Percival C. Pope
Encyclopedia
Percival Clarence Pope was an American officer who served in the United States Marine Corps
during the American Civil War
. He received the Marine Corps Brevet Medal
for bravery.
.
, which was commanded by his father. While aboard the Richmond, he and the other members of the crew participated in engagements from October 12–13, 1861 while on blockade duty at the Passes of the Mississippi River.
He accepted a commission in the Marine Corps in 1861 and served continuously for 44 years, retiring as a Colonel
in 1905 although he was promoted to Brigadier General
on the retired list. Although two Marine Corps officers were awarded the Brevet Medal during the Civil War, Pope is the only one to receive it because the other recipient, James Forney, died before it could be presented. During the inaugural parade for President William McKinley, Pope commanded a Marine Regiment.
He died at his home in Milton
, Massachusetts
January 22, 1922 and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dorchester, Massachusetts
.
A complete set of Pope's awards, including his Brevet Medal, are on display at the Navy Memorial Museum
in Washington, D.C.
His Brevet Medal is the only known original Marine Corps Brevet Medal on public display.
and another from the Secretary of the Navy.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He received the Marine Corps Brevet Medal
Marine Corps Brevet Medal
The Marine Corps Brevet Medal, also known as the Brevet Medal, was a military decoration of the United States Marine Corps; it was created in 1921 as a result of Marine Corps Order Number 26. The decoration was a one-time issuance and retroactively recognized living Marine Corps officers who had...
for bravery.
Early life
Pope was born February 28, 1841 at the Charlestown Navy Yard Boston, Massachusetts and was the son of the Union Navy officer Commodore John PopeJohn Pope (naval officer)
John Pope was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:Born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Pope was appointed midshipman from Maine 30 May 1816...
.
Military career
When the American Civil War started in 1861 he was only 21 but accepted an appointment in the United States Navy, on board the steam-sloop USS RichmondUSS Richmond (1860)
The USS Richmond was a wooden steam sloop in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Service in the Caribbean :Richmond was launched on 26 January 1860 by the Norfolk Navy Yard; sponsored by a Miss Robb. Richmond, commanded by Captain D. N. Ingraham, departed Norfolk, Virginia 13...
, which was commanded by his father. While aboard the Richmond, he and the other members of the crew participated in engagements from October 12–13, 1861 while on blockade duty at the Passes of the Mississippi River.
He accepted a commission in the Marine Corps in 1861 and served continuously for 44 years, retiring as a Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in 1905 although he was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
on the retired list. Although two Marine Corps officers were awarded the Brevet Medal during the Civil War, Pope is the only one to receive it because the other recipient, James Forney, died before it could be presented. During the inaugural parade for President William McKinley, Pope commanded a Marine Regiment.
He died at his home in Milton
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
January 22, 1922 and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
.
A complete set of Pope's awards, including his Brevet Medal, are on display at the Navy Memorial Museum
U.S. Navy Museum
The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., USA.The U.S...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
His Brevet Medal is the only known original Marine Corps Brevet Medal on public display.
Marine Corps Brevet Medal citation
Pope was given two citations, one from the President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and another from the Secretary of the Navy.
Presidential citation
Citation:- The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Marine Corps Brevet Medal to Percival Clarence Pope, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, for gallant and meritorious service in the night attack upon Fort SumterFort SumterFort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, on 2 March 1861, appointed Captain, by brevet, to rank from 8 September 1863.
Secretary of the Navy citation
Citation- The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in transmitting to First Lieutenant Percival Clarence Pope, United States Marine Corps, the Brevet Medal which is awarded in accordance with Marine Corps Order No. 26 (1921), for gallant and meritorious service while serving aboard the U.S.S. POWHATAN during the night attack upon Fort Sumter, on 2 March 1861. On 8 September 1863 First Lieutenant Pope is appointed Captain, by brevet, to rank from 8 September 1863.