230
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
shipman in the United States navy, March
I, 1825; served on the Brandyicitvc^ when
that frigate carried the Marquis de Lafay-
ette to France ; was attached to the Mediter-
ranean squadron, 1827-28, and to the sloop
Eric of the West Indian squadron, 1830-31.
He was promoted passed midshipman, June
4. 1831 ; served on the John Adauis of the
Mediterranean squadron in 1835; was pro-
moted lieutenant, February 9, 1837, and
served on the Warren of the Pacific squad-
ron. 1845-47. He was stationed on the west-
ern coast of Mexico, 1847-48; commanded
the party that cut out a Mexican war vessel
at Mazatlan in 1847. ^tnd was attached to
the store ship Lexington, 1852-53. He was
promoted commander, September 14, 1855;
commanded the Dacotah of the East India
squadron, 1S60-61 ; was promoted captain,
July 16, 1862, and commodore, April 24,
1863. He commanded the Cumberland in
1861, and was on court martial duty at Old
Point Comfort, when that ship was attacked
by the ram Mcrrimae. He made every eiffort
to reach his ship before the fighting was
over, but did not arrive at Newport News
until the Cumberland was sinking. He was
executive officer of the Brooklyn navy
yard, 1862-64; commanded the New Iron-
sides, and the iron-clad division of Admiral
Porter's squadron at Fort Fisher in Decem-
ber, 1864, and January, 1865. His ability
and services in these two attacks were rec-
ognized and praised by Admiral Porter in
his report to the secretary of the navy. He
commanded the navyyard at Washington,
D. C, 1866-68; was promoted rear admiral,
July 25, 1868; commanded the Mediterran-
ean squadron, 1869-70, and was retired
March i, 1870. He was on special duty in
Washington, D. C, 1871-72, and died in that
city, January 8, 1890.
Slaughter, Philip, clergjman, was born in Springfield, Virginia, October 26, 1808; son of Capt. Philip Slaughter, of the Eleventh Continental Regiment, army of the revolu- tion. He was the cousin of William Dank Slaughter, who organized the state of Wis- consin. Philip was educated privately and at the academy at Winchester, Virginia; studied law at the University of Virginia, 1825-28.. and was admitted to the bar. He entered the Episcopal Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Virginia, 1833; was ordamed deacon in Trinity Church, Staunton, 1834, and priest in St. Paul's Church, Alexandria, 1835. He was rector at Dettingen, \*ir- ginia; of Christ Church, Georgetown, Dis- trict of Columbia, 1836-40: of the parishes of Meade and Johns, 1840-43, and St. Paul's Church. Petersburg, Virginia, 1843-48. On account of ill health he spent 1848-49 in for- eign travel. In 1856 he erected a church on his own land in Culpeper county, and offi- ciated there without remuneration until the Federal army destroyed it in 1862. He then preached in his own house, in camps and hospitals. In 1874 he received the degree of D. D. from William and Mary College. The church convention made him historio- grapher of the diocese of Virginia- He edited **The Virginia Colonizationist," (1850) ; "The Army and Navy Messenger"; "The Southern Church" (1865) ; and is the author of: "St. George's Parish History," (1847); "Man and Woman," (i860); "Life of Randolph Fairfax," (1862) ; "Life of Col. Joshua Fry," (1880) ; "Historic Churches of Virginia," (1882); "Life of Hon. William' Green," (1883) ; "Views from Cedar Mcun-
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