Napoleon B. Harrison

Napoleon Bonaparte Harrison (19 February 1823 – 27 October 1870) was an officer of the United States Navy who served during the Mexican-American and Civil War.

Harrison was born in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia), and was appointed a midshipman on February 26, 1838, and received promotion to passed midshipman on May 20, 1844.

Serving in California during the Mexican War in Portsmouth, he was a volunteer in the expedition to rescue General Philip Kearny's command, and spent five days en route from San Francisco to Monterey in a small boat carrying despatches.

He was promoted to master on April 2, 1852, and then to lieutenant on January 6, 1853.

In April 1862, Harrison commanded the gunboat Cayuga at the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, leading the battle line past the forts and up the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Harrison was promoted to commander on July 16, 1862. He later commanded the gunboat Mahaska in the James River Flotilla, the frigate Minnesota in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and various ships in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. After the fall of Charleston in 1865, Harrison served at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.

Following the Civil War, he taught at the Naval Academy. He was promoted to captain on April 28, 1868, and served as Commandant of Midshipmen in 1868-1870, before taking command of his last ship, the sloop Congress.

Captain Harrison died October 27, 1870 at Key West, Florida.

In 1943, the destroyer USS Harrison (DD-573) was named in his honor.