Thomas Truxtun

Thomas Truxtun

Thomas Truxtun (born February 17, 1755 near Hempstead, Long Island , New York Province, † May 5, 1822 in Philadelphia ) was an American naval officer .

Life

After the father died in 1765, the young Truxtun came under the protection of John Troup. Thomas Truxtun's nautical career began at the age of twelve. At this early stage he sailed with Captain Joseph Holmes and James Chambers. At the age of 16 he was forced to serve in the Royal Navy and came on board the HMS Prudent . At the age of 20 he sailed under the command of Andrew Cladwell and was baptized by fire in Philadelphia in 1775.

Over time, Truxtun returned to Philadelphia. The colony sought a solution from motherland England . He was hired as a lieutenant at the Congress to help fight for independence from England . In 1776 he was involved in raising many prizes off the coast of Cuba . In 1777 he sailed on the Independence and sailed with her to the Azores . There he raised three prizes. After his return, Truxtun sailed with Mars into the English Channel . He then commanded Independence one more time and then Commerce and St. James .

Truxtun's ships carried military goods to the Thirteen Colonies . On a trip, the St. James transported gunpowder and military goods to Philadelphia. This trip was crowned with a dinner at George Washington . On another trip, Truxtun took the American consul to France with the St. James .

When the United States Navy was formed on June 4, 1798 , Truxtun was one of the first six Captains . He was given command of a new frigate, the USS Constellation . With this ship he intervened in the quasi-war with France.

The frigate, accompanied by numerous smaller ships, operated in the West Indian waters between St. Christopher and Puerto Rico . On February 9, 1799 Truxtun achieved one of his two most famous victories. After hours of firefight, the USS Constellation brought up the insurgents . The losses on the French side were high, 29 men of the crew dead and 44 wounded. Truxtun brought the insurgents to St. Christopher. There it was repaired and incorporated into the United States Navy.

A year later, on February 1, 1800, he sighted the French 50-gun frigate La Vengeance . He chased her all day and caught up with her in the evening. This was followed by a gun battle lasting several hours. In the course of this battle the French frigate managed to escape. The rigging of Truxtun's ship was too badly damaged and he could no longer follow it. After a repair in Jamaica, Truxtun returned to Norfolk on the USS Constellation in March .

Truxtun also commanded the frigate USS President in the West Indian waters from mid-1800 to May 1801.

Commodore Truxtun retired in Philadelphia and worked there in local politics until the end of his life. In 1810 he was denied his seat in Congress . From 1816 to 1819 Truxtun was the sheriff of Philadelphia.

The US Navy named several ships after him under the name USS Truxtun .

literature

• Truxtun, Thomas . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 27 : Tonalite - Vesuvius . London 1911, p. 339 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).