Egbert Thompson

Background

Egbert was born in New York City in 1822. He was the son of Egbert and Catherine (Dibble) Thompson, a nephew of Smith Thompson, and a descendant of Anthony Thompson, who came to Boston in 1637.

Career

Egbert was appointed midshipman March 13, 1837. After a year's cruise in the Independence, he experienced unusual and trying duty, first in the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, 1838-42, in the Antarctic and South Seas, and next in the brig Somers, commanded by Capt. Alexander S. Mackenzie, at the time of the alleged mutiny led by Midshipman Philip Spencer, which resulted in Spencer's execution. Thompson's testimony at Mackenzie's court martial revealed that he had once had an altercation and scuffle with Spencer, and though small of stature had bested him; also that, while not implicated in Spencer's intrigues, he had been the only officer to bid him farewell at his death, and had been moved to tears.

He was executive of the schooner Bonita during the Mexican War, participating in the capture of Tabasco, Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Tuxpan. Subsequently, he was in the Michigan on the Great Lakes, 1847-50; in the Decatur, Home Squadron, 1851-52; and in the St. Louis, African Squadron, 1855-58. During the Civil War, he served on the Powhatan in the Gulf and in January 1862 joined Foote's Mississippi flotilla at Cairo. Commanding the gunboat Pittsburg, he participated in the attack on Fort Donelson, February 13, in which his vessel was struck forty times and narrowly escaped sinking. Before dawn on April 7 following (two nights after Commander Walke's similar exploit in the Carondelet), he ran the heavy batteries at Island No. 10, Mississippi River, to aid Polk's army below. In operations that same morning to support Polk's crossing of the river, Thompson, according to Walke, executed the latter's orders very tardily, and "at a distance astern throwing shell in a dangerous proximity over our bow. " Walke's criticism is weakened by his general tendency to monopolize credit, but it undoubtedly worked against Thompson's subsequent advancement. The Navy Department, upon Foote's report, included both vessels in its official thanks for hazardous service. After joining in the action of May 10 against the Confederate river flotilla, and in the capture of Fort Pillow on June 6, the Pittsburg remained at the latter point, and on June 16 returned to Cairo for overhaul.

Thompson's later river service was uneventful. He went ashore in October, and in 1863-64 was at the Philadelphia naval rendezvous. He was made commander, dating from July 16, 1862, but only after an appeal from the advisory board's adverse report, in which he declared himself the only instance of an officer "commended for a daring and heroic act" and then passed over. From October 1864 until the close of the war he commanded the Commodore McDonough and later the Cimarron on blockade duty, being senior officer at Stono Inlet and for a time in May at Charleston. Made captain in 1867, he commanded the Dacotah, Pacific Squadron, 1866-67, and then, as stated in an obviously inspired article in the Chicago Tribune, "was sent with his scars and his ironclads to rust away" at the Mound City (Ill. ) Naval Station. His last command was the Canandaigua, 1871-72. He was retired for physical disability January 5, 1874, and lived subsequently in Washington, occupied till his death in vain efforts to secure restoration.

Achievements

• Egbert Thompson has been listed as a noteworthy naval officer by Marquis Who's Who.

Connections

He married Emily B. Thompson.

Father:

Egbert Thompson

Mother:

Catherine (Dibble) Thompson

Spouse:

Emily B. Thompson