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Gustavus Fox
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'''Gustavus Vasa Fox''' (
13 June 1821 –
29 October 1883) was a
United States Navy U.S. Navy officer who served during the
American Civil War Civil War.
Image:Gustavus_Fox.jpg thumb|Gustavus Fox, August 1866
Born at
Saugus, Massachusetts, Fox was appointed
midshipman 12 January 1838. During the
Mexican-American War, he served in the
brig USS Washington (1837) ''Washington'' in the squadron of Commodore
Matthew Perry (naval officer) Matthew Perry and took active part in the second expedition against
Tobasco, Mexico, 14-16 January 1847, which resulted in the capture of that town. He was in command of several mail steamers and after his resignation 30 July 1856, engaged in the manufacture of woolen materials.
At the start of the
American Civil War he volunteered for service. He was given a temporary appointment in the Navy and was sent in the steamer ''Baltic'' to the relief of Major
Major Robert Anderson Robert Anderson and the remnant of his command in
Fort Sumter, and brought them away.
On
1 August 1861, President
Abraham Lincoln appointed him
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, an office which he held until the close of the Civil War. In 1866, he was sent on a special mission to
Russia and conveyed the congratulations of the President of the United States to
Tzar Alexander II of Russia Alexander II upon his escape from assassination. His voyage was made in the
monitor warship type monitor USS Miantonomoh (1863) ''Miantonomoh'' which was the first vessel of this class to cross the Atlantic. They were accompanied by
USS Augusta (1853) ''Augusta''.
In
1882 he made a publication suggesting
Samana Cay in the
Bahamas to be
Guanahani, or San Salvador, the first island
Christopher Columbus reached at his discovery of
the Americas. Little attention was paid to it until
1986, when the
National Geographic Society also appointed Samana Cay to be San Salvador.
He died at
Lowell, Massachusetts.
Two ships have been named
USS Fox USS ''Fox'' for him.
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Category:1821 births Fox, Gustavus
Category:1883 deaths Fox, Gustavus
Category:American Civil War people Fox, Gustavus
Category:People from Massachusetts Fox, Gustavus
Category:United States Navy officers Fox, Gustavus
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