| Notes |
- PERKINS, George Hamilton, naval officer, was born in Hopkinton, N.H., Oct. 20, 1836; son of Judge Hamilton Eliot and Clara Bartlett (George) Perkins, and grandson of Roger Eliot Perkins, and of John and Ruth (Bradley) George of Concord, N.H. His father, a graduate of Norwich university, was judge of probate for Merrimack county, 1855-74. George Hamilton Perkins was graduated at the U.S. Naval academy in 1856, was appointed acting master, Aug. 18, 1858, and served on the Sabine at Montevideo, and on the Sumter on a cruise on the west coast of Africa, 1859-61. He was promoted master, Sept. 5, 1859, and lieutenant, Feb. 2, 1861; was ordered to the Cayuga, fitting out in New York navy yard and commanded by Napoleon B. Harrison (q.v.). December, 1861, and was second in command of that vessel. Upon reaching Ship Island, March 31, 1862, the Cayuga was made flagship, and with Lieut. Perkins as pilot led the first division of gunboats in the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, April 24, 1862. The Cayuga received the first fire, passed under the walls of Fort St. Philip, sank the Confederate steamer Governor Moore and the ram Manassas, and on the morning of April 25, 1862, led the fleet up the river and captured New Orleans, receiving the surrender of the city with Capt. Theodorus Bailey, the two officers walking alone and unguarded from the wharf to the city hall. He was executive officer of the Cayuga, October, 1862-June, 1863, and was promoted lieutenant-commander, Dec. 31, 1862. He commanded the gunboat New London on the Mississippi, June-July, 1863, and ran the batteries at Port Hudson five times; commanded the New London, which in company with the Cayuga blockaded Sabine Pass from Jan. 22, 1863, and the Scioto on blockade duty off the coast of Texas, July, 1863-April, 1864, when he was ordered north, but volunteered to assume command of the monitor Chickasaw, in the battle of Mobile Bay. When within fifty feet of the stern of the Tennessee he planted 52 11-inch shot on the most vulnerable part of the armored Confederate ram which effected her capture, and he was largely instrumental in the reduction of Forts Powell, Gaines and Morgan. He served as superintendent of iron-clads at New Orleans, 1865-66; as executive officer of the Lackawanna in the Pacific, 1866-69, and in the ordnance department at the U.S. navy yard at Boston, Mass., 1869-71. He was promoted commander, Jan. 19, 1871, and on March 3 was assigned to the command of the U.S. store-ship Relief, to convey contributions to the French, Jan. 29, 1876; He was on duty in Boston as ordnance officer and as lighthouse inspector. He commanded the U.S.S. Ashuelot of the Asiatic squadron, 1879-81; commanded the torpedo station at Newport, R.I., in 1882, and was promoted captain, March 10, 1882. He commanded the Hartford of the Pacific station, 1885-86; was placed on the retired list, Oct. 1, 1891, and was promoted commodore on the retired list, May 9, 1896, for his distinguished services during the rebellion. He was married in 1870 to Anna Minot Weld of Boston, Mass. See "Letters of George Hamilton Perkins, U.S.N.," edited and arranged by his sister and including a sketch of his life. His mother died in Concord in March, 1902. His statue of heroic size executed by Daniel C. French, on the Capitol grounds, Concord, N.H., the gift to the state by his daughter, Mrs. Larz Anderson, was unveiled April 25, 1902, being presented to the state in behalf of the donor by Rear-Admiral George E. Belknap, U.S.N. He died in Boston, Mass., Oct. 28, 1899. [1]
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