George P. Upshur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northampton County, Virginia, U.S.
USS Levant
George P. Upshur | |
|---|---|
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| Birth name | George Parker Upshur |
| Born | March 8, 1799 Northampton County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 3, 1852 (aged 53) USS Levant |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1818-1852 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands | United States Navy |
| Battles / wars | Mexican American War |
George Parker Upshur (8 March 1799 – 3 November 1852) was a career officer in the United States Navy and superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy (1847–1850).[1]
Born in Northampton County, Virginia, among the dozen children borne to plantation owner and politician Littleton Upshur. His elder brother Abel P. Upshur inherited the family plantation and continued their father's political involvement, also serving in the Virginia House of Delegates and dying during a demonstration accident as U.S. Secretary of the Navy in 1842. His nephew John Henry Upshur (1823–1889) also became a career naval officer, and rose to the rank of rear admiral. As a midshipman, J.H. Upshur participated in the Mexican American War, despite his family's generations of slave ownership, served on a frigate which helped suppress the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1855, and remained loyal to the Union during the U.S. Civil War, during which he took part in engagements at Fort Fisher as well as participated in the blockading squadron.