Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/312

 SELFRIUGE

SELFRIDGE

judge of the court of common pleas of Monroe county. 1831-33; clerk of tiie eightli cliancery circuit for several years; judge of tiie supreme court of New York. 1847-55, being nominated and electeearid at tiie bar of either court. He resigne.

SELFRIDOE, Thomas Oliver, naval officer, was born in B..stun. Mass.. April 24, 1804; son of Thomas Oliver and Su>an G. (Condy) Selfridge; grandson of Eduard and Hannah (Miles) Self- ridge. He was appointed to the navy as mid- shipman, Jan. 1, 1818; commissioned lieutenant, March 3, 1827; was attached to the Natchez of the E.ast India squadron, 1830; to the Dehnvare of the Mediterranean squadron in 1834, and to the Carolina in 1837. He was promoted commander, April 11, 1844, and served on the Columbus, East India s«iuadron, 1845-46; Pacific squadron during the Mexican war, 1846-47; commanded the sloop Dale in the capture of ^lazatlan and Guaymasin 1847. and having been badly wounded in the latter engagement, was invalided home in June, 1848. He was subsequently appointed to the Boston navy yard, where he remained until 1861, when he commanded the steam frigate ]\Iississippi of the gulf squadron for a few months. He was pro- moted captain, Sept. 14,1855; commodore, July 16, 1862; was stationed in the Pacific and at the Mare Island, Cal.,navy yard. 1861-65; was retired Viy law. April 24, 18C6. and commissioned rear- admiral. July 25, 1806. After his retirement he made his home at Georgetown, S.C. He was president of the examining board, 1869-70, and a member of the board, 1870-71, and lighthouse inspector at Boston, 1870. He was married to Louisa Gary, daughter of John Soley, and of their sons, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. (q.v.), was alsf> a rear-admiral, U.S.N., and James R. Self- ridge became a commander in the U.S.N. Rear- Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, Sr., died at "Waverly, Mass., Oct. 16, 1902, probably the oldest living officer of the rank in any navy of the world. He was burifd at Forest Hills cemetery.

SELFRIDGE, Thomas Oliver, Jr., naval officer, w;ls lM)ni in Cliarlestown, Mass., Feb. 6, 1836; .v>n of Thomas Oliver (q.v.) and Louisa Gary (.Soley) Selfridge. He was graduated at the head of his cla.ss after a three years' course at the U.S. Naval academy in 1854; was ad- vanced to passfd midshipman, 1856; took part in the destruction of the Norfolk navy yard and in the bombardment and capture of the Hatteras forts, and was commi.ssioned lieutenant, Feb. 15,

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1860. He was on board the Cumberland, when she was sunk by the Merrhiinc: was placed in command of the Monitor, Captain Worden being wounded, and commanded the Allifjator in its disastrous voyage down the Potomac. He was promoted lieutenant- commander, Juh' 16, 1862; assigned to the Mississippi squadron, and commanded the gunboat Cairo, which was blown up by a torpedo boat in the Yazoo river back of the defences of Vicksburg. Comman- der Selfridge being obliged to swim for his life. He had command of a siege battery in the cap- ture of Vicksburg, and while commanding the gunboat Cone^toga , his vessel was sunk by collision with a Con- federate ram. At Blair's Landing, April 12, 1864, with the Osage, he drove off the Confederate cav- alry. He commanded the gunboat Huron during the two bombardments of Fort Fisher: led one of the assaulting columns of sailors against that fort, and also took part in the bombardment of Fort Anderson and in the capture of Wilmington. He was married, Aug. 29, 1865, to Ellen, daugh- ter of George N. and Lucy Sliepley. After the civil war he commanded the Nipsic; was pro- moted commander, Dec. 31, 1869. and with four vessels had charge of surveys for the oceanic canal across the Isthmus of Darien, 1869-73; and was a member of the international congress at Paris in 1876, convened to discuss the subject of the canal. He commanded the Enterprise. North Atlantic station, 1877-80; was promoted cap- tain, Feb. 24, 1881; was in charge of the torpedo station at Newport, R.I., 1882-85; commanded the Omaha of the Asiatic squadron. 1885-87, when some natives of Japan were killed liy a shell at target practice, and for alleged careless- ness in the affair Captain Selfridge was court- martialed at Washington in 1888, but was ac- quitted. He was in charge of the Boston navy yard, 1890-93; was promoted commodore, 1894, and rear-admiral. 1896; and was commander-in- chief of the European squadron, 1895-98. He was retired from .service by age limit, Feb. 6. 1898, and made iiis home in Washington, D.C. He was an honorary member of the Royal Geo- graphical society of Belgium, Chevalier of the L«'gion of Honor, France, and the recipient of a gold medal from the Emperor of Russia in honor of his coronation.