Henry Knox Thatcher was a naval officer in the United States Navy.
Background
He was born in Thomaston, Maine, in May 26, 1806. Descended from Deacon Samuel Thatcher, born in England, who was admitted freeman in Watertown, Massachussets, in 1642, he was the second of eight children of Ebenezer and Lucy Flucker (Knox) Thatcher and a first cousin of Benjamin B. Thatcher. His father was a lawyer and a graduate of Harvard.
Education
After attending the Boston schools, Henry was admitted, on July 1, 1822, as a cadet at the United States Military Academy, West Point, where he remained less than a year.
Career
Preferring the navy, he was appointed midshipman, March 4, 1823, and in September was ordered to the Washington navy yard to join the "mosquito fleet" of Commodore David Porter, which was preparing to operate against the West India pirates. From 1824 to 1827 he was attached to the United States of the Pacific squadron, the flagship of Commodore Isaac Hull. Promoted passed midshipman on March 23, 1829, while serving on board the Independence, stationed at the Boston navy yard, he made a cruise in the West Indies in 1831 as acting master of the Erie and in 1834 made a second cruise there as lieutenant of the Falmouth, a rank to which he had been promoted on February 28, 1833.
In 1839-41 he was attached to the Brandywine of the Mediterranean Squadron, and in 1847-50 to the Jamestown of the African Squadron. His shore assignments during this period were to the receiving ship Ohio and to duty as inspector at the Boston navy yard. In 1851-52 he commanded the storeship Relief of the Brazil Squadron and in 1854-55 he served as executive officer of the Naval Asylum, Philadelphia. When in the last-named year he was made commander, he was advanced eighty-seven numbers by reason of the Naval Efficiency Act of 1855. In 1857-59 he commanded the Decatur in the Pacific.
The outbreak of the Civil War found him serving as the executive officer of the Boston navy yard, from which office he was detached in November 1861 to take command of the corvette Constellation, fitting out at Portsmouth, N. H. , for special duty in the Mediterranean. After his promotion as of July 16, 1862, to commodore, desiring active war service, he hastened home and on August 26, 1863, was assigned to the Colorado of the North Atlantic blockading squadron. From December 1864 to January 1865 he commanded the first division of Admiral David D. Porter's fleet and for his attack on Fort Fisher, N. C. , was highly commended by the admiral for his share in the Union victory. Appointed acting rear-admiral, he was ordered on January 24, 1865, to take command of the West Gulf blockading squadron in succession to Admiral Farragut. Cooperating with the army in the reduction of Mobile, Thatcher on the surrender of that city pursued the Confederate fleet up the Tombigbee River and received its surrender, an operation for which he was congratulated by the Navy Department.
Later his naval force took possession of Sabine Pass and the defenses of Galveston. On the consolidation of the two squadrons in the Gulf of Mexico, Thatcher commanded the combined fleet known as the Gulf Squadron, with the Estrella as his flagship. From 1866 to 1868 he commanded the North Pacific Squadron, with the Pensacola as his flagship. Promoted rear-admiral from July 25, 1866, he was retired in that grade on May 26, 1868. In 1869-70 he was port admiral at Portsmouth, N. H. Thatcher resided at Winchester, Massachussets, maintaining a summer home at Nahant.
He died of a disease of the kidneys at Boston, leaving an adopted daughter, the child of a sister, but no children of his own.
Achievements
Membership
Thatcher was a member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. He became president of the Massachusetts Society in 1871.
Connections
On December 26, 1831, he had married Susan C. Croswell of Plymouth, Massachussets.