Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/398

 AVHERRY

WHIPPLE

Joseph Antoine an.l Amelia (Ilornor) Wlierry; gi-aiulson of Mat-key ami Louisa (Camp) When y, and of William Bird and Elizjiheth (Dunn), Hor- iior and a descendant of David Wherry, who came from the North of Ireland j>rior to 17'20, to Chester county, Pa. He attended the Univer- sity of Missouri. 18.').V56: was commissioned 1st lieutenant. May t<. 1801, in the 3d Missouri vol- unteers. U.S. reserve corps, a three months' regiment, under Colonel John McNeil; was ap- pointed aide-de-camp to General Lyon on July 19, and fougiit at Dug Spring, Aug. 2, and at Wil- son's Creek, Aug. 10, 1801, being presented with a Congressional medal for conspicuous bravery at Wilson's Creek, where occurred the death of Lj'on. His volunteer conimission -expired in August, 1801, and on Oct. 20. 1801. he was commissioned 1st lieutenant, 13th infantry, U.S.A., serving at Jefferson barracks, Mo., to December, 18G1; as mustering and disbursing officer at St. Louis, Zklo., to July, 1802; and as commander of paroled U.S. pristMiers of wai-, Benton barracks, Mo., to September, 1802. He was appointed aide-de-camp to General Schofield in September, 1862, serving as major of the Missouri state militia in south- west Missouri and northwest Arkansas to April, 1803, and in midille Tennessee to May, 1863, and was stationed at the headquarters, St. Louis, Mo., to January, 1874. He was commissioned aide- de-camp with the rank of major, U.S.V., May 13, 1804, and continued with Schofield in the Atlanta campaign and in reinforcing Thomas- in Tennessee, and was present at the sur- render of Gen. J. E. Johnston at Durham Sta- tion, N.C., April 26, 1805. being bearer of the rolls and terms of surrender of Johnston's army to Washington, D.C. He accompanied General Schofield to Europe on a mission to secure the withdrawal of the French army from Mexico, November, I86.j-January, 1806. He was bre- vetted colonel. U.S.V., for the campaign against General Hood; brigadier-general, U.S.V., for services during the war; captain, U.S.A., for Franklin, Tenn; major, U.S.A., for Nashville, Teim., and lieutenant-colonel and colonel, U.S.A., for services during the war. He was honorably mastered out of the volunteer service, Feb. 9, 1800, and was proinote'l caidain. U.S.A., April .5, 1806. Captain Wherry was married in Baltimore, Md., June 10, 1^08, to Alice Wilms, daughter of Gotlieb Christopher and Matihla (Wilms) Gram- mer. He was promoted major, April 20, 1891, lieu- tenant-colonel, Dec. 29, 1894, and colonel, Aug. 30, 1S98. He was commi.ssioned brigadier-general, U. S. v., Sept. 21, 1898: fought at San Juan Hillan.l at Santiago de Cuba; was lionoral)ly dischargeil from the volunteer service, Nov. 30. 1898; promoted brigadier-general. U.S..\.. .Jan. 7. 1899, ami retired Jan. 18, 1899. General Wherrv is the author of

Wilson's Circle and the Death of Lyon in " Battles and Leaders of the Civil War," and other papers published in the annals of the Ohio commandery forllu'O.L.L.U.S.

WHIPPLE, Abraham, naval officer, was liorn in Providence, K.I., Sept. 10, 1733. There ap- jiears to have been no record of his parents' names preserved. He shipped before the mast when a boy; served as captain of a merchant vessel in the West India trade, and during the seven j-ears' war was in training under Capt. Esek Hopkins, whose sister Sarah he married. He commanded the privateer Gamecock, 1759-60. capturing twenty-three French prizes in a single cruise, and in June, 1772. headed the party of volunteers, that stoned the crew of the British schooner Gaspe, under Dudingston, stranded while chasing the Providence packet Hannah on a shoal in the river near Pawtucket, R.I.. and set the vessel on fire. For information concern- ing the leader of this act of rebellion, the govern- ment of Great Britain offered a reward of £1000, and also in 1773 appointed a commission of in- quiry, but failed to obtain evidence necessary for impeachment of the j^erpetrators. In 1775. with the title of commodore, he commanded two armed vessels and two war galleys fitted out in Rhode Is- land, and captured the British frigate Rose off Newport. He is credited with having fired the first authorized gun of the Revolution. He subse- quently commanded the sloop Katie renamed the Providence in the first Continental fieet under Ad- miral Hopkins; was comnussioned captain of the Columbus in the same fleet, Dec. 22. 1775, and in January, 1776, sailed for the Bahamas. On his return, in the following April, his vessel was the last to engage the British frigate Glasgow in Long Island Sound, capturing her tender. Cap- tain Whipple was criticised for not closing in with the Glasgojv, and at a court-martial held at his request on board the Alfred at New Lon- don, May 0, 1770, proved that to do so was im- possible, owing to lack of wind. In 1777, while still in command of the Columbus, he captured four prizes in July and August, and in 1778 was placed in command of the new frigate Providence (her predecessor of the same name having been captured and blown up at sea), and made the bearer of government dispatches to France, in accomplisliing which commission he ran the blockade in Narragansett Bay, skillfull}- evading the attention of the British naval force. Upon his return he received the written thanks of Wash- ington for his brilliant exploit. In July. 1799, he encountered the homeward-bound Jamaica fleet of about 150 sail, and by hoisting British colors, sailed in their comjiany for several days. cai)tur- ing eight ve.ssels, which he manned from his own crew and sent to American ports. In 1780 his