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  • Lincoln’s Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont
  • Alexander Mendoza
Lincoln’s Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont. By Kevin J. Weddle. (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2005. Pp. 304. Cloth, $34.95.)

Kevin Weddle has written an absorbing and perceptive biography of one of the most controversial naval commanders of the Civil War, Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont. The focus of the study is Du Pont's April 7, 1863, [End Page 312] attempt to take Charleston, South Carolina, with a fleet of ironclads and the resulting controversy that stemmed from the failed attack. Pessimistic about the viability of capturing Charleston with ironclads alone, Du Pont advocated a joint operation with an army force working in conjunction with the naval expedition. True to form, the Charleston assault failed and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles relieved the rear admiral from command of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, citing Du Pont's hesitance to use the navy's new ironclad monitors. For the remainder of his life, Du Pont attempted to restore his tarnished reputation only to be impeded by naval officials who portrayed him as a recalcitrant foe of new, advanced naval technology.

Although the subtitle of the book might imply a comprehensive biography of the controversial naval officer, the real focus of the study remains Du Pont's career in the United States Navy, which spanned almost half a century of service. Accordingly, Weddle's work devotes fewer than twenty pages to Du Pont's life before the Mexican War and only ten pages to his short life after the Charleston debacle. This allowed the author to analyze more closely Du Pont's naval career and campaigns, and this was fully and adequately done.

Weddle carefully scrutinizes Du Pont's antebellum naval career, tracing his rise through the ranks, from midshipman to commander by the time the United States entered the war with Mexico. Before the Mexican War, Du Pont served on a board that called for a naval academy in Annapolis, and his service on that board likely led to other assignments that saw him as an outspoken advocate for naval reform. It is during this period, Weddle argues, in which Du Pont clearly establishes himself as a reformer of naval policy, not the staunch traditionalist navy officials and subsequent historians portrayed him to be. In contrast, Weddle challenges conventional interpretations of the troubled admiral and paints a more comprehensive picture of the man than previously available. Du Pont's promotion of the navy's Efficiency Board, which bears a worthy comparison to the Promotions Board of the twentieth century, clearly marks him as a forward thinker. Du Pont's antebellum naval experiences are also tied to the Civil War. His commitment to thorough planning and logistics, for example, was derived from his experience in leading a diplomatic mission to China and the Far East, where he surpassed all trials in commanding the navy's most advanced warship. And, most important, his service in the Mexican War provided him with the lessons that would influence his views during the Civil War, namely, the importance of a stringent blockade and the significance of joint operations in taking an enemy position. [End Page 313]

The author offers a persuasive new interpretation of Du Pont, one that does a commendable job in correlating the rear admiral's antebellum career with his service during the Civil War. The study is peppered with references that clearly depict Du Pont as a visionary who emerged as a natural leader respected by subordinates and superior officers alike for his attention to detail and his ability to articulate his opinions on naval reform. Yet Weddle succeeds in offering a balanced view of the rear admiral. Despite the many accolades that Du Pont earned during his long tenure with the navy, his career was often marred by various personality flaws, such as excessive ambition, pride, and vanity, which led to professional conflicts that resulted in long-standing feuds. Despite these defects, the author maintains, Du Pont played a critical role in making the navy more efficient than ever before.

Weddle's study is a thoughtful and balanced...

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