Selim E. Woodworth was a commander in 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...

, prominent San Francisco businessman, and member of the Woodworth political family

Woodworth political family

The Woodworth political family is a collection of American and Canadian politicians who descend directly from colonial settler Walter Woodworth. They rose to prominence in the 19th century, serving in several states, in the United States House of Representatives, the Canadian House of Commons, and...

.

Early years

Woodworth was born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, the second son of poet and dramatist Samuel Woodworth

Samuel Woodworth

Samuel Woodworth was an American author, literary journalist, playwright, librettist, and poet.-History:...

. He was a descendant of colonial settler Walter Woodworth

Walter Woodworth

Walter Woodworth was among the original colonial settlers of America and ancestor of many prominent Americans.-Plymouth Colony:...

. At age twelve he set out with a rifle to cross the continent, but was intercepted after walking 300 miles and sent home. In 1834 he sailed as captain's clerk

Captain's clerk

A captain's clerk was a rating, now obsolete, in the Royal Navy for a person employed by the captain to keep his records, correspondence, and accounts. The regulations of the Royal Navy demanded that a purser serve at least one year as a captain's clerk, so the latter was often a young man working...

 in the ship "Margaret Oakley," which was shipwrecked off Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

. He lived on the island with the natives, but eventually reached Mauritius

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

, returning home after an absence of four years.

U.S. Navy career

Appointed a midshipman on 16 June 1838, Woodworth was ordered to join the Wilkes Exploring Expedition. However, the order was sent to Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

 and was not forwarded to him. When he reported in response to a duplicate order, the expedition had already sailed. He was instead sent to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 for duty in the ship of the line Ohio

USS Ohio (1820)

The second USS Ohio was a ship of the line of the United States Navy. She was designed by Henry Eckford, laid down at New York Navy Yard in 1817, and launched on 30 May 1820. She went into ordinary and in the ensuing years decayed badly. Refitted for service in 1838, Ohio sailed on 16 October 1838...

. On 3 August, he was detached for a three-month leave; he received an additional leave of three months to visit Milano, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, and on 24 December was ordered to join the Falmouth

USS Falmouth (1827)

USS Falmouth was a sloop of war in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century.Falmouth was launched on 3 November 1827 by Boston Navy Yard, and declared ready for sea 19 January 1828, Commander C. W. Morgan in command....

, then fitting out at New York.

While serving in Falmouth, he received new of his father's death. He returned to New York and was assigned to the receiving ship North Carolina

USS North Carolina (1820)

The first USS North Carolina was a 74-gun ship of the line in the United States Navy.One of the "nine ships to rate not less than 74 guns each" authorized by Congress on 29 April 1816, she was laid down in 1818 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, launched on 7 September 1820, and fitted out in the...

. He served on Lawrence

USS Lawrence (1843)

The second USS Lawrence was a brig in the United States Navy launched by Langley B. Culley at Baltimore, Maryland on 1 August 1843 and commissioned 19 September 1843, Commander William H. Gardner in command....

 before entering the Philadelphia Naval School. On 20 May 1844, Woodworth was warranted a passed midshipman. After six months leave, he reported to the new sloop-of-war

Sloop-of-war

In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...

 Jamestown

USS Jamestown (1844)

The first USS Jamestown was a sloop in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.Jamestown was launched in 1844 by the Gosport Navy Yard, Virginia; and commissioned there on 12 December, with Commander Robert B...

 and served on the coast of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, helping suppress the slave trade. He was transferred to Truxtun

USS Truxtun (1842)

The first USS Truxtun was a brig in the United States Navy. She was named for Commodore Thomas Truxtun, and was an active participant in the Mexican-American War.- The Ship :...

, but detached on 24 November 1845, and granted a three-month leave.

The United States was on the brink of war with Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and Woodworth was assigned to carry dispatches about the Navy's naval participation overland to the Pacific Squadron in Oregon. He set out with two companions from Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

, on 14 May 1846, arriving in Oregon 98 days later.

California pioneer

Woodworth reported to naval authorities at the mouth of the Columbia River, where he remained until 18 January 1847, when he left for San Francisco. Shortly after his arrival news reached the settlement that a group of overland emigrants—the Donner Party

Donner Party

The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...

—was trapped and starving in the Sierra Nevada. Woodworth received permission from his naval superiors to command the rescue efforts and on 7 February, set sail for Sacramento with a load of supplies. Although Woodworth trekked into the mountains with men and provisions, he failed to meet the rescue parties when expected. Donner Party survivors and rescuers regarded him as a braggart who had let them down.
Woodworth arrived back in San Francisco on 1 April 1847 and reported on board sloop-of-war Warren

USS Warren (1827)

The fourth USS Warren was a second-class sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.Warren was built at the Boston Navy Yard between 1825 and 1827 and was commissioned at her builders on 14 January 1827, Master Commandant Lawrence Kearny in command....

 at Monterey Bay, California on 17 May 1847. On 8 October, he requested a leave of absence in order to make a trip across the southern part of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 with permission to join the squadron on the coast of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 or in the United States. Permission was to be granted whenever he could be spared. He left Warren on 16 February 1848 to take command of the bark Anita. From 5 June 1848 until 1850, naval registers carry him as attached to the Pacific Squadron

Pacific Squadron

The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...

; however, no record of him has ever been found.

Woodworth resigned from the Navy in 1849 after being elected as a State Senator representing Monterey.
For a little more than a decade, he lived in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

 and took a prominent part in the development of the state of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. He and his brother, Frederick A. Woodworth

Frederick A. Woodworth

Frederick A. Woodworth, Esq. was a prominent San Francisco businessman, attorney, and member of the Society of California Pioneers and Woodworth political family.-San Francisco:...

, were among the organizers of the vigilance committee, and Selim Woodworth was the group's first President. Woodworth and his sons, along with brothers, were original members of the Society of California Pioneers. Woodworth ran the successful Case, Heiser & Company, a commission merchant business, with his brother. When serving in the first legislature for California, Woodworth is credited as defining the state's policies concerning slavery; he was an abolitionist.

Woodworth and his brother would build the first house in San Francisco situated on a water lot, which would eventually become the Clay Street Market. He owned several properties with his brother, including the lot at Market and Second Street where the Grand Hotel would be built; he was also the first owner and resident of Red Rock Island

Red Rock Island

Red Rock Island is an uninhabited, island in the San Francisco Bay located just south of the Richmond – San Rafael Bridge. The property is the only privately owned island in San Francisco Bay. The boundaries of three counties – San Francisco, Marin and Contra Costa – converge on this high rock...

, where he built a cabin and maintained a hunting preserve.

Mary Ellen Pleasant

Mary Ellen Pleasant

Mary Ellen Pleasant

Mary Ellen Pleasant was a 19th Century female entrepreneur of partial African descent widely known as Mammy Pleasant, who used her fortune to further the abolitionist movement. She worked on the Underground Railroad across many states and then helped bring it to California during the Gold Rush Era...

 was a fugitive slave who worked for Woodworth and his family when she arrived in California. Woodworth's wife, Lisette, would play a crucial role in the landmark civil rights case Pleasant v. North Beach & Mission Railroad Company, where Pleasant was refused service on the San Francisco rail cars. Lisette testified on behalf of her former employee, and lent her credibility as a San Francisco socialite to Pleasant's claim. Pleasant would go on to win the case.

Civil War service

After the outbreak of 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...

, Woodworth returned to the east coast and reentered the Navy on 10 September 1861 as an acting lieutenant. On 13 January 1862, he assumed command of John P. Jackson

USS John P. Jackson (1860)

USS John P. Jackson was a steamship acquired by the United States Navy during the beginning of the American Civil War. She was assigned to the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America. as well as the bombardment of Mississippi River ports.-Commissioned at the New York Navy Yard:John P...

, a former ferry boat, converted to a steam gunboat

Gunboat

A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...

. This vessel was assigned to the Mortar Flotilla raised by Comdr. David D. Porter to support Flag Officer David Farragut

David Farragut

David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...

's conquest of New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 and the lower Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. While in command, he assisted in the capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip

Fort St. Philip

Fort St. Philip is a decommissioned masonry fort located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about up river from its mouth in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana...

 in April and participated in operations around Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...

 in June and July. Porter commended Woodworth for these services, and President

President 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....

 Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

 recommended him to Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 for special thanks. On 29 September 1862, at his own request, he was detached from command of John P. Jackson and allowed to return to the North. Later that autumn, he was assigned to the Mississippi Squadron and reported at Cairo, Illinois

Cairo, Illinois

Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...

, for duty.

On 1 January 1863, he was given command of the "tinclad," stern-wheel steamer, Glide

USS Glide (1862)

The first USS Glide was a sternwheel tinclad gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.Glide originally built in Shousetown, Pennsylvania in 1862 and purchased by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 17 November 1862. She was taken to Cairo, Illinois...

. On 24 January, Porter—now a Rear Admiral—recommended Woodworth for appointment to the regular Navy. Woodworth was commissioned a commander in April 1863, to date from 16 July 1862. After Glide was burned, he commanded the ram General Price

Laurent Millaudon

Laurent Millaudon was a wooden side-wheel river steamboat launched at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1856 operating in the New Orleans, Louisiana area, and captained by W.S. Whann. At the beginning of the American Civil War she was taken into service by the Confederate Navy as CSS General Sterling Price. On...

 from 7 February 1863 through August. After months of commendable fighting up and down the Mississippi River, Comdr. Woodworth was detached from General Price and sent to the Pacific where he took command of the bark

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

 Narragansett on 7 October 1863. After having brought Narragansett around the Horn

Cape Horn

Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...

, he arrived in New York on 18 March 1865. Monocacy

USS Monocacy (1864)

-External links:*...

, a double-ended gunboat, was his last command, which he assumed on 30 November 1865.

Later years and legacy

Comdr. Selim E. Woodworth resigned from the Navy on 2 March 1866 and returned to San Francisco, where he resided with his family until his death in 1871.

Marriage and family

Woodworth married Lisette, by whom he had six children:

• Selim II, a graduate of the Naval Academy who served until his death; married a daughter of California pioneer and assemblyman James S. Wethered
• Frederick, who attended the Naval Academy but was suspended for hazing
• Benjamin
• William
• Lydia
• Samuel

After Woodworth's death in 1871, Lisette married Erasmus Dennison, son of Gov. William Dennison, Jr.