Background
Percival Drayton was born on August 25, 1812 in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, of an aristocratic and distinguished family. He was the son of the younger William Drayton and his first wife, Ann Gadsden.
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Naval Letters from Captain Percival Drayton, 1861-1865; Printed from the Original Manuscripts Presented to the New York Public Library by Miss Gertrude L. Hoyt
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Percival Drayton
Edit ProfileEducation
Appointed midshipman on December 1, 1827, he was initiated into the theory of his profession at the New York Naval School, and into its practise on the frigate Hudson of the Brazil Squadron. He was advanced to the rank of passed midshipman in 1833, and to that of lieutenant in 1838.
Career
While in the latter grade Drayton served successively in the Brazil, Pacific, and Mediterranean squadrons, and at the New York navy-yard on ordnance duty. In 1855 he was made commander and three years later was appointed aide to Commodore Shubrick in command of the Brazil Squadron and the Paraguay expedition. The outbreak of the Civil War found Drayton on ordnance duty at the navyyard in Philadelphia, a city which had been his home for upwards of thirty years. Sympathizing with the North in the approaching conflict, he requested on February 25, 1861, that his name be entered in the naval register as a citizen of Philadelphia. In October of that year, he was appointed to the command of the Pocahontas and participated in Du Pont’s expedition against Port Royal fighting against his brother, General Thomas F. Drayton and other relatives who had cast in their lot with the Confederacy.
Drayton was of great service to Du Pont while that officer was in command of the South Atlantic blockading squadron. He made reconnoissances of St. Helena Sound and adjacent waters and was present at the capture of Fernandina and St. Mary’s and at the occupation of Stono River. Made a captain, taking rank from July 16, 1862, he was placed in command of the monitor Passaic, the second ship of'tier class. In this ironclad he bombarded Fort McAllister and took part in Du Pont’s attack on Fort Sumter. In letters to the secretary of the navy he was highly commended by his commodore.
In December 1863, he was appointed fleet captain of the West Gulf blockading squadron, then commanded by Farragut. On board the Hartford he participated in the operations in Mobile Bay, where his services were exceedingly valuable. In April 1865, these qualities were recognized by his appointment to the office of chief of the Bureau of Navigation, the leading naval bureau.
Achievements
Works
book
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Naval Letters from Captain Percival Drayton, 1861-1865; Printed from the Original Manuscripts Presented to the New York Public Library by Miss Gertrude L. Hoyt
( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
-
Naval Letters from Captain Percival Drayton, 1861-1865; Printed from the Original Manuscripts Presented to the New York Public Library by Miss Gertrude L. Hoyt
Personality
Tall and commanding in appearance, Drayton was the "beau ideal” of a naval officer.
Endowed with exceptional mental powers, he ranked high as a naval scholar, reading and speaking several foreign languages.
Connections
Drayton was unmarried.
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Born
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Died
August 4, 1865 (aged 52) -
Resting place
Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States -
Nationality
American