History of the Stewarts | Famous Stewarts
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Rear-Admiral Charles Stewart
Charles Stewart (1778-1869)
He was an officer in the United States Navy who commanded a number of US Navy ships, including USS Constitution.
During the Quasi-War with France, Stewart was one of the first officers in the rebirth of the United States Navy. At the age of nineteen, he was commissioned a lieutenant on 9 March 1798 and joined the frigate USS United States, under the command of John Barry, as fourth lieutenant for a cruise in the West Indies to restrain French privateers. Stewart was in charge of the ship´s outfitting and recruiting of crew.
On 16 July 1800 he assumed command of the schooner USS Experiment and captured two armed French vessels and recapturing several American ships. While anchored at the island of Dominica for water, he secured the release of an American pressed on a British warship. He later rescued approximately seventy people, mostly women and children from a vessel in distress at a reef near Saona Island, just before the schooner sank, for which the Governor of Santo Domingo sent a letter of thanks to President Jefferson
During the War of 1812, Stewart commanded, successively, USS Argus, USS Hornet, and USS Constellation. Since Constellation was closely blockaded in Norfolk by the British, he took command of Constitution at Boston in 1813. He made two brilliant cruises in her between 1813 and 1815.
Under Stewart´s command, Constitution captured HMS Cyane and HMS Levant on 20 February 1815. The Treaty of Paris, ending the War of 1812, had been signed earlier that month but both sides in the battle were unaware of that event. By capturing two British warships with a single ship of his own, Stewart became a national hero and was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal on 22 February 1816. He was also admitted as an honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati in the same year.
Stewart´s later service included command of the American Mediterranean squadron from 1816 to 1820 and of one in the Pacific from 1820 to 1824. He served as a Naval Commissioner from 1830 to 1832.
In 1836 Stewart saw service in the West Indies and commanded a vessel that captured a Portuguese slaver ship as it came into Havana. Before Stewart´s boarding crew took control of the ship the commander of the vessel jumped overboard, swam ashore and escaped. On board the captured ship were 250 surviving negro children, many others having died from lack of water during the voyage. Outraged at the conditions and health of the children Stewart informed British commissioner Kennedy in Havana of the dire situation
. He later commanded the navy yard in Philadelphia and was the promoted to become the Navy´s first flag officer shortly before retiring. He was promoted to rear admiral after he retired from the Navy. He lived a long life and was the last surviving Navy captain who had served in the War of 1812.
By a bill passed on 2 March 1859, Congress made Stewart “senior flag officer” on 22 April 1859, a rank created for him in recognition of his distinguished and meritorious service.
Stewart was placed on the retired list on 21 December 1861 after serving 63 years in the Navy. His age at the time of his retirement was 83 years, 4 months and 24 days – making him the oldest officer on active duty in the history of the U.S. Navy. He was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list on 16 July 1862.
Shortly before his death, Stewart was elected a companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States - a military society of officers who had served the Union during the Civil War. He was assigned the Society´s insignia number 1119.
Stewart died at Bordentown, New Jersey on 6 November 1869 at the age of 91. He was buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia.