Thomas Macdonough | |
|---|---|
 Captain Thomas Macdonough, USN "The Hero of Lake Champlain" (Gilbert Stuart) | |
| Born | December 30, 1783 The Trap, New Castle County, Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 1825 (aged 41) At sea aboard USS Edwin, near Gibraltar |
| Place of burial | Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1800–1810; 1812–1825 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands |
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| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal |
| Relations |
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Thomas Macdonough, Jr. (December 31, 1783 – November 10, 1825) was a United States Navy officer noted for his roles in the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Macdonough, Sr. who lived near Middletown, Delaware. He was the sixth child from a family of ten siblings and was raised in the countryside. He entered naval life at an early age, receiving a midshipman's commission at the age of sixteen.[1]
Serving with Stephen Decatur at Tripoli, he was a member of "Preble's Boys", a select group of U.S. naval officers who served under the command of Commodore Preble during the First Barbary War. Macdonough achieved fame during the War of 1812, commanding the American naval forces that overpowered a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Champlain, part of the larger Battle of Plattsburgh, which helped lead to an end to that war.[2]
- ^ Lewis, 1924 p.163
- ^ Skaggs, 2006 pp.62-64