George Hamilton Perkins was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, on 20 October 1836. He was appointed an Acting Midshipman in October 1851 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the class of 1856. During the rest of that decade Midshipman Perkins served on at sea on the sloop of war Cyane, the storeship Release and the steamer Sumpter. He attained the ranks of Master in 1859 and Lieutenant in February 1861, on the eve of the Civil War. Perkins spent the conflict's first several months in the Sumpter, operating on anti-Slavery patrols. In late 1861 he became Commanding Officer of the new gunboat Cayuga, in which he performed distinguished service during the 1862 campaigns to capture New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River. He was next Executive Officer of the steam sloop Pensacola, receiving promotion to Lieutenant Commander at the end of 1862. His service on the Mississippi and in the Gulf of Mexico continued in 1863-1865, including command of gunboats New London and Sciota, and the monitor Chickasaw. While in the latter ship, his aggressive and effective conduct during the August 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay was a major factor in the capture of the Confederate ironclad Tennessee.
In the years immediately following the Civil War Lieutenant Commander Perkins was Superintendent of Iron-Clads at New Orleans, Executive Officer of the steam sloop Lackawanna in the North Pacific, and had ordnance duty at the Boston Navy Yard. Reaching the rank of Commander in early 1871, he spent the next decade as Commanding Officer of the storeship Relief and gunboat Ashuelot and had further shore duty at Boston. Perkins was promoted to Captain in 1882 and commanded the Pacific Station flagship Hartford during the mid-1880s. Captain Perkins' subsequent active service was limited to court-martial duty. He was transferred to the Retired List in October 1891, but in 1896 received a Congressionally authorized promotion to the retired rank of Commodore in recognition of his gallantry and skill during the Battle of Mobile Bay three decades earlier. Commodore Perkins died at Boston on 28 October 1899.
The U.S. Navy has named three destroyers in honor of George H. Perkins, including: Perkins (Destroyer # 26, later DD-26 of 1910-1935; Perkins (DD-377) of 1936-1943; and Perkins (DD-877, later DDR-877 and DD-877) of 1945-1973.
This page features all the views we have concerning Commodore George H. Perkins.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 47486 Midshipman George H. Perkins, USN Photographed during the 1850s. Collection of Captain Robert F. Bradford, USN, 1 October 1941. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 95KB; 570 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 79247 Commander George H. Perkins, USN Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken circa 1871-1882, copied from the 1892 book "Officers of the Army and Navy who served in the Civil War". U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 95KB; 570 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99533 George H. Perkins, USN In civilian dress, circa the later 1870s or early 1880s, while he held the ranks of Commander and Captain. Taken by W. Notman, 3 Park Street, Boston. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 57KB; 545 x 765 pixels Note: See Photo # NH 99533-A-KN for a view of the reverse of this photograph's mount. |
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Photo #: NH 47485 Captain George H. Perkins, USN Photographed circa 1882-1891. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 60KB; 515 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 51111 Officers of the Pacific Station, 1885 Rear Admiral John H. Upshur is seated. Behind him are (from left to right): Captain George H. Perkins, Commanding Officer of the Station flagship, USS Hartford, Lieutenant J.A.H. Nickels, Flag Lieutenant, and Lieutenant E.F. Qualtrough, Flag Secretary. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 85KB; 575 x 765 pixels |
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 18 September 2004