William Kennison

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William W. Kennison
Born(1825-02-28)February 28, 1825 [1]
Massachusetts, United States
DiedJanuary 4, 1893(1893-01-04) (aged 67) [1]
Buried
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts[1]
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1861–1868
RankLieutenant
Commands heldUSS Samuel Rotan
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

William W. Kennison (1825–1893)[1] was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

Biography[edit]

Born in Massachusetts, Kennison was appointed Acting Master's Mate on 28 August 1861.[2] On 26 March 1862[3] he was promoted to Volunteer Lieutenant in recognition of his gallant conduct in the action between the CSS Virginia and the USS Cumberland during the Battle of Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862, [2] in which Kennison was in charge of the forward 10-inch (250 mm) pivot gun.[4] He was subsequently appointed commander of the schooner Samuel Rotan in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in 1863,[5] capturing the schooner Champion off the Piankatank River, Virginia, on 2 July, and a large yawl off Horn Harbor, Virginia, with cargo including salt, on 10 October.[6] He later served aboard the steam gunboat South Carolina, involved in operations off Charleston and Savannah in 1865.[7] Following the war, he was honorably discharged on 4 May 1866, but was reappointed Acting Master on 20 August 1866. His final muster out date was 16 November 1868.[2]

Namesake[edit]

The destroyer USS Kennison (DD-138) (1918–1945) was named for him.[2]

References[edit]

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d William W. Kennison at findagrave.com
  2. ^ a b c d "USS Kennison". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  3. ^ "US Navy Officers: 1775–1900 (K)". Naval Historical Center. 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. ^ Selfridge Jr., Thomas O. (1893). "The Merrimac and the Cumberland". The Cosmopolitan. XV. The Cosmopolitan Press: 176–184. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  5. ^ Porter (1886), p. 431
  6. ^ Civil War Naval Chronology 1861–1865. Washington D.C.: Naval History Division, Navy Department. 1966.
  7. ^ Porter (1886), p. 772
Bibliography