military naval officer midshipman
James Glynn was born on June 28, 1801, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He states that his father “fought and died at New Orleans”; he was probably James Anthony Glynn of Richmond, Virginia, who is said by his sister to have been connected with the navy at that time.
Glynn entered the gunboat service at New Orleans about 1810, and served afterward, 1812-15, as an acting midshipman in the General Pike and Superior on Lake Ontario.
Glynn was appointed midshipman from Virginia, March 4, 1815. Commodore Chauncey recommended him as of “correct habits and honorable feelings. ” On sea and shore duty, chiefly on the Atlantic coast and in European waters, Glynn rose to lieutenant, 1825, and to the commander, 1841.
He was on the California coast in the Mexican War, and in 1848, commanding the sloop Preble, joined the East India Squadron under Commodore Geisinger.
Upon news of them from the Dutch at Nagasaki, Glynn was ordered there from Hong Kong, sailing March 22, 1849, in the face of bad weather and with poor charts, and arriving April 17. The next day, he anchored close to the town under the guns of the shore defenses, where he was immediately encircled by a cordon of boats.
In interviews with Japanese officials, he adopted an assured and severe manner, insisted on prompt action, and secured the delivery of the sailors on April 26. Thirteen of them, including nine Kanakas, had deserted from the whaler Lagoda in June preceding.
The fourteenth was a half-breed Indian, Ranald MacDonald, who had landed from another whaler for adventure.
In 1855, Glynn was put on the reserved list but was restored in 1858 with back pay.
In January 1861, he went to Pensacola in the Macedonian and subsequently cruised in the Caribbean against Confederate raiders until January 6, 1862. He was then retired as a captain and had no further service except as lighthouse inspector in 1865. In 1867, he was made a commodore.
After a year in Europe, 1869-70, he died at his home in New Haven.
Impressed with the possibility of opening relations with Japan, and the need of a coaling base there for the China trade, Glynn, upon returning to New York in January 1851, laid his views before the government, and published them in a press letter dated February 24, addressed to the firm of Howland & Aspinwall.
He thus helped pave the way for the naval mission to Japan, entrusted first, in June 1851, to Commodore J. H. Aulick and later to Commodore Perry.
Quotes from others about the person
Geisinger credits Glynn’s accomplishment as “probably the first instance” of our successful negotiations with the island empire.
Glynn was married to Anne (Stoddard) Glynn.
