Samuel Hambleton (naval officer): Difference between revisions

Samuel Hambleton
Samuel Hambleton
	Purser Samuel Hambleton, from a chalk drawing by Saint-Mémin, c. 1806
Born	1777; Talbot County, Maryland, U.S.
Died	1851 (aged 73–74); Talbot County, Maryland, U.S.
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1806–1832
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles / wars	War of 1812 Battle of Lake Erie; ;

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Samuel Hambleton (1777 – 1851) was a United States Navy officer who served during the War of 1812.

Early life

Samuel Hambleton was born on 29 March 1777 in Talbot County, Maryland^[1] at "Martingham", an estate granted to his great-great-grandfather, William Hambleton, by Lord Baltimore in 1657.

Career

Entering the Navy and quickly becoming a Purser of the Navy on 6 December 1806, he served as Acting Lieutenant in Lawrence during the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.^[2]^[3] A detailed and avid journalist and letter-writer, Hambleton's wartime journal, housed at the Maryland Historical Society, has become one of the most-used primary sources by historians researching the Battle of Lake Erie.

Samuel Hambleton, being eight years older than Oliver Hazard Perry, became Perry's most trusted officer and confidant. In July, 1813, when Perry suggested to Hambleton that he needed a signal flag to let his fleet know when to engage the British, it was Samuel Hambleton who suggested using the words of Captain James Lawrence, "Don't Give Up The Ship."^[4] Perhaps not sure if reminding his men of Lawrence's death and the loss of his ship Chesapeake would be inspiring or demoralizing, Perry slept on the idea before agreeing to it the next day. Hambleton had the flag sewn by women of Erie, Pennsylvania and it was presented to Perry's captains the evening before the Battle of Lake Erie, and to his men aboard Lawrence on the day of the Battle.

During the battle, Perry's next-in-command, Captain Jesse Elliott, failed to bring his brig "Niagara" into range to engage the British. As a result, Perry's brig, "Lawrence" sustained damage until it was a floating wreck. Perry and Hambleton together worked the last working gun aboard "Lawrence" until it, too, failed. With most of his men dead or wounded, Perry called for someone to lower the battle flag that Hambleton had designed, and then had his men row him through constant sniper fire (reportedly shooting one oar in half) back to the "Niagara", when he relieved Elliott of duty and took command. After sailing the fresh ship back into battle, he overpowered the remaining enemy ships. He sent home the message penciled on the back of an envelope, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours...."

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry commended Hambleton for gallant conduct in encouraging his men and personally working the last operable gun aboard against the enemy. Hambleton was severely wounded by a cannonball falling from the rigging, but continued fighting. He continued working in the days following the Battle without seeking medical attention until the infection became so severe that the wound was lanced, discharging pieces of broken bone from his shoulder blade. A piece of the bone was sent home to his mother in a letter, and is currently displayed with the letter at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Following the Battle of Lake Erie, Hambleton returned home to St. Michaels, Maryland and built a home which he named Perry Cabin after his friend Oliver Hazard Perry.^[4] It was eventually expanded by subsequent owners into Inn at Perry Cabin, a well-known luxury hotel and spa. He named the adjoining farmland Navy Point after the branch of service he loved. Navy Point today contains the 18-acre campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Samuel Hambleton's trunk, with his initials and ornate metalwork on the lid, was discovered in the home of his great niece in the "Hambleton House" in Easton, Maryland in the 1960s. The trunk included his personal papers as well as Hambleton's Congressional Medal commemorating his service at the Battle of Lake Erie. It is currently held in the collection of the Historical Society of Talbot County.

Until 1832 Purser Hambleton served actively in the Navy, attached to Java and Columbus during Mediterranean cruises and to John Adams and Erie in the West Indies. With the exception of a tour of duty at the Philadelphia Navy Yard from 1843 to 1845, Hambleton remained on leave or waiting order from 1832 until his death.

Death

Hambleton died on 17 January 1851 in Talbot County. He was buried in the family cemetery at Old Martingham.

Namesake

In 1941, the destroyer USS Hambleton (DD-455) was named in his honor.

External links

References

^ "An Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Lake Erie". usni.org.
^ "An Unlikely, But Perfect, Winter Getaway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland". Vogue. December 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
^ "Following the Red Brick Road: Weekend at Inn at Perry Cabin". District Fray. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Goldsmith, Margie. "De-Stressing On The Eastern Shore Of Maryland". Forbes. Retrieved March 16, 2024.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

[1] "An Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Lake Erie". usni.org.

[2] "An Unlikely, But Perfect, Winter Getaway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland". Vogue. December 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2024.

[3] "Following the Red Brick Road: Weekend at Inn at Perry Cabin". District Fray. Retrieved March 16, 2024.

[:0-4] Goldsmith, Margie. "De-Stressing On The Eastern Shore Of Maryland". Forbes. Retrieved March 16, 2024.

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[2]

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[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|18th-century U.S. naval officer}}
+{{Multiple issues|
+{{One source|date=April 2022}}
+{{More footnotes needed|date=April 2022}}
+}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
 {{Infobox military person
-|name= Samuel Hambleton
+|name         = Samuel Hambleton
-|birth_date=1777
+|birth_date   = {{birth date text|1777}}
-|death_date= {{death year and age|df=yes|1851|1777}}
+|death_date   = {{death year and age|1851|1777}}
-|image=Purser_Samuel_Hambleton,_from_a_chalk_drawing_by_Saint-Mémin,_c.1806.jpg
+|image        = Purser_Samuel_Hambleton,_from_a_chalk_drawing_by_Saint-Mémin,_c.1806.jpg
-|caption=Purser Samuel Hambleton, from a chalk drawing by Saint-Mémin, c. 1806
+|caption      = Purser Samuel Hambleton, from a chalk drawing by Saint-Mémin, c. 1806
-|birth_place = [[Talbot County, Maryland]]
+|birth_place  = [[Talbot County, Maryland]], U.S.
-|death_place = [[Talbot County, Maryland]]
+|death_place  = Talbot County, Maryland, U.S.
-|nickname=
+|nickname     =
-|residence = United States
+|allegiance   = <!-- United States -->
+|serviceyears = 1806–1832
-|nationality = American
+|rank         = [[Lieutenant]]
-|allegiance={{flagcountry|USA}}
+|branch       = [[United States Navy]]
-|serviceyears=1806-1832
+|commands     =
-|rank=[[Lieutenant]]
+|unit         =
-|branch= {{navy|USA}}
+|battles      = {{tree list}}
-|commands=
+* [[War of 1812]]
-|unit=
+** [[Battle of Lake Erie]]
-|battles=
+{{tree list/end}}
-'''[[War of 1812]]'''
+|awards       =
-* [[Battle of Lake Erie]]
+|spouse       =
-|awards=
+|children     =
-|relations=
+|relations    =
 }}
-'''Samuel Hambleton''' (1777–1851) was an officer in the [[United States]] [[United States Navy|Navy]] who served with distinction during the [[War of 1812]].
+'''Samuel Hambleton''' (1777 – 1851) was a [[United States Navy]] officer who served during the [[War of 1812]].
+==Early life==
-Hambleton was born in 1777 in [[Talbot County, Maryland]] at "Martingham", an estate granted to his gg-grandfather, William Hambleton, by [[Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore|Lord Baltimore]] in 1657. Entering the Navy as the first [[Purser]] of the Navy on 6 December 1806, he served as Acting Lieutenant in [[USS Lawrence (1813)|''Lawrence'']] during the [[Battle of Lake Erie]] in the [[War of 1812]]. A detailed and avid journalist and letter-writer, Hambleton's wartime journal, housed at the [[Maryland Historical Society]], has become one of the most-used primary sources by historians researching the Battle of Lake Erie.
+Samuel Hambleton was born on 29 March 1777 in [[Talbot County, Maryland]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Lake Erie |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1978/february/eyewitness-account-battle-lake-erie |website=usni.org}}</ref> at "Martingham", an estate granted to his great-great-grandfather, William Hambleton, by [[Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore|Lord Baltimore]] in 1657.
+==Career==
-Samuel Hambleton, being eight years older than Oliver Hazard Perry, became Perry's most trusted officer and confidant. In July, 1813, when Perry suggested to Hambleton that he needed a signal flag to let his fleet know when to engage their British counterparts, it was Samuel Hambleton who suggested using the words of Captain [[James Lawrence]], "Don't Give Up The Ship." Perhaps not sure if reminding his men of Lawrence's death and the loss of his ship ''[[USS Chesapeake (1799)|Chesapeake]]'' would be inspiring or demoralizing, Perry slept on the idea before agreeing to it the next day. Hambleton had the flag sewn by women of Erie, Pennsylvania and it was presented to Perry's captains the evening before the Battle of Lake Erie, and to his men aboard [[USS Lawrence (1813)|''Lawrence'']] on the day of the Battle. It would become the most famous battle flag in history.
+Entering the Navy and quickly becoming a [[Purser]] of the Navy on 6 December 1806, he served as Acting Lieutenant in [[USS Lawrence (1813)|''Lawrence'']] during the [[Battle of Lake Erie]] in the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-16 |title=An Unlikely, But Perfect, Winter Getaway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/eastern-shore-maryland-winter-getaway |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Following the Red Brick Road: Weekend at Inn at Perry Cabin |url=https://districtfray.com/articles/inn-at-perry-cabin-st-michaels-weekend-getaway/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=District Fray |language=en-US}}</ref> A detailed and avid journalist and letter-writer, Hambleton's wartime journal, housed at the [[Maryland Historical Society]], has become one of the most-used primary sources by historians researching the Battle of Lake Erie.
+[[File:West Martingham, St. Michaels, Talbot County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|left|West Martingham, St. Michaels, built 1659, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1936–37]]
-Commodore [[Oliver Hazard Perry]] commended Hambleton for gallant conduct in encouraging his men and personally working the last operable gun aboard until it, too, failed, leaving the ship defenseless. Hambleton was severely wounded by a cannonball falling from the rigging, but continued fighting. He continued working in the days following the Battle without seeking medical attention until the infection became so severe that the wound was lanced, discharging pieces of broken bone from his shoulder blade. A piece of the bone was sent home to his mother in a letter, and is currently displayed with the letter at the [[Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum|Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.]]
+Samuel Hambleton, being eight years older than [[Oliver Hazard Perry]], became Perry's most trusted officer and confidant. In July, 1813, when Perry suggested to Hambleton that he needed a signal flag to let his fleet know when to engage the British, it was Samuel Hambleton who suggested using the words of Captain [[James Lawrence]], "Don't Give Up The Ship."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Margie |title=De-Stressing On The Eastern Shore Of Maryland |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiegoldsmith/2021/06/10/de-stressing-on-the-eastern-shore-of-maryland/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> Perhaps not sure if reminding his men of Lawrence's death and the loss of his ship ''[[USS Chesapeake (1799)|Chesapeake]]'' would be inspiring or demoralizing, Perry slept on the idea before agreeing to it the next day. Hambleton had the flag sewn by women of Erie, Pennsylvania and it was presented to Perry's captains the evening before the Battle of Lake Erie, and to his men aboard [[USS Lawrence (1813)|''Lawrence'']] on the day of the Battle.
-Following the Battle of Lake Erie, Hambleton returned home to [[St. Michaels, Maryland]] and built a home which he named Perry Cabin after his friend Perry. It was eventually expanded by subsequent owners into [[Inn at Perry Cabin]], a well-known luxury hotel and spa. He named the adjoining farmland Navy Point after the branch of service he loved. Navy Point today contains the 18-acre campus of the [[Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum]].
+[[File:DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP flag.svg|thumb|left|Hambleton's [[Battle ensign|battle flag]]]]
-Samuel Hambleton's trunk, with his initials and ornate metalwork on the lid, was discovered in the home of his great niece in the "Hambleton House" in Easton, Maryland in the 1960s. The trunk included his personal papers as well as Hambleton's Congressional Medal commemorating his service at the Battle of Lake Erie.  It is currently held in the collection of the Historical Society of Talbot County.
+During the battle, Perry's next-in-command, Captain Jesse Elliott, failed to bring his brig "Niagara" into range to engage the British. As a result, Perry's brig, "Lawrence" sustained damage until it was a floating wreck. Perry and Hambleton together worked the last working gun aboard "Lawrence" until it, too, failed. With most of his men dead or wounded, Perry called for someone to lower the battle flag that Hambleton had designed, and then had his men row him through constant sniper fire (reportedly shooting one oar in half) back to the "Niagara", when he relieved Elliott of duty and took command. After sailing the fresh ship back into battle, he overpowered the remaining enemy ships. He sent home the message penciled on the back of an envelope, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours...."
-Until 1832 Purser Hambleton served actively in the Navy, attached to [[USS Java (1815)|''Java'']] and [[USS Columbus (1819)|''Columbus'']] during [[Mediterranean]] cruises and to [[USS John Adams (1799)|''John Adams'']] and [[USS Erie (1813)|''Erie'']] in the [[West Indies]]. With the exception of a tour of duty at the [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] from 1843 to 1845, Hambleton remained on leave or waiting order from 1832 until his death on 17 January 1851 in Talbot County. He was buried in the family cemetery at Old Martingham.
+Commodore [[Oliver Hazard Perry]] commended Hambleton for gallant conduct in encouraging his men and personally working the last operable gun aboard against the enemy. Hambleton was severely wounded by a cannonball falling from the rigging, but continued fighting. He continued working in the days following the Battle without seeking medical attention until the infection became so severe that the wound was lanced, discharging pieces of broken bone from his shoulder blade. A piece of the bone was sent home to his mother in a letter, and is currently displayed with the letter at the [[Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum]].
+Following the Battle of Lake Erie, Hambleton returned home to [[St. Michaels, Maryland]] and built a home which he named Perry Cabin after his friend Oliver Hazard Perry.<ref name=":0" /> It was eventually expanded by subsequent owners into [[Inn at Perry Cabin]], a well-known luxury hotel and spa. He named the adjoining farmland Navy Point after the branch of service he loved. Navy Point today contains the 18-acre campus of the [[Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum]].
+Samuel Hambleton's trunk, with his initials and ornate metalwork on the lid, was discovered in the home of his great niece in the "Hambleton House" in Easton, Maryland in the 1960s. The trunk included his personal papers as well as Hambleton's Congressional Medal commemorating his service at the Battle of Lake Erie.  It is currently held in the collection of the Historical Society of Talbot County.
+Until 1832 Purser Hambleton served actively in the Navy, attached to [[USS Java (1815)|''Java'']] and [[USS Columbus (1819)|''Columbus'']] during [[Mediterranean]] cruises and to [[USS John Adams (1799)|''John Adams'']] and [[USS Erie (1813)|''Erie'']] in the [[West Indies]]. With the exception of a tour of duty at the [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] from 1843 to 1845, Hambleton remained on leave or waiting order from 1832 until his death.
+==Death==
+Hambleton died on 17 January 1851 in Talbot County. He was buried in the family cemetery at Old Martingham.
 ==Namesake==
@@ Line 43: / Line 63: @@
 http://baysideblog.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/a-real-treasure-chest-for-treasure-chest-thursday/
+==External links==
-{{Portal|United States Navy}}
+{{Commons category|Samuel Hambleton (naval officer)|Samuel Hambleton}}
+{{Authority control}}
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 :{{DANFS}}
-{{Authority control|VIAF=48449754}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Hambleton, Samuel
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = 1777
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 1851
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hambleton, Samuel}}
 [[Category:1777 births]]
 [[Category:1851 deaths]]
 [[Category:United States Navy officers]]
-[[Category:American people of the War of 1812]]
+[[Category:United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812]]
 [[Category:People from Talbot County, Maryland]]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States
Other	SNAC