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He was born on November 2, 1822 at Buckfield, Maine, United States, the son of Stephen Decatur and Elisabeth Nixon (Stowell) Phelps, and descendant of George Phelps, who came with his brother William from England to America in 1630 and settled at Windsor, Connecticut, in 1635.
He studied further at the Naval Academy.
He was appointed midshipman on January 17, 1840, served five years chiefly in the Mediterranean and Brazil squadrons. He was wrecked in the Boston on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, in the winter of 1846, served in the Polk in Mexican waters from February to April 1847, and was then assigned to the coast survey, in which, except for another Mediterranean cruise in the Independence and Constitution, he remained until the close of 1852.
A year in the receiving ship at Philadelphia was followed by extended duty in the Decatur of the Pacific Squadron, 1853-57, during which time he was made lieutenant. His experiences in defending the settlements in Washington Territory during the Indian uprising, are told in his "Reminiscences of Seattle and the U. S. Sloop-of-War Decatur, 1855-56". After two years' ordnance work in Washington and service in the Paraquay Expedition, 1858-59, he commanded the Vixen in survey duty till the opening of the Civil War.
His experience and special skill in this field led to his selection, June 1, 1861, to make a careful survey of the Potomac. He was frequently in range of enemy batteries at Aquia Creek and elsewhere, his river boats apparently not being suspected of hostile activities. During the autumn his surveying was shifted to the approaches of Pamlico Sound where preparations for the Roanoke Island expedition were being made, his plans again being successfully executed despite skirmishes between his steamer, the Corwin, and the Confederate "mosquito" flotilla. Thereafter he carried on similar work in Virginia waters until the Peninsular Campaign of April-May, 1862, when the Corwin was employed in reconnaissance and in support for the army. The Corwin captured several enemy small craft in York River on May 4, after the evacuation of York-town, and on May 7 it ran up the Mattapony River during the battle of West Point and thus prevented a considerable Confederate force from joining the main body of troops.
He was made lieutenant commander in July 1862, was engaged from then until March 1863, in a more complete survey of the Potomac, and afterward made various surveys in anticipation of military and naval movements. At the close of 1864 he joined Porter's squadron, commanding the steam-sloop Juanita in the second attack on Fort Fisher, January 13-15, 1865. He was made commander in 1865, captain in 1871, commodore in 1879, and rear admiral in 1884, eight months before his retirement.
His sea commands after the war were the Saranac in the North Pacific, 1871-73, and the South Atlantic Squadron, 1883-84. In intervening periods he had duty at the Mare Island navy yard, San Francisco.
After retirement he made his home in Washington. His death from pneumonia occurred at a hospital in New York City only a month preceding his wife's death from the same cause.
Thomas Stowell Phelps served with distinction in Puget Sound War and American Civil War and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. He was famous for his served in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Pacific, and specifically well-known for his command of the sloop Juniata during the critical battle to capture Fort Fisher in January 1865.
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On January 25, 1848, he married Margaret Riche Levy, daughter of Capt. John B. Levy of Virginia. They had five children, one of the boys, Thomas Stowell, Jr. , entering the navy and rising to the rank of rear admiral.
