WAIN WRIGHT
WAIT
1831; the naval academy, Norfolk, Va., 1837-38;
promoted passed midshipman, June 15, 1837; was
attached to the brig Consort on coast survey,
183S-11; commissioned lieutenant, Sept. 8, 1841;
was in command of the Water-Witch, home
station, 1848-49; on coast survey, 1851-57;
cruised in the frigate Merrimack, 1857-60, and on
ordnance duty at the Washington navy yard, 1860-
61. He was married to Sallie Franklin, daugh-
ter of Richard and Sophia (Dallas) Bache of Phil-
adelphia, Pa. He was promoted commander, April
14, 1861, and assigned in 1862, to the flagship
Hartford under Admiral David G. Farragut, who
commanded the expedition directed toward the
capture of New Orleans and the opening of the
Mississippi river. The fleet sailed from Hampton
Roads, Feb. 2, 1863; gained the mouth of the
Mississippi, and sailed up the river until opposite
Forts Jackson and St. Philip. On April 24, the
Hartford, Brooklyn and Richmond, with four
smaller ships were ordered to follow up the west
bank and attack Fort Jackson, taking as close a
position to the forts as the pilots would allow.
At first the
enemy's artil-
lery had poor
range and their
fire was com-
paratively in-
effective, but
when the Con-
federate sent
afloat a dozen fire-rafts, one bore down on the
Hartford, and through an error of the pilot, the
ship grounded in the mud. The rigging of the
Hartford was soon in flames, but her captain
valiantl}' resisted and drove off both the fire-
raft and the ram Manassas, New Orleans was
captured the following day, and on June 28,
Captain Wainwright participated in the passing
of the Vicksburg batteries and again on July
15-16, on the return of the fleet from above
the city. For his gallantry on tliese several oc-
casions he received the commendation of Ad-
miral Farragut. Commander Wainwright's death
occurred while he was still in command of the
Hartford, near New Orleans, La., Aug. 10, 1862.
WAINWRIGHT, Richard, naval officer, was
born in Washington, D.C., Dec. 17, 1849; son of
Capt. Richard Wainwright (q.v.). He was
graduated from the U.S. naval academy, Annapo-
lis, Md., 1868, and immediately assigned to the
Jamestown of the Pacific fleet; was promoted
ensign, April 19, 1869, serving during that year
in the hydrographic office, Washington, D.C.;
promoted master, July 12, 1870; attached to the
flag-ship Colorado of the Asiatic fleet, 1870-73,
being promoted lieutenant on Sept. 23 of the
latter year, and was again on duty in the hjdro-
U.S.S HARTFORD.
graphic bureau until 1875. He married. Sept. 11,
1873, Evelyn, daughter of Alexander and Louisa
AVotherspoon of New York. He commanded the
coast survey vessel Arago, 1875-78: was flag-lieu-
tenant to Rear-Admiral Thomas H. Patterson of
the Asiatic squadron,
1878-81; on special
duty in the bureau of
navigation, 1881-84;
graduated from Co-
lumbian university,
AVashington, 1884;
was with the Ten-
nessee of the North
Atlantic squadron,
1884-85, was secre-
tary to Rear-Admiral
J. E. Jouett, 1886;
and was attached to
the Galena of the
North Atlantic squad-
ron, 1886-87. In the
latter year he was assigned to steel inspection; was on duty at the U.S. Naval academy, 1888-90; in command of the Alert on special service, 1890- 93; in the hydrographic office, 1893-96, being pro- moted lieutenant-commander, Sept. 16,1894; and chief intelligence officer, 1896-97. He was assigned to the battleship Maine in December. 1897, as exe- cutive officer, and was on board that vessel at the time of her destruction in Havana harbor, Feb. 15, 1898, where he heroically directed the work of the divers in recovering the bodies of the un- fortunate victims and on April 5 pulled down the flag of the wrecked battleship. In May, 1898, he was assigned to the command of the Glouces- ter (formerly the yacht Corsair), attached to Admiral Sampson's blockading squadron blockad- ing the harbor of Santiago, Cuba, and on July 3, 1898, he destroyed the Spanish torpedo boats Pluton and Furor. After the victory, the Glouces- ter went to the rescue of the drowning men, took many prisoners and received on board Admiral Cervera. For his gallantry and efficiency on this occasion, Wainwright was presented by the citi- zens of Gloucester, Mass. , with a silver loving-cup. He was also presented with a sword by the citi- zens of Washington; received an LL.D. from Columbian; was advanced ten numbers in rank, August, 1898, and on March 3, 1899, was promoted to the rank of commander. After the war he commanded the receiving-ship Santee and other vessels; on March 15, 1900, was appointed super- intendent of the U.S. Naval academy, antl on Nov. n, 1902, to the command of the Newark.
WAIT, John Turner, representative, was born in New London, Conn., Aug. 27, 1811. He re- moved with liis parents to Norwich, Conn., at an early age; attended Bacon academy, Colchester,
