Samuel Francis Du Pont

Biography

Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, born in 1803, was a pioneering naval officer whose mastery of gunnery and leadership of squadrons helped modernize the United States Navy in the decades before the Civil War.

During the war he commanded the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, oversaw critical operations along the Confederate coast, and inspired sailors with his composure until his passing in 1865, leaving behind a stronger, more disciplined service.