Joseph Revere

May 17, 1812 (age 67)

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Love of travel led Joseph to enter the navy as a midshipman in 1828, and his taste was abundantly gratified by a three-year Pacific cruise in the Guerrière, a year of pirate hunting in the Caribbean, service on the African coast, and, after promotion to passed midshipman in 1832, an enjoyable cruise in the Mediterranean and northward to Russia. In the autumn of 1836 he made an overland journey as dispatch bearer from Lisbon to Paris and back to Gibraltar. A China cruise, 1838-40, was followed by his promotion to lieutenant in 1841. In 1845 he was assigned to the California coast, where, in command of a landing party from the Portsmouth, he raised the flag at Sonoma on July 9, 1846, fought in Stockton's force at the San Gabriel River, and participated in subsequent naval activities on the Mexican west coast. He returned home in 1848 but was soon back in California in the midst of the gold rush as agent for naval timber land. He resigned from the navy in 1850 because of slow promotion and busied himself in developing a ranch he had purchased near Sonoma, and in 1851 made two profitable trading voyages down the Mexican coast. On his second voyage he rescued the crew of a shipwrecked Spanish vessel from hostile Indians, receiving in reward a medal from the city of Cadiz and an order of merit from Queen Isabella. While visiting Mexico city at the close of 1851 he accepted an offer to organize the artillery of the Mexican army, and served as colonel till the following spring, being badly wounded in February during an insurrection in Morelia, Mexico. From 1852 until the outbreak of the Civil War, he divided his time between his home in Morristown, New Jersey, and extensive European travel. He first volunteered for the navy, but finding his services not immediately needed, entered the army on August 31, 1861, as colonel of the 7th New Jersey Volunteers. After fighting through the Peninsular Campaign and at Seven Pines and Antietam, he was made brigadier-general on October 25, 1862, and led the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, III Corps, at Fredericksburg, and the Excelsior Brigade, same division, at Chancellorsville. In the latter battle, May 3, 1863, after a severe action from daybreak till eight o'clock that morning, he found himself senior officer of the division, and, his forces being short of ammunition and without rations, he moved them without orders about three miles to the rear, where they remained until ordered back about three o'clock in the afternoon. For this action General Sickles sharply censured him and relieved him of the command. He was court-martialed and dismissed, but the sentence - severe in view of his previous record for ability and gallantry - was revoked on September 10, 1864, by President Lincoln, and his resignation accepted. In later years he suffered from declining health and spent considerable periods in foreign travel. His death from heart trouble occurred suddenly at Busche's Hotel, Hoboken, New Jersey.

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Works

book

A statement of the case of Brigadier-General Joseph W. Revere

(A statement of the case of Brigadier-General Joseph W. Re...)

Keel and Saddle: A Retrospect of Forty Years of Military and Naval Service - Primary Source Edition

(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

A Tour Of Duty In California: Including A Description Of The Gold Region And The Voyage Around Cape Horn

(–Editor’s Note to this Reprint– I had great pleasure repr...)

Keel and Saddle: A Retrospect of Forty Years of Military and Naval Service

(This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for ki...)

A Tour of Duty in California: Including a Description of the Gold Region: And an Account of the Voyage Around Cape Horn

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

A Statement Of The Case Of Brigadier-General Joseph W. Revere, United States Volunteers: Tried And Dismissed, 1863

(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

Joseph Warren Revere Edit Profile

adventurer military naval officer author

Background

Joseph Warren Revere was born on May 17, 1812 in Boston, the grandson of Paul Revere and the son of John Revere, who married Lydia LeBaron Goodwin and was a physician in Boston and later professor of medicine in the University of the City of New York.

Career

Love of travel led Joseph to enter the navy as a midshipman in 1828, and his taste was abundantly gratified by a three-year Pacific cruise in the Guerrière, a year of pirate hunting in the Caribbean, service on the African coast, and, after promotion to passed midshipman in 1832, an enjoyable cruise in the Mediterranean and northward to Russia. In the autumn of 1836 he made an overland journey as dispatch bearer from Lisbon to Paris and back to Gibraltar. A China cruise, 1838-40, was followed by his promotion to lieutenant in 1841.

In 1845 he was assigned to the California coast, where, in command of a landing party from the Portsmouth, he raised the flag at Sonoma on July 9, 1846, fought in Stockton's force at the San Gabriel River, and participated in subsequent naval activities on the Mexican west coast. He returned home in 1848 but was soon back in California in the midst of the gold rush as agent for naval timber land. He resigned from the navy in 1850 because of slow promotion and busied himself in developing a ranch he had purchased near Sonoma, and in 1851 made two profitable trading voyages down the Mexican coast. On his second voyage he rescued the crew of a shipwrecked Spanish vessel from hostile Indians, receiving in reward a medal from the city of Cadiz and an order of merit from Queen Isabella. While visiting Mexico city at the close of 1851 he accepted an offer to organize the artillery of the Mexican army, and served as colonel till the following spring, being badly wounded in February during an insurrection in Morelia, Mexico.

From 1852 until the outbreak of the Civil War, he divided his time between his home in Morristown, New Jersey, and extensive European travel. He first volunteered for the navy, but finding his services not immediately needed, entered the army on August 31, 1861, as colonel of the 7th New Jersey Volunteers. After fighting through the Peninsular Campaign and at Seven Pines and Antietam, he was made brigadier-general on October 25, 1862, and led the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, III Corps, at Fredericksburg, and the Excelsior Brigade, same division, at Chancellorsville.

In the latter battle, May 3, 1863, after a severe action from daybreak till eight o'clock that morning, he found himself senior officer of the division, and, his forces being short of ammunition and without rations, he moved them without orders about three miles to the rear, where they remained until ordered back about three o'clock in the afternoon. For this action General Sickles sharply censured him and relieved him of the command. He was court-martialed and dismissed, but the sentence - severe in view of his previous record for ability and gallantry - was revoked on September 10, 1864, by President Lincoln, and his resignation accepted. In later years he suffered from declining health and spent considerable periods in foreign travel.

His death from heart trouble occurred suddenly at Busche's Hotel, Hoboken, New Jersey.

Achievements

He is best known for being a Union Brigadier General during the American Civil War who was court-martialed after the Battle of Chancellorsville. He was author of A Tour of Duty in California (1849) and Keel and Saddle: A Retrospect of Forty Years of Military and Naval Service (1872). The latter is largely autobiographical but contains also a number of romantic stories, both of fact and fiction, entertainingly written and reflecting the author's restless, adventure-loving spirit.