Please join us to honor and celebrate the recent induction of Rear-Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont into the Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame!

6 pm • Welcome and light refreshments with archival items on display

7 pm • Presentation by Lucas Clawson, Hagley Historian
“Rear-Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont: The Most Famous Civil War Hero You’ve Probably Never Heard Of”

Space is limited, registration is required.

Please click here to register.

Questions? Contact Joan Thomas, Development Director, at jthomas@hagley.org or (302) 658-2400, ext. 329

-----

About Samuel Francis Du Pont: By the time of the American Civil War, Samuel Francis Du Pont was known as one of the most knowledgeable, well-travelled, and highly experienced officers in the United States Navy. His career began in 1815 when he was appointed a Midshipman. From there he sailed throughout the world and steadily rose through the ranks. Along the way he helped establish the United States Naval Academy (1845); served in combat and blockade duty in the Mexican-American War (1846-48); acted at Superintendent of the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition (1853); served on the U.S. Lighthouse Board and Naval Efficiency Board during the 1850s; led an expedition to China and India (1857-59); escorted the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the U.S. on their East Coast tour (1860); and ended up as Superintendent of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1860.

Once the Civil War began Samuel Francis Du Pont immediately received an appointment to the Blockade Board, which created the plan for how the Navy would blockade the Confederate coastline. He then became commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron where he scored the first major Union victory of the war at the Battle of Port Royal, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861. His successes led to his promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral, one of the first three American Naval officers to receive that rank. Although his active service ended in controversy over the failed naval attack on Charleston, South Carolina in April 1863, no one ever questioned his dedication to the Navy and the preservation of the Union, his abilities as a leader and officer, or his integrity as a person.

Rear-Admiral Du Pont is remembered in American naval circles as someone who worked tirelessly to professionalize and educate both officers and enlisted men, modernize ships and equipment, expand the Navy’s role in a growing country, and raise the Navy’s prestige both in America and around the world.