Isaac Mayo
Encyclopedia
Commodore Isaac Mayo was a United States
naval officer who served in the War of 1812
, Second Seminole War
, and Mexican War
. He is credited with influencing the location of the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis. He is noted for his controversial resignation and Presidential dismissal from the service at the start of the Civil War.
Admiral
Joseph Mayo. He married Sarah Battaile Fitzhugh Bland, daughter of Consul to Brazil Theodoric Bland
and Sarah Glen in 1835. They had one daughter, Sarah
The Mayo’s resided in historic Gresham
house at Mayo’s Neck plantation, parts of which had formerly been known as Cotter’s Desire, Love’s Neck, and Selby’s Marsh. The plantation had previously been owned by the pirate William Cotter and wife Jane Gassaway, who purchased it 2 years after the death of Jane’s father Colonel Nicholas Gassaway
(Mysteriously, the Colonel's and his son's gravestones were both found there in different centuries, though both had lived and died at the Love's Neck residence while Gresham house was still owned and occupied by Greshams on rented land). Commodore Mayo also owned a farm in Elkridge and Sarah inherited Blandair from her father in 1846.
Commodore Mayo died of a gunshot wound at Gresham
house on or before the morning of May 18, 1861, the same day on which he was dismissed from the Navy by order of President Lincoln for his eloquent but aggressive letter of resignation. He is buried beneath a tall stone spire in the Strawberry Hill Cemetery at the US Naval Academy.
The 2500+ resident community of Mayo, Maryland
, as well as Mayo Road (route 214), the Mayo Peninsula, and Mayo School all bear his name.
Enlistment and War of 1812
Isaac Mayo entered service in the United States Navy
at the age of 16 in 1809. He was first posted to the USS Wasp as a midshipman under Captain James Lawrence. He followed the Captain from the Wasp to the brig Argus and then the USS Hornet where he served during the War of 1812
. He was advanced to Lieutenant
on the 4th of February 1815. He received a Congressional Medal of Valor for his actions during the war.
Second Seminole war
In 1840, Commander
Isaac Mayo was assigned command of the sidewheel steam gunboat USS Poinsett
. He later commanded a squadron of gunboats during the campaign in which the Poinsett remained active until August 1842.
United States Naval Academy
In 1845, Captain
Mayo sat on the 5 member board to determine the location of a permanent naval academy for the United States Navy
. Knowing the advantages of the Fort Severn
location, Mayo is credited with helping steer the board’s decision to locate the academy there. He is said to have supported the location from the “first vote to the last”. Following the establishment of the academy, Mayo was posted to examine midshipmen until, on the eve of the Mexican war
, he was assigned command of USS Mississippi
.
Mexican war
In 1847 as US General Scott advanced on Veracruz
, he requested artillery
support from Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the United States Naval forces nearby. On March 23, Captain Mayo was among those who came ashore with 8” guns from his ship. The naval battery deployed consisted of three sixty-eight pound shell guns and three thirty-two pounders firing solid shot, and over 200 seamen and others attached to each in order to transport the massive weapons through knee-deep mud. Officers drew lots for the honor of commanding the sand-bagged battery and after the first day under the command of Captain Aulick, it passed to Captain Mayo on the 25th. While under Mayo’s command on the 25th, the battery was able to silence the guns of Veracruz
leading to its unconditional surrender on the 28th. On March 30, 1847, General Scott left Captain Mayo and the naval garrison under his command to hold Tlacotalpan
and Alvarado
, of which Mayo was subsequently appointed governor
.
Commodore Mayo burried cannonballs from Veracruz at his Gresham
plantation
as momentos of his victory there.
engaged in the prevention of US flagged ships participating in the slave trade. He was assigned USS Constitution
as his flagship
. Mayo, a slave holder himself, who’s farm in Elkridge South of Baltimore would experience a runaway slave issue as he departed for this duty assignment, had thus been assigned to further US anti-slavery policy.
It would be during Mayo’s command of the squadron, on November 3, 1853, that Constitution would capture the last prize vessel taken by her in combat. That was the H.N. Gambrill, a schooner
with no slaves aboard. It would be the only action of Mayo’s 2 year command of the squadron.
On April 17, 1855, he was relieved along with the USS Constitution
by Capt. Thomas Crabbe who’s orders were extensive in the detailing of the intent and desire of the United States
to thereby suppress the slave trade and prevent any vessel flying the US flag from engaging in it. In June, the 61 year old officer was granted 3 months leave after two and a half years at sea on an 18th century frigate
, before returning to the examination of midshipmen at the academy.
and the United States
, Commodore
Mayo was the oldest and longest serving of the some 300 Navy officers who chose not to support the union, some 100 of whom resigned their commissions. Mayo wrote to President Abraham Lincoln:
Lincoln, while granting other such requests, ordered Mayo’s dismissal from the Navy effective May 18, 1861. On that day, Commodore Mayo was dead of a gunshot wound at Gresham house.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
naval officer who served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
, and Mexican War
Mexican War
Mexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
. He is credited with influencing the location of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
at Annapolis. He is noted for his controversial resignation and Presidential dismissal from the service at the start of the Civil War.
Life
Isaac Mayo was born in 1794 in Anne Arundel County Maryland. He was the nephew of United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Joseph Mayo. He married Sarah Battaile Fitzhugh Bland, daughter of Consul to Brazil Theodoric Bland
Theodoric Bland
Theodorick Bland made a survey in 1693 of the Howson Patent,which is an area corresponding to present day Alexandria, Virginia. He also made a survey for Williamsburg, Virginia in 1699....
and Sarah Glen in 1835. They had one daughter, Sarah
The Mayo’s resided in historic Gresham
Gresham (Edgewater, Maryland)
Gresham is a historic home near Edgewater, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is a large -story frame dwelling built by John Gresham II after 1686 on land owned by land-grant pioneer Captain Edward Selby....
house at Mayo’s Neck plantation, parts of which had formerly been known as Cotter’s Desire, Love’s Neck, and Selby’s Marsh. The plantation had previously been owned by the pirate William Cotter and wife Jane Gassaway, who purchased it 2 years after the death of Jane’s father Colonel Nicholas Gassaway
Nicholas Gassaway
Colonel Nicholas Gassaway was a colonial military and political leader and justice in early Maryland. He is also notable for having originated the family name Gassaway , as a variant of his father Thomas Gaswaie’s family name...
(Mysteriously, the Colonel's and his son's gravestones were both found there in different centuries, though both had lived and died at the Love's Neck residence while Gresham house was still owned and occupied by Greshams on rented land). Commodore Mayo also owned a farm in Elkridge and Sarah inherited Blandair from her father in 1846.
Commodore Mayo died of a gunshot wound at Gresham
Gresham (Edgewater, Maryland)
Gresham is a historic home near Edgewater, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is a large -story frame dwelling built by John Gresham II after 1686 on land owned by land-grant pioneer Captain Edward Selby....
house on or before the morning of May 18, 1861, the same day on which he was dismissed from the Navy by order of President Lincoln for his eloquent but aggressive letter of resignation. He is buried beneath a tall stone spire in the Strawberry Hill Cemetery at the US Naval Academy.
The 2500+ resident community of Mayo, Maryland
Mayo, Maryland
Mayo is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,153 at the 2000 census. Its beach was formerly a popular weekend resort.-Geography:Mayo is located at ....
, as well as Mayo Road (route 214), the Mayo Peninsula, and Mayo School all bear his name.
Enlistment and War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
Isaac Mayo entered service in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at the age of 16 in 1809. He was first posted to the USS Wasp as a midshipman under Captain James Lawrence. He followed the Captain from the Wasp to the brig Argus and then the USS Hornet where he served during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. He was advanced to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on the 4th of February 1815. He received a Congressional Medal of Valor for his actions during the war.
Second Seminole warSecond Seminole WarThe Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
In 1840, CommanderCommander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Isaac Mayo was assigned command of the sidewheel steam gunboat USS Poinsett
USS Poinsett (1840)
USS Poinsett was a gunboat acquired by the U.S. Navy from the U.S. War Department for use during the Second Seminole War. Post-war she performed survey duties before being returned to the War Department.-Service in the Second Seminole War:...
. He later commanded a squadron of gunboats during the campaign in which the Poinsett remained active until August 1842.
United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
In 1845, CaptainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Mayo sat on the 5 member board to determine the location of a permanent naval academy for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Knowing the advantages of the Fort Severn
Fort Severn
For the trading post in Canada see Fort Severn First Nation Fort Severn, in present-day Annapolis, Maryland, was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War fort of 1776. Although intended to guard Annapolis harbor from British attack, it never saw action during the War...
location, Mayo is credited with helping steer the board’s decision to locate the academy there. He is said to have supported the location from the “first vote to the last”. Following the establishment of the academy, Mayo was posted to examine midshipmen until, on the eve of the Mexican war
Mexican War
Mexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
, he was assigned command of USS Mississippi
USS Mississippi (1841)
USS Mississippi, a paddle frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to bear that name. She was named for the Mississippi River. Her sister ship was . Her keel was laid down by the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1839; built under the personal supervision of Commodore Matthew Perry. She was...
.
Mexican warMexican WarMexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
In 1847 as US General Scott advanced on VeracruzVeracruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Mexico, may refer to:*The state of Veracruz, one of the 32 component federal entities of the United Mexican States*Veracruz, Veracruz, a major seaport and largest city in that state...
, he requested artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
support from Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the United States Naval forces nearby. On March 23, Captain Mayo was among those who came ashore with 8” guns from his ship. The naval battery deployed consisted of three sixty-eight pound shell guns and three thirty-two pounders firing solid shot, and over 200 seamen and others attached to each in order to transport the massive weapons through knee-deep mud. Officers drew lots for the honor of commanding the sand-bagged battery and after the first day under the command of Captain Aulick, it passed to Captain Mayo on the 25th. While under Mayo’s command on the 25th, the battery was able to silence the guns of Veracruz
Veracruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Mexico, may refer to:*The state of Veracruz, one of the 32 component federal entities of the United Mexican States*Veracruz, Veracruz, a major seaport and largest city in that state...
leading to its unconditional surrender on the 28th. On March 30, 1847, General Scott left Captain Mayo and the naval garrison under his command to hold Tlacotalpan
Tlacotalpan
The city of Tlacotalpan is located in the eastern coastal region of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Although the area had been inhabited since pre-Columbian times, the modern-day settlement was founded as a river port on the banks of the Río Papaloapan in the mid-16th century...
and Alvarado
Alvarado, Veracruz
Alvarado is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city also serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. It is located 64 km from the city of Veracruz, Veracruz, on Federal Highways 180 and 125...
, of which Mayo was subsequently appointed governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
.
Commodore Mayo burried cannonballs from Veracruz at his Gresham
Gresham (Edgewater, Maryland)
Gresham is a historic home near Edgewater, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is a large -story frame dwelling built by John Gresham II after 1686 on land owned by land-grant pioneer Captain Edward Selby....
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
as momentos of his victory there.
African Squadron
On December 9, 1852, Mayo was assigned to take command of the US African SquadronAfrica Squadron
The Africa Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy that operated from 1819 to 1861 to suppress the slave trade along the coast of West Africa...
engaged in the prevention of US flagged ships participating in the slave trade. He was assigned USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
as his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. Mayo, a slave holder himself, who’s farm in Elkridge South of Baltimore would experience a runaway slave issue as he departed for this duty assignment, had thus been assigned to further US anti-slavery policy.
It would be during Mayo’s command of the squadron, on November 3, 1853, that Constitution would capture the last prize vessel taken by her in combat. That was the H.N. Gambrill, a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
with no slaves aboard. It would be the only action of Mayo’s 2 year command of the squadron.
On April 17, 1855, he was relieved along with the USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
by Capt. Thomas Crabbe who’s orders were extensive in the detailing of the intent and desire of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to thereby suppress the slave trade and prevent any vessel flying the US flag from engaging in it. In June, the 61 year old officer was granted 3 months leave after two and a half years at sea on an 18th century frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
, before returning to the examination of midshipmen at the academy.
Resignation and dismissal
Following the outbreak of hostilities between the ConfederacyConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Mayo was the oldest and longest serving of the some 300 Navy officers who chose not to support the union, some 100 of whom resigned their commissions. Mayo wrote to President Abraham Lincoln:
- “For more than half a century it has been the pride of my life to hold office under the Government of the United States. For twenty-five, I have engaged in active sea-service and have never seen my flag dishonored, or the American arms disgraced by defeat. It was the hope of my old age that I might die, as I had lived, an officer in the Navy of a free Government. This hope has been taken from me. In adopting the policy of coercion, you have denied to millions of freemen the rights of the Constitution and in its stead you have placed the will of a sectional Party. As one of the oldest soldiers of America, I protest--in the name of humanity--against this "war against brethren!" I cannot fight against the Constitution while pretending to fight for it. You will therefore oblige me by accepting my resignation.”
Lincoln, while granting other such requests, ordered Mayo’s dismissal from the Navy effective May 18, 1861. On that day, Commodore Mayo was dead of a gunshot wound at Gresham house.
External links
- Selby Maryland Community Association http://www.selbyonthebay.org/
- Record of the seizure of the Gambrill http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/war1812/const8.htm
- USS Constitution Museum http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/
- Mayo Maryland Website http://www.mayo.md.us/