Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/58

38 landscape painting. His success was rapid and extraordinary, and in a few years his orders were so numerous that he turned the lumber business over to his sons, opened a larger studio, and de- voted the remainder of his life to his adopted pro- fession. He was called the father of Wilmington art, and on the formation of the Delaware artists' association he was elected its president.

TATTNALL, Josiah, statesman, b. in Bonaven- ture, near Savannah, Ga., in 1762 ; d. in Nassau, New Providence, 6 June, 1803. Upon the revolt of the American colonies he and his brother were obliged to go to England with their father and grandfather, who remained loyal to the British crown but refused service in the army to coerce the colonies. The family estates in Georgia were con- fiscated by the Americans because of their absence in England. In 1780 Josiah ran away from his parents in England and returned to this country, where he joined Gen. Nathanael Greene's army and served against the British until the close of the war. In recognition of this service the state of Georgia restored a part of the confiscated estates to him. He was the third captain of the Chatham artillery, colonel of the 1st Georgia regiment, and brigadier-general commanding the 1st division of the Georgia state militia. He was a member of the Georgia legislature, a U. S. senator in 1796-'9, and governor of Georgia in 1800. He served in the general assembly at Louisville in 1796, when the Yazoo act of 1795 was rescinded. His remains were brought from Nassau and are buried at Bona- venture, which estate has been converted into a cemetery. — His son, Josiah, naval officer, b. in Bonaventure, near Savannah, Ga., 9 Nov., 1795 ; d. in Savannah, Ga., 14 June, 1871, was educated in England under the supervision of his grandfa- ther in 1805- '11. He returned to the United States in 1811 and entered the navy as a mid- shipman, 1 Jan., 1812. He served in the war of 1812 in the sea- men's battery on Craney island, and with a force of navy - yard workmen in the ing the Algerine war he participated in the engagements of De- catur's squadron. He returned to the United States in September, 1817, was promoted to lieu- tenant, 1 April, 1818, and served in the frigate " Macedonian,"' on the Pacific station, in 1818-'21. In 1823-'4 he served in the schooner "Jackal," one of Porter's " Mosquito fleet," in the suppression of piracy in the West Indies. In October, 1828, he was appointed 1st lieutenant of the sloop " Erie," in the West Indies, where he cut out the Spanish cruiser " Federal," which had confiscated American property at sea during the wars of the Spanish- American republics for independence. In August, 1829, he took charge of the surveys of the Tortugas reefs off the coast of Florida, which surveys proved to be of great value for the location of fortifications at Dry Tortugas. In March, 1831, he took com- mand of the schooner "Grampus" in the West Indies, and in August, 1832, he captured the Mexi- can war-schooner " Montezuma " for illegal acts against an American vessel. His services with the " Grampus " in protecting American commerce elicited letters of thanks from the merchants and insurance companies at Vera Cruz and New Orleans, from whom he also received a service of silver. In December, 1832, he was relieved of his command at his own request, and he subsequently served on duty in making experiments in ordnance and in the conduct of the coast tidal survey. In Novem- ber, 1835, in command of the bark " Pioneer," he took Gen. Santa- Anna to Mexico after he had been captured in a battle with the Texans and surren- dered to the United States. Upon their arrival at Vera Cruz, Tattnall personally prevented an attack on Santa- Anna by an excited mob of his opponents. He was promoted to commander, 25 Feb., 1838, and placed in charge of the Boston navy-yard. While on his way to the African station in the " Saratoga " in 1843 he encountered a hurricane off Cape Ann, Mass., and won a brilliant professional reputation by the skill he displayed in cutting away the masts and anchoring when almost on the rocks off the cape. When war was declared with Mexico he was assigned to command the steamer " Spitfire," joined the squadron at Vera Cruz, and was given command of the Mosquito division. With this he covered the landing of Gen. Winfield Scott's army, and assisted in the bombardment of the citv. After the fall of Vera Cruz he led in the attack on the forts at Tuspan and was severely wounded in the arm by grape-shot. The legislature of Georgia gave him a vote of thanks and a sword. He was promoted to captain, 5 Feb., 1850, and in command of the steamer "Saranac" contributed much to preserve peace between the United States and Spain during the Cuban insurrection. On 15 Oct., 1857, he was appointed flag-officer of the Asiatic station. He found China at war with the allied English and French fleets, and went to the scene of operations at Pei-ho. Shortly before an engagement his flag- ship grounded and was towed off by the English boats. This service was taken as an excuse for subsequent active participation in the attack on the Chinese. In explanation of his violation of neutrality, Tattnall exclaimed that "blood was thicker than water." He was sustained in his course by public opinion at the time and also by the gov- ernment. On 20 Feb., 1861, he resigned his com- mission as captain in the navy, and offered his services to the governor of Georgia. He was com- missioned senior flag-officer of the Georgia navy, 28 Feb., 1861, and in March, 1861, he became a captain in the Confederate navy, and was ordered to com- mand the naval defences of Georgia and South Carolina. On 7 Nov., 1861, he led an improvised naval force against the attack on Port Royal. He conducted attacks on the blockading fleet at the mouth of the Savannah, constructed batteries for the defence of that river, and materially delayed the operations of the National forces. In March, 1862, he was ordered to relieve Franklin Buchanan, who was wounded in the engagement with the " Monitor," and took command of the " Merrimac " and the naval defences of the waters of Virginia. He set out for Hampton Roads on 11 April, 1862, accompanied by the gun-boats, which cut out three merchant vessels, but the "Merrimac" did not venture to lose communication with Norfolk. When the Confederates were forced to abandon the peninsula, Norfolk and the navy-yard were also surrendered, and on 11 May, 1862, Tattnall de- stroyed the " Merrimac " off Craney island in order to prevent her capture. He was then ordered to