A Civil War Biography
Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough
Goldsborough was born 18 February 1805 in Washington DC. In 1812,
with war breaking out with Great Britain, he, only seven years old
at the time, solicited an appointment as a midshipman directly from
Paul Hamilton, then the Secretary of the Navy. Too young for active
service, Goldsborough wore his uniform and attended school in
Washington. He would finally go to sea, sailing from Philadelphia on
14 October 1817 aboard the USS Franklin, the flag-ship of the
Mediterranean squadron. He was promoted to lieutenant on 13 January
1825 and shortly thereafter took a leave of absence and toured
Europe. He returned to active duty in 1827 serving onboard the USS
North Carolina in the Mediterranean. He was commissioned a commander
in the US navy on 8 September 1841. He saw service during the war
with Mexico as second in command of the USS Ohio. Following the war
with Mexico he was the senior naval member of the joint commission
of army and navy officers sent to explore California and Oregon. In
1853 he was assigned as superintendant of the naval academy at
Annapolis. He served at the naval academy until 1857, during which
period he was promoted to captain on 14 September 1855 and received
a special commendation from the Secretary of the Navy. He next was
ordered to form a board to revise the ordnance manual used by naval
officers. In 1858 he returned to sea as commanding officer of the
USS Le Congress, a forty-four gun frigate, on station off Brazil.
Just after the opening of hostilities in 1861 Goldsborough returned
home with his ship. Through the influence of Salmon P. Chase,
Lincoln's Treasury Secretary, Goldsborough was assigned command of
the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron with responsibility for the
coast north of the North Carolina-South Carolina border. He
commanded the fleet that conveyed Ambrose Burnside with 10,000 Union
troops to Roanoke Island which after a combined attack was taken on
8 February 1862. Goldsborough received the thanks of Congress for
helping to capture the island, destroying the Confederate fleet in
North Carolina waters, and closing the North Carolina sounds. He was
criticized for not being present at Hampton Roads when the CSS
Virginia attacked ships of his squadron on 8 March 1862. He was also
criticized for failure to cooperate with George B. McClelland during
the peninsula campaign mainly for his effort in the capture of
Norfolk and for not running his fleet past Drewry's Bluff to attack
Richmond. When in July 1862 the independent James River Flotilla was
formed from elements of Goldsborough's squadron he requested to be
relieved. He was appointed rear admiral on 16 July 1862 and shortly
thereafter his request to be relieved was granted. He returned to
Washington and served in administrative capacity until the end of
the war.
With the war winding down the Navy Department decided to reestablish
the European Squadron and assigned Goldsborough to command in
February 1865. He was initially tasked with destroying the remaining
Confederate cruisers and the ram Stonewall but he would not arrive
in European waters until July 1865 after the war had ended. His
orders were then changed ordering his squadron to seize the former
Confederate ships. None were seized, however. Goldsborough remained
in Europe until 1868 when he returned to Washington. He retired in
1873 and died 20 February 1877.
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