Robert Townsend | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Robert_Townsend_(Captain).jpg) Captain Robert Townsend circa 1865 | |
| Born | October 21, 1819 Albany, New York |
| Died | August 15, 1866 (aged 46) Yangtze River, China |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United StatesUnion |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1837–1851 1861–1866 |
| Rank | &sq=&lang=&file=File:U.S._Navy_captain_rank_insignia_(1864-1866).png){kind=icon} Captain |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | Mexican–American War |
Captain Robert Townsend (October 21, 1819 – August 15, 1866) was a Civil War-era ship captain in the United States Navy. He served twice, once before the war then again during the war. He saw active combat while serving aboard three ships, most notably as commander of the USS Essex from 1863 to 1864, an ironclad gunship on the Mississippi River. Captain Townsend died of heatstroke while commanding the USS Wachusett in China in 1866, and is buried in Albany, New York.