, but was reappointed Acting Master on 20 August 1866. His final muster out date was 16 November 1868.[2]
Namesake
The destroyer USS Kennison (DD-138) (1918–1945) was named for him.[2]
References
- Notes
- William W. Kennison at findagrave.com
- "USS Kennison". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "US Navy Officers: 1775–1900 (K)". Naval Historical Center. 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- Selfridge Jr., Thomas O. (1893). "The Merrimac and the Cumberland". The Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan Press. XV: 176–184. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- Porter (1886), p. 431
- Civil War Naval Chronology 1861–1865. Washington D.C.: Naval History Division, Navy Department. 1966.
- Porter (1886), p. 772
- Bibliography
- Porter, David D. (1886). The Naval History of the Civil War. New York: Sherman.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.