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Adapted from "Commander George Mifflin Bache, United States Navy, Deceased"  [biography, dated 13 March 1952] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

 
Topic
  • Operations
  • DANFS (Dictionary of American Fighting Ships)
  • Boats-Ships--Destroyer
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • Civil War 1861-1865
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

George Mifflin Bache

 

 

12 November 1840 – 11 February 1896

 

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Born in Washington, DC, on November 12, 1840, Commander George Mifflin Bache died there on February 11, 1896.

He entered the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, by appointment from Pennsylvania on November 19, 1857.  During the Civil War 1861-62, he was attached to the sloop Jamestown, and the steam sloop Powhattan.  Thereafter he commanded the ironclad Cincinnati in the Mississippi Squadron, 1862-63, taking part in engagements at Haines Bluff, and with the Vicksburg batteries on March 1863, and on May 27, 1863.  The Cincinnati was sunk in the latter engagement.  He was commended by Rear Admiral Porter for his meritorious conduct in that battle, and was praised by General Sherman who witnessed the battle, and received the thanks for the Navy Department.

During the remainder of the war, he commanded the gunboat Lexington, a Mississippi Squadron vessel, 1863-64.  He became Executive Officer of the Powhattan, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, in 1864, and participated in both attacks on Fort Fisher and led one of the divisions of the naval assault on the works during which he was wounded.

The two years 1865-67, he was second mate in the sloop Sacramento, on a special service cruise to the Orient, ending in the wrecking of the Sacramento in the Bay of Bengal.  After a tour at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where the Juniata was being fitted out, he served in that steam sloop in the European Squadron, 1869-72.

Three years of duty at the Washington Navy Yard in the Ordnance Department, was followed by his retirement from the Naval Service in 1875.

The USS Bache (DD470) was so named in his memory.  Built by the Navy Yard, New York, the Bache was launched July 27, 1942, when the daughter of Commander Bache, Miss Louise Franklin Bache of New Rochelle, New York, acted as sponsor.  That destroyer was commissioned in the US Navy in November, 1942.

 

END

Published: Wed Jul 29 07:54:47 EDT 2020