Background
Joseph Lanman was born at Norwich, Connecticut, of old New England stock, son of Peter Lanman, a Norwich merchant and ship-owner, and Abigail Trumbull Lanman, a granddaughter of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull.
Joseph Lanman was born at Norwich, Connecticut, of old New England stock, son of Peter Lanman, a Norwich merchant and ship-owner, and Abigail Trumbull Lanman, a granddaughter of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull.
Recommended by his uncle, Senator James Lanman, as "much superior to lads of his age, " and "of great zeal and ambition for naval life, " Joseph secured an appointment as midshipman, January 1, 1825. His first cruise was the next year in the Macedonian to Brazil. Up to the Civil War his career followed the naval routine of sea and shore service. He was promoted lieutenant on March 3, 1835. During the Mexican War he was on ordnance duty in the Navy Department, and then in the Pacific Squadron, 1847-1848, from which he was detached in 1848 as bearer of special dispatches to Washington. He was in the San Jacinto of the Mediterranean Squadron, 1849-1851; on special duty for three years; then, after promotion to commander, September 14, 1855, at the Washington Navy Yard, 1855-56; and commander of the steamer Michigan on the Great Lakes, 1859-1861.
At the outbreak of the Civil War he was sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, from which he was transferred in January 1862 to command the steam sloop Saranac of the Pacific Squadron. In August of that year he was made commodore and in September was shifted to the steam sloop Lancaster of the same squadron.
Returning to the East coast in the summer of 1864, he was assigned to the steam frigate Minnesota and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Porter, in which, on October 12, he was given command of the second division. His ship led this division in both attacks on Fort Fisher, December 24-25, 1864, and January 13-15, 1865. Admiral Porter commended him in his report for "admirable judgment and coolness" and in a letter of January 17, 1865, assigned him to command the vessels at Hampton Roads. Lanman turned over his sea command two weeks later.
On December 8, 1867, he was made rear admiral, and after serving as head of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, 1867-1869, he was during the next two years in command of the South Atlantic Squadron operating chiefly in Brazilian waters.
Upon his retirement in July 1872, he returned to his home in Norwich, where he died two years later of pneumonia.
Lanman was reputedly somewhat irascible, but an alert and able officer. He was fond of social life and had a host of distinguished friends. In appearance he was short and stout, with ruddy complexion and piercing grey eyes. His upper lip was clean-shaven, but, being troubled with asthma, he grew a heavy beard which in later years was braided and worn inside his clothing.
Lanman was married in Washington, September 20, 1842, to Ann Cornelia, daughter of Capt. Job G. Williams of the United States Marine Corps, and had three daughters and a son.