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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Boggs, Charles S.
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Boggs, Charles S.

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Rear Admiral, USN, (1811-1877)

Charles Stuart Boggs was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 28 January 1811. He was appointed a U.S. Navy Midshipman in November 1826 and was assigned to the Boston Navy Yard until 1830, when he began two years at sea on board the brig Porpoise. For the rest of the 1830s and the 1840s he had duties ashore and afloat, receiving his commission as Lieutenant in 1837, while serving in the ship of the line North Carolina. He was an officer in the steamer Princeton during the Mexican War and executive officer of the frigate St. Lawrence in 1851. Promoted to the rank of Commander in 1855, Boggs commanded two mail steamers during the next four years and was a light house inspector at San Francisco California in 1860-1861.


In December 1861 Boggs was given command of the gunboat Varuna, fighting her with distinction during the attack on New Orleans the following April. Receiving his Captain's commission in July 1862, during the rest of the Civil War he was commanding officer of the steam sloops Juniata and Sacramento, with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, the steam cruiser Connecticut in the West Indies, and had special duty at the New York Navy Yard.


In 1866-1868 Boggs commanded the steamer DeSoto. As a Commodore, he had another tour of light house inspection service in 1869-1870, receiving promotion to Rear Admiral during this time. His final seagoing service was as commander of the European Fleet in 1871. Retired in January 1872, he remained on duty as Secretary of the Light House Board until mid-1873. Rear Admiral Charles S. Boggs died at New Brunswick, N.J., on 22 April 1877.


USS Boggs (Destroyer # 136, later DD-136, IX-36, AG-19, DMS-3 and AG-19), 1918-1946, was named in honor of Charles S. Boggs.


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