George F. Pearson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rear Admiral
George Frederick Pearson
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|---|---|
| Born | 1799 Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Died | 1867 (aged 67–68) Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1815–1866 |
| Rank |  Rear admiral |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | |
George Frederick Pearson (1799 – July 1, 1867) was a high-ranking officer, a rear-admiral, in the United States Navy. He was in charge of the Pacific Squadron during the later part of the American Civil War.
Contents
George F. Pearson was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1799. He spent most of his life in Massachusetts. He joined the U.S. Navy on March 11, 1815, as a midshipman. This was a junior officer rank.
His first ship was the frigate United States. A frigate is a type of warship. In 1820, Midshipman Pearson served on the Independence, which was a large ship of the line. In 1822, he was on the Franklin at the West Indies station. Here, he passed his exams to become an officer.
Becoming a Lieutenant
Pearson became a lieutenant on January 13, 1825. He was sent to the West Indies station. Lieutenant Pearson then served on the schooner Porpoise in the Mediterranean Sea in 1826. A schooner is a smaller, fast sailing ship.
In 1828, he was with the Mediterranean Squadron on the sloop-of-war Ontario. A sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck. He took a break from the Navy until 1831. Then, he joined the sloop-of-war Boston in the Mediterranean.
From 1832 to 1836, he was either on leave or waiting for new orders. He was later assigned to the Constellation. This ship was the main ship for Commodore Alexander Dallas of the West Indies Squadron. The Constellation helped in the Second Seminole War.
Commander and Captain
Pearson was promoted to commander on September 8, 1841. After repairs, the sloop-of-war Boston sailed from New York on November 7, 1846. Commander Pearson was in charge. The ship was going to join the Home Squadron to block Mexican ports during the Mexican–American War.
Just eight days later, the Boston hit land on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas during a storm. The ship was completely destroyed, but thankfully, everyone on board survived.
On September 14, 1855, Pearson was promoted to captain. In 1860, Captain Pearson was given command of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. This was an important naval base.
Service During the Civil War
On December 21, 1861, Captain Pearson was put on the retired list. However, he continued to lead the Portsmouth Naval Yard. He was promoted to commodore on the retired list on July 16, 1862.
On October 4, 1864, Commodore Pearson was given command of the Pacific Squadron. He served in this role from 1864 to 1866 as an Acting Rear Admiral. His main ship was the Lancaster.
Under his command, Commander Henry Kallock Davenport stopped a plot by Confederate agents. These agents, sometimes called "Salvador Pirates," planned to capture a Panama Railroad steamship. They wanted to turn it into a warship to attack American ships carrying gold.
Pearson's squadron also protected American citizens and their property in Mexico and Peru. They defended them during the Spanish blockade of Peru in the Peruvian War with Spain.
Later Life and Retirement
After the Civil War ended in May 1865, Pearson's Pacific Squadron still had to deal with the CSS Shenandoah. This Confederate ship's captain didn't know the war was over. He was still attacking American whaling ships in the North Pacific as late as August 1865.
From 1866 to 1869, the Pacific Squadron was divided into North and South Pacific Squadrons. Pearson became the first commander of the South Pacific Squadron. He was promoted to rear admiral on the Retired List on July 25, 1866. His squadron continued to protect American interests in Panama and along the Pacific coast of South America. This was because of the ongoing war between Peru, Ecuador, and Chile with Spain.
After his duty in the Pacific, Rear Admiral Pearson returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He passed away there on July 1, 1867, at the age of 68.
