William Shubrick
Encyclopedia
William Branford Shubrick (31 October 1790 – 27 May 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy
. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812
and the Mexican-American War; he retired in the early months of the Civil War
.
in 1806. Following service in the Mediterranean in Wasp
, he served in Argus
along the Atlantic coast of the United States.
After duty in Hornet
early in the War of 1812
, he was assigned to Constellation
; and, while that frigate was at Norfolk, Virginia
, he led a party of bluejackets in beating off a British
boat attack against Craney Island
on 22 June 1813. He subsequently won a Congressional medal for service in Constitution
during her capture of HMS Cyane
and Levant
.
During the more than three decades separating the War of 1812 from the Mexican-American War, Shubrick commanded, in turn, Lexington
and Natchez
; directed operation of the West Indies Squadron
from 1838 to 1840; and headed the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing from 1845 to 1846.
At the outbreak of the war with Mexico
, Shubrick requested sea duty and, in Independence
, sailed for the California
coast to relieve Commodore John D. Sloat
in command of American Naval forces there. However. Commodore James Biddle
brought his East India Squadron
to Monterey, California
, on 2 January 1847 only a week after Shubrick's arrival, and assumed command. In April, Shubrick sailed for the coast of Mexico to head the blockade of Mazatlán
and Guaymas
. Early in June, Shubrick was recalled to California where Biddle restored him to overall command on 19 July and sailed for the East Coast.
Under Shubrick, the Navy successfully conducted the closing operations of the war on the Pacific coast. Highlights were the capture of Guaymas in October and of Mazatlán in November. San Bias fell in January 1848.
The following spring, Shubrick headed home and took command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1849. He subsequently headed the Bureau of Construction and Repair
. In August 1852, he became chairman of the Lighthouse Board.
In October 1858, Shubrick sailed in command of the fleet sent to South America
n waters to support diplomatic efforts to resolve differences
with Paraguay
resulting from the firing upon USS Water Witch
.
In December 1861, Shubrick was retired; and he was promoted to Rear Admiral on the retired list on 16 July 1862. He died in Washington, D.C.
, on 27 May 1874.
for him.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and the Mexican-American War; he retired in the early months of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Born at "Belvedere," Bull's Island, South Carolina, Shubrick studied at Harvard before accepting an appointment as a midshipmanMidshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1806. Following service in the Mediterranean in Wasp
USS Wasp
Ten ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Wasp, after the stinging insect. was a merchant schooner originally named Scorpion and purchased by the Continental Navy in late 1775. In the fall of 1777, the Wasp was run aground, set on fire, and destroyed when its gunpowder exploded....
, he served in Argus
USS Argus (1803)
The first USS Argus was a brig in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War and the War of 1812.Argus was laid down as Merrimack on 12 May 1803 at Boston, Massachusetts, by Edmund Hartt; renamed Argus on 4 June 1803; and launched on 21 August 1803.-First Barbary War:Though no document...
along the Atlantic coast of the United States.
After duty in Hornet
USS Hornet (1805, brig)
The third USS Hornet was a brig-rigged sloop-of-war in the United States Navy. Later, however, she was re-rigged as a ship. Hornet was launched on 28 July 1805 in Baltimore and commissioned on 18 October...
early in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he was assigned to Constellation
USS Constellation (1797)
USS Constellation was a 38-gun frigate, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. She was distinguished as the first U.S. Navy vessel to put to sea and the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage and defeat an enemy vessel...
; and, while that frigate was at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, he led a party of bluejackets in beating off a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
boat attack against Craney Island
Craney Island (Virginia)
Craney Island is a point of land in the independent city of Portsmouth in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. The location, formerly in Norfolk County, is near the mouth of the Elizabeth River opposite Lambert's Point on Hampton Roads. It is managed by the U.S...
on 22 June 1813. He subsequently won a Congressional medal for service in Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
during her capture of HMS Cyane
HMS Cyane (1806)
HMS Cyane was a Royal Navy Banterer-class sixth-rate post ship of nominally 22 guns, built in 1806 at Topsham, near Exeter, England. She was ordered in January 1805 as HMS Columbine but renamed Cyane on 6 December of that year...
and Levant
HMS Levant (1813)
HMS Levant was a 20-gun Cyrus-class sixth rate of the Royal Navy built by William Courtney, of Chester. She was one of five British warships that were captured or destroyed by in the War of 1812...
.
During the more than three decades separating the War of 1812 from the Mexican-American War, Shubrick commanded, in turn, Lexington
USS Lexington (1825)
The second USS Lexington was a sloop in the United States Navy built at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, in 1825; and commissioned on 11 June 1826, Master Commandant William B. Shubrick in command....
and Natchez
USS Natchez (1827)
The first USS Natchez was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.Natchez was built by Norfolk Navy Yard in 1827, commanded by Commander George Budd, departed Hampton Roads on 26 July 1827 for the Caribbean...
; directed operation of the West Indies Squadron
West Indies Squadron (United States)
The West Indies Squadron, or the West Indies Station, was a United States Navy squadron that operated in the West Indies in the early nineteenth century. It was formed due to the need to suppress piracy in the Caribbean Sea, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico region of the Atlantic Ocean...
from 1838 to 1840; and headed the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing from 1845 to 1846.
At the outbreak of the war with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Shubrick requested sea duty and, in Independence
USS Independence (1814)
The third USS Independence was a wooden-hulled, three-masted ship, originally a ship of the line and the the first to be commissioned by the United States Navy...
, sailed for the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast to relieve Commodore John D. Sloat
John D. Sloat
John Drake Sloat was a commodore in the United States Navy who, in 1846, claimed California for the United States.-Life:...
in command of American Naval forces there. However. Commodore James Biddle
James Biddle
James Biddle , of the Biddle family, brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew of Captain Nicholas Biddle, was an American commodore. His flagship was USS Columbus.-Education and early career:...
brought his East India Squadron
East India Squadron
The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East while the Pacific Squadron concentrated on the western coasts of the Americas and in the South Pacific Ocean...
to Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, on 2 January 1847 only a week after Shubrick's arrival, and assumed command. In April, Shubrick sailed for the coast of Mexico to head the blockade of Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
and Guaymas
Guaymas
Guaymas is a city and municipality located in the southwest part of the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The city is located 117 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 242 miles from the U.S. border, and is the principal port for the state. The municipality is located in the...
. Early in June, Shubrick was recalled to California where Biddle restored him to overall command on 19 July and sailed for the East Coast.
Under Shubrick, the Navy successfully conducted the closing operations of the war on the Pacific coast. Highlights were the capture of Guaymas in October and of Mazatlán in November. San Bias fell in January 1848.
The following spring, Shubrick headed home and took command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1849. He subsequently headed the Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Construction and Repair
The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...
. In August 1852, he became chairman of the Lighthouse Board.
In October 1858, Shubrick sailed in command of the fleet sent to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n waters to support diplomatic efforts to resolve differences
Paraguay expedition
The Paraguay Expedition was a United States Naval mission sent to Asunción, Paraguay in 1858 to demand indemnity and apology from the Paraguayan Government for the 1 February 1855 firing on the US Navy vessel...
with Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
resulting from the firing upon USS Water Witch
USS Water Witch (1851)
The third USS Water Witch was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is best known as the ship fired on by Paraguay in 1855...
.
In December 1861, Shubrick was retired; and he was promoted to Rear Admiral on the retired list on 16 July 1862. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on 27 May 1874.
Namesakes
Several ships in the U.S. Navy have been named USS ShubrickUSS Shubrick
USS Shubrick may refer to:, a steamer transferred to the Navy Department 23 August 1861; returned by the Revenue Cutter Service to the Lighthouse Board in 1866, a torpedo boat commissioned 1901; renamed Coast Torpedo Boat No...
for him.