EDWARD T. SPEDDEN, LT, USN
Edward Spedden '53
Life & Loss
Edward died on March 3, 1861 in New York. From The New York Times death notices on March 4, 1861:
In Brooklyn, at the United States Naval Hospital, Lieut. EDWARD T. SPEDDEN, U.S.N., attached to the United States steamer Mohawk, aged 29 years.
Other Information
From The New York Times on March 7, 1861:
The "off-duty men" of the marine garrison, with squads of sailors from the different vessels at the Navy-yard, and nearly all the officers of the station in full uniform, attended the funeral obsequies of Lieut. SPEDDEN, from the Naval Hospital. Lieut. SPEDDEN entered the service in November, 1848, and is credited with five years and nine/months' sea service, and two years shore duty. He was two years and five months unemployed. He was a native of Maryland, and is sincerely regretted.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Edward was born in Talbot County, Maryland - right across the bay from Annapolis. Edward’s mother was Elizabeth Tilghman (Sherwood) who died in 1831. His father Edward was a physician and married his second wife Mary Hayward Matin on September 3, 1839, in Talbot, Maryland. Edward's brothers Hugh Sherwood born 1820 and Robert Rush born 1823, stepbrother Charles born 1842; sisters Mary born 1825 and Susan born 1832. In 1850 the family was living in Pettis County, Missouri.
In December 1852, Edward testified at John P. Brintwall's court martial. They were on the Pennsylvania moored at Washington, D.C. One night while several men were sleeping in the gun room, Edward heard a pistol snap. The next night in the gun room, Brintwall told everyone to leave so he could get some sleep. He shot a pistol ball over Edward's shoulder.
On September 6, 1857 while on the San Jacinto, he reported they found uncharted breakers 4-6 miles long and 35 miles southwest of Simoda, Japan. He named them the “Portsmouth Breakers.” In 1860 Edward sailed on the steamer Mohawk which captured a slave ship in the Caribbean, and he served on a court martial panel. The Mohawk sailed for New York in February 1861.
Edward was on the Mohawk when he was hospitalized on February 25, 1861, with febris adynamica. He died at 9:25 a.m. on March 3. The cause was determined to be disease from the Gulf of Mexico due to change in climate “in the line of duty.” Edward died intestate.
Edward’s brother Robert was a Colonel in the Civil War and later was clerk of Clatsop County.
Mohawk was in port at this time.
He is buried in Brooklyn, New York.
Career
From the Naval History and Heritage Command:
Midshipman, 20 November, 1848. Passed Midshipman, 15 June, 1854. Master, 15 September, 1855. Lieutenant, 16 September, 1855. Died 3 March, 1861.
In 1851 he was an officer aboard the sloop of war Falmouth, which was then operating in the Pacific.
Notes
"E. T. Spedden" is listed as having resigned in the May 28, 1861 issue in "The Daily Exchange." (The implication is that he resigned to enter the Confederate Navy; many others on the list did so.) It's unclear if this is supposed to be Edward; if so, this is the only report of him resigning. The Register of officers of the Confederate States navy does not include him. At least one of his brothers served in the Union Army.
(Note that the 1850 census gives his age as 21, which would make him roughly 32 years old when he died. However, both the New York Times report above and his medical record states he was 29.)
Memorial Hall Error
Though no cause is given for Edward's death, the fact it was clearly at a hospital and there is no mention of an operational cause makes it extremely likely that it was an illness. This is not a criteria for inclusion in Memorial Hall.
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