Simon F. Blunt

Simon Fraser Blunt
Born August 1, 1818
Southampton County, Virginia
Died April 27, 1854
Baltimore, Maryland
Occupation Naval Captain
Spouse(s) Ellen Lloyd Key

Simon Fraser Blunt was a member of the Wilkes Expedition, the Pacific Coast Survey and was Captain of the SS Winfield Scott. Two Geographic features, Blunt Cove and Point Blunt are named for him.

Wilkes Expedition

In 1838, Blunt was assigned to the USS Porpoise,[1] and passed midshipman on June 23.[2] before the ship joined the Wilkes Expedition in early August. In March, 1839, at Orange Bay he transferred to the USS Vincennes.[3] On January 16, 1840, the expedition sailed close enough to Antarctica to see the actual continent;[4] Blunt Cove is named for him.[5] Blunt took sick in April, 1841 in Honolulu,[3] possibly from participating in the trip to the summit of Mauna Loa Volcano.[6] The Expedition reached Oregon on April 28, and later to San Francisco Bay, where Point Blunt on Angel Island is named for him.[7] He was promoted to Lieutenant on July 28, 1842,[2] a few weeks after the expedition had arrived back in New York.

USS Truxtun

in 1844-45, Blunt was assigned to the USS Truxtun in activities off the coast of Liberia.[8]

Marriage

On January 27, 1846, Blunt married Ellen Lloyd Key, daughter of Francis Scott Key, in Washington D.C. They had three children: Alice Key (1847–1927); John Yell Mason (1848- ); and Mary Lloyd (1850- ).[9]

Pacific Coast Survey

In 1849, Blunt was appointed to the Pacific Coast Survey[7] to which two ships, the USS Massachusettes and U.S.S. Ewing were assigned. During this duty, he assisted in the creation of two charts:[10]

Winfield Scott

Upon completion of the Coast Survey, Blunt remained in California. He drew a lithograph, View of Benicia from the anchorage east of Seal Island (1852)[11]

On December 1, 1853, Blunt was the Captain of the SS Winfield Scott when it ran aground off the shores of Anacapa Island. After seeing to the rescue of the passengers and salvage of the mail and cargo, he continued to "Atlantic States on a visit to his family and for the purpose of representing in person, the loss of the steamer of which he formerly had commanded." While there, he died in Baltimore on April 27, 1854. A collection of his letters are archived at the Virginia Historical Society[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Follow the U.S. Exploring Expedition". A Smithsonian Libraries Digital Collection. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  2. 1 2 List of officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps, from 1775 to 1900: comprising a complete register of all present and former commissioned, warranted, and appointed officers of the United States Navy, and of the Marine Corps, regular and volunteer. Comp. from the official records of the Navy Department. L.R. Hamersly & Co.,. 1901. p. 63.
  3. 1 2 "Follow the U.S. Exploring Expedition". A Smithsonian Libraries Digital Collection. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ Stanton, William Ragan (1975). The Great United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. University of California Press. p. 156. ISBN 0520025571.
  5. ↑ http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/antname.php?uni=1564&fid=antgeo_103
  6. ↑ http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/74000295.pdf
  7. 1 2 http://www.nps.gov/alca/photosmultimedia/upload/TheRock-web.pdf
  8. ↑ United States Nautical Magazine, Volume 2. Saxton and Miles. 1845. p. 255.
  9. ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=27045695
  10. ↑ http://islapedia.com/index.php?title=BLUNT,_Simon_Frazier
  11. ↑ http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/nu4kp8
  12. ↑ http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/how-we-can-help-your-research/researcher-resources/guides-researchers-2--1
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