Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/236

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

or-\var, I'anJalia. with orders to sail to the East Indies, but upon learning of the out- break of the war between the states he brought his ship back and was assigned to blockade duty of Charleston, South Caro- lina ; (111 January 20, 1862, he was ordered ti' command the sloop-of-war, Oneida, and in the expedition against New Orleans he commanded the advance division in the at- t;.ck on Forts Jackson and St. Philip and by driving off two rams succeeded in reliev- ing the I'aruiui, and capturing Lieut. Ken- non, commander of the Confederate steamer, Goi'crnor Moore; commanded the advance division below Vicksburg and participated in both passages of the Vicksburg batteries, the Oneida being second in line on both oc- casions ; was promoted captain, July 16, 1S62: appointed acting rear-admiral, Sep- tcml)er 2. 1862. and ordered to command the North Atlantic blockading squadron ; he originated a system of blockading cruisers by which the Confederacy was completely isolated and fifty-four blockade running steamers were captured ; he was detached, October 21. 1864. and ordered to command the Mississippi squadron, co-operating with the army of Thomas in its operations against Hood on the Cumberland and Tennessee nvcrs; was detached from the Mississippi squadron, August 14, 1865, and promoted commodore, July 25, 1866 ; was president of the board to examine the volunteer officers for admission into the regular navy, 1868- 6g; president of the court martial held in New York City, May 29, i858; member of the board of examiners of the Atlantic navy yards, and was put in charge of the signal service at Washington, D. C, October 13, 1869; was promoted rear-admiral, April 22, 1870; was ordered on special duty at the

navy department at Washington, D. C., June 27, 1870, and commander of the North Atlantic squadron from August 9, 1870 to August 15, 1872, when he was detached; he was retired. February 13, 1873: he was the author of "The Cruise of the Dolphin."" inib- lished in the '"Reports'" of the United States navy department (1854) and a report on the condition of the Atlantic navy yards (1869); he died at Silver Springs, near \\ashington. D. C. June 5, 1897.

Preston, Thomas Lewis, born in Abing- dcn, \'irginia, November 20, 1812, was (/! the distinguished Preston family from which came so many statesmen and ora- tors, among them his brilliant brothers, Hon. William C. Preston. United States senator from South Carolina, and John S. Preston. Thomas L. Preston attended the University of \'irginia, 1830-33, and in the latter year graduated from the law school. He made a protracted tour of Europe and the Holy Land, and after his return settled down to the life of a gentleman planter and man of affairs, a large part of his occupation being the management of large salt works in the counties of Washington and Smythe, which were the property of his family. He made a heroic effort to conduct the salt works successfully, and sacrificed his large estate in the endeavor. luU without avail. He then removed to Albemarle county, and purchased pr(^])erty just north of the I'ni- versily of \'iiginia, which was his abode during the remainder of his life, and he was residing upon it when the civil war began. Although beyond the age of military service, he entered the Confederate army, in which he served with gallantry, and during a por- tion of the time was a member of the staff