FREDERICK P. WHEELOCK, PASSED MIDN, USN
Frederick Wheelock '46
Loss
William died by suicide on April 11, 1848, while aboard the Brig Porpoise, of the African Squadron. (Information from a letter from his commanding officer, LT Alex Gordon, dated April 15, 1848.)
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In January 1847 on the St. Mary’s, Frederick was quite ill, unhappy with his treatment, and wanted to resign. He was severely reprimanded for this but restored to duty. In early January 1848, Frederick declined the position of Master of the Porpoise. In his letter, he stated: “My eyes are sufficiently good for all the ordinary uses … but I am afraid that if I attempt the use of quadrant or sextant at present that they will be severely injured … I am obliged to decline from present imperfection of eyesight attempting the duties of master for the time being.” The Porpoise took on Passed Midshipman James Somerville '47 as an acting master, and after 37 stormy days, she came to Porto Praya on February 24. James was recommended to be appointed Master.
Frederick died on April 11, and Lieutenant A. G. Gordon wrote that his remains were buried in the Dutch cemetery on St. George de Elmina, Ghana, with full military honors and funeral rites of the Episcopal Church. He also wrote that “…for some time previous to his demise, he was, by the most evident proof laboring under mental derangement.” In a letter to Frederick’s mother, he wrote that Frederick was beloved and respected by his brother officers and had never before attempted his life. On March 20 and August 17, letters were waiting for Frederick in the New York City post office.
Other Information
He was born in Virginia but was appointed from, and was a resident of, New York.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Frederick was probably born between 1823 and 1825 when his father Thompson Baxter Wheelock was serving in the Army in Virginia. His mother was Margaret/Marguerite Phillipse Wheelock, and his sister was Charline, born in 1833 in Ohio.
After his father died and his mother remarried, Frederick had letters waiting for him in New York City in January 1837.
In March 1840, he accepted his appointment as a midshipman. He was on the North Carolina, when in October, he received orders to the U.S. Sloop of War Dale. In September 1841, he was on the U.S. frigate Potomac when he transferred to the U.S. Frigate Constitution in Rio de Janeiro.
In a letter dated November 1, 1841, he wrote that he tried to resign giving his "appointment to Commander William Belt of the Marion." He continued that he had no father because he died in the Seminole War, and his grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and was taken prisoner to England. His quarrels were with his superiors about trifling things due to his "hasty and ungovernable temper." He had never done anything to shame himself, and felt if he did leave the Navy, he would become a beggar. He was sent home to his step-father at No. 4 Wall Street, New York City.
On March 29, 1842, he requested to leave the receiving ship Ontario in New Orleans and be assigned to a vessel for sea service. In November 1842 on the U.S. Brig Boxer, he requested leave to go home to attend to matters. He was assigned in January 1843 to the receiving ship North Carolina. In September he was in Baltimore requesting a vessel in the Mediterranean service, like the U.S. Frigate Savannah. It was so ordered, but the ship sailed without him. In October he requested the U.S. ship Independence.
In August 1844, he wrote from the Brig Oregon; and in November, his leave expired in New York City. He requested the sloop St. Mary's but was ordered to the Vandalia in Pensacola. However, he did not have enough funds to travel there. In December 1845, he was on the U.S. steamer Princeton. He wrote that his father, a professor of mathematics, taught him for 3-4 months, but he was incompetent in it and needed to go to the Naval Academy. In December 1846, he resigned from the Navy and was held for six weeks on suspension. In October 1847, he was reinstated and reprimanded for the offense causing his resignation. He requested the sloop Plymouth but was assigned to the brig Porpoise.
Frederick's father graduated from West Point in 1822. He served in the artillery in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Georgia and South Carolina. He also served as Lieutenant of the Rangers in the Black Hawk campaign. He resigned in 1829. On April 23, 1831, he was appointed professor of mathematics, the first professor of the new Woodward High School/College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also taught natural philosophy and supervised military drilling. He re-enlisted in the Dragoons in 1833, and in July 1834, George Catlin rode with his "friend" Lieutenant Wheelock and the Dragoons. (In March 1836, Wheelock along with others signed a newspaper notice that Catlin's pictures of Indians were accurate.) In May 1835 at Fort Leavenworth, Thompson was on trial with other lieutenants for proposing a duel with Captain Duncan. In June he resigned his position due to a "peculiarly unfortunate and delicate situation … for the honor and safety of his family." He was reinstated and fought the Seminole Indians in the Battle of Micanopy on June 9, 1836. He became ill with fever and chills, probably a form of malaria, and died by suicide on June 15. He was first buried there, but as Indians had later opened his grave down to the coffin, it was later transferred to the Saint Augustine National Cemetery. Fort Wheelock in Marion County, Florida, is named for him.
Frederick's mother came from a wealthy family in Putnam County, New York. Her ancestors were Adolph and Frederick Phillipse for which the town of Philipstown is named. In 1827 she was granted land from Fred "Phillips." In 1830 she was the grantor of land to Charles Beck and Adolpheus Watson. Six months after her husband Thompson died, she married James Morrogh, a New York City lawyer. She had four sons with him, the last son born in 1848 was named Philipse. She and her husband were the petitioners in Frederick's $30 estate in 1850.
Career
From the Naval History and Heritage Command:
Midshipman, 10 March, 1840. Passed Midshipman, 11 July, 1846. Died 11 April, 1848.
From "Letters to the Secretary of the Navy": (previously at http://captainsclerk.info/archives/nams/letters_docs/m0148.html)
From Acting Midshipman Y. Philipse Wheelock, USS CONSTITUTION, 1 Nov 1841: On passage from USS MARION on the Brazil Station, wishes to withdraw his resignation. [Annotated that it has not yet reached the Department.]
There are no other "Wheelock"s on record during this period; suspect the "Y" first initial above is a typo. On November 2, 1841 Captain Daniel Turner (of Constitution) "Reports having permitted Acting Midshipman Wheelock to return home after so short a time because the young man convinced him he was not fitted for the service and wished to be allowed to resign." (Linked previously to http://captainsclerk.info/archives/nams/letters_docs/m0125.html)
In November 1841 F.P. Wheelock is listed as a midshipman aboard the frigate Constitution; this ship had just returned from Brazil to Hampton Roads, Virginia. He had joined the ship on station at some point earlier that year. (From http://captainsclerk.info/newspapers/part5.html)
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
September 1842
January 1843
October 1843
January 1844
January 1846
January 1847
January 1848
Note
A special thank you to historian Kathy Franz for locating Frederick's cause of death.
Memorial Hall Error
Suicide is not a criteria for inclusion in Memorial Hall. Also, Frederick is listed as an Ensign; however, this rank did not exist until 1862. He should be listed as a Passed Midshipman (this is also the rank given in LT Gordon's letter).
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
