- John G. Sproston
John Glendy Sproston (
14 August 1828 –8 June 1862 ) was an officer in theUnited States Navy during the Civil War. He was killed in action in a riverine action in Florida.John G. Sproston was born in
Maryland . He was the eldest son of George Saxon Sproston, a U.S. naval surgeon, and Jane Glendy, a daughter of the Rev John Glendy, formerChaplain of the United States Senate . [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Esprostonfamily/4009.htmSproston Proston family] ] He was appointed to the Naval Academy in 1846. He subsequently served with thePacific Squadron during the war with Mexico. In 1854, Sproston voyaged to Japan with the Perry (Matthew Calbraith Perry ) Expedition.During the Civil War, he served as commanding officer of "Powhatan" and as executive officer of "Seneca". On
1 November ,1861 , during theBattle of Port Royal , Sproston personally fired many of the 11-inch guns on board "Seneca" as the crew was new and untrained. Lt. Sproston was killed on8 June ,1862 , while on a boat expedition to destroy a Confederateprivateer in theSt. John's River in Florida.USS "Sproston" (DD-173) and USS "Sproston" (DD-577) were named for him.
Both John Sproston and his father are buried in
Green Mount Cemetery inBaltimore, Maryland . [Details of Sproston's parentage and the location of his grave can be found in the introduction to his memoirs, "A Private Journal of John Glendy Sproston, U.S.N.", first published in 1940. These were written during his voyage to Japan with the Perry Expedition in 1854.]Notes
References
*DANFS
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