John P. Bankhead
| John P. Bankhead | |
|---|---|
Commander John P. Bankhead
|
|
| Nickname(s) | J.P. |
| Born |
August 3, 1821 Fort Johnson, James Island (South Carolina) |
| Died | April 27, 1867 (aged 45) At sea |
| Place of burial | Unknown |
| Allegiance |
 United StatesUnion |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Union Navy
|
| Years of service | 1838–1867 |
| Rank |
.png){kind=icon} Captain
|
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars |
Mexican–American War American Civil War |
John Pyne Bankhead (1821–1867) was an officer in the United States Navy who served during the American Civil War, and was in command of the ironclad USS Monitor when it sank in 1862. He went on to command three other ships.
John Payne Bankhead was born on August 3, 1821, at Fort Johnson on James Island, South Carolina. His father was General James Bankhead, a brigadier general who distinguished himself in the Mexican–American War. His mother was Ann Smith Pyne. Bankhead's family were prominent citizens from both Virginia and South Carolina. As the Civil War approached secession badly divided his family as it did with so many others in these states. Bankhead's two brothers, Henry C., a regular army officer who also sided with the Union and Smith Pyne, a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee, who joined the Confederate army became a colonel. Major General John Bankhead Magruder was a cousin who left the Union and served under the Confederate flag.
Bankhead entered the navy in August 1838 at the age of 17. His first ship was the frigate Macedonian, and his early career was spent with the Coast Survey in the Carolinas. He was promoted to passed midshipman on 20 May 1844. While in Vera Cruz during the Mexican–American War, Bankhead served under his father. He was later promoted to master on 8 May 1851 and lieutenant on 7 April 1852.
After the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter and President Lincoln's declaration of a blockade, Bankhead was ordered to USS Susquehanna, a side-wheel steamer carrying fifteen guns launched in 1850. In August Susquahanna participated in the joint army-navy expedition to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. On August 28 the Union naval force, including Susquahanna, bombarded the forts guarding Hatteras Inlet as troops landed. The following day the bombardment continued until the forts finally surrendered. Bankhead criticized the way the attacks were carried out and later wrote Captain Gustavus Fox, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and an old shipmate, that the forts could have been taken in much less time:
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