Knickerbocker commodore : the life and times of John Drake Sloat, 1781-1867 / Bruce A. Castleman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Castleman, Bruce A., author.

Series:

Excelsior editions Knickerbocker commodore

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sloat, John D. (John Drake).

Sloat, John D.

United States. Navy--Officers--Biography.

United States.

Mexican War, 1846-1848--Biography.

Mexican War, 1846-1848.

Ship captains--United States--Biography.

Ship captains.

Monterrey, Battle of, Monterrey, Mexico, 1846.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (342 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany, New York : Excelsior Editions, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Knickerbocker Commodore chronicles the life of Rear Admiral John Drake Sloat, an important but understudied naval figure in US history. Born and raised by a slave-owning gentry family in New York's Hudson Valley, Sloat moved to New York City at age nineteen. Bruce A. Castleman explores Sloat's forty-five-year career in the Navy, from his initial appointment as midshipman in the conflicts with revolutionary France to his service as commodore during the country's war with Mexico. As the commodore in command of the naval forces in the Pacific, Sloat occupied Monterey and declared the annexation of California in July 1846, controversial actions criticized by some and defended by others. More than a biography of one man, this book illustrates the evolution of the peacetime Navy as an institution and its conversion from sail to steam. Using shipping news and Customs Service records from Sloat's merchant voyages, Castleman offers a rare and insightful perspective on American maritime history.

Contents:

Contents; List of Illustrations; Figures; Table; Preface; 1. Indecision at Monterey?; 2. Upstate Knickerbocker; 3. Mr. Midshipman Sloat; 4. Schooner Skipper; 5. Sailing Master; 6. Blockaded Lieutenant; 7. The First Luff; 8. Pirates in the Caribbean; 9. New York Interlude; 10. South American Cruise; 11. Beached in New York; 12. Portsmouth Commandant; 13. Mexican California; 14. Squadron Command; 15. Norfolk and Retirement; Conclusions; Appendix A. General Order to Men Landing at Monterey; Appendix B. Proclamation of the Annexation of California to the United States; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781438461533

1438461534