Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/171

 VII— PROMINENT PERSONS

Lynch, William Francis, born in Nor- folk, \'irginia, April, 1801 ; at the age of eighteen, after preparatory study, he entered the United States navy as midshipman, and nine years later, in 1828, was promoted lieu- tenant ; in 1847 he proposed the expedition to explore the River Jordan and the Dead Sea, the government looking with favor upon the proposition, and accordingly he sailed on the United States store-ship, Sn['- ply, to Smyrna, from whence he went over- land to Constantinople, where he obtained the necessary authority and protection from the Turkish government, and in March, 1848, landed at the Bay of Acre, and in metallic life-boats navigated and explored the Jordan from Lake Tiberius to the Dead Sea ; upon his return to his native country he planned an expedition to explore West- ern Africa, but did not carry it through, the government failing to sanction the plan ; in 1849 he was promoted to the rank of com- mander, and seven years later, in 1856, to that of captain, in which capacity he served for six years, then resigned his commission ii' the United States navy and enlisted his services in the Confederate navy ; he was commissioned flag-officer, and assigned to the coast defence of North Carolina ; cap- tured the Federal supply ship, Fanny; com- manded the mosquito fleet, composed of the Confederate vessels, Appomattox, Seabird, Ellis, Black Warrior, Curlczv and Fanny, in defence of Roanoke Island ; unsuccessfully resisted the attack of Flag-Officer Louis M. Goldsborough ; fired one of his own steam- ers, the Curh'7s<, to prevent her capture ; blew up Fort Forrest ; on February 10, 1862, he

engaged the Union fleet, under Commander Rowan, with a loss of five of his six vessels, and escaped to Norfolk in the Beaufort ; he subsequently commanded at Smithville, North Carolina, during the attack on Fort Fisher, December, 1864, January, 1865, and after the surrender dismantled the defences and returned to Wilmington, North Caro- lina. He was author of "Narrative of the United States Expedition up the River Jor- dan and the Dead Sea" (1849) I "Naval Life, or Observations Afloat and Ashore" (1851) ; he died in Baltimore, Maryland, October 17, 1865.

Alexander, Edmund B., born in Prince William county, Virginia, October 2, 1802; graduated at West Point in 1823. He served on the frontier and on garrison duty for twenty years. In the Mexican war he won distinction at Cerro Gordo, Contreras and Cherubusco, and was brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel. He was afterward ma- jor of the Eighth Infantry, November 10, 1857, and colonel of the Tenth Infantry, March 3, 1855. He commanded the Utah expedition of 1857-58 until relieved by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. In the civil war he was provost marshal of St. Louis, chief dis- bursing officer for Missouri, and superin- tendent of the volunteer recruiting service at St. Louis. He was brevetted brigadier- general March 13, 1865, and commanded at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, until February 22, 1869, when he was placed on the retired list after fifty years' service. He removed to W'ashington, D. C, where he died January 3, 1888.