ADMIRAL GHERARDI

Rear Admiral Bancroft Gherardi, USN (1832-1903) Bancroft Gherardi was born on 10 November 1832 at Jackson, Louisiana. He was appointed an Acting Midshipman in June 1846 and served in several ships during the next six years, as well as attending the U.S. Naval Academy during some of this time. Passed Midshipman Gherardi next was an officer of the sloop of war Saint Louis in the Mediterranean in 1852-1855. Advanced to the rank of Lieutenant in September 1855, he was assigned to the sloop of war Saratoga in 1855-1857, the steam frigate Niagara in 1858, the screw sloop Lancaster in the Pacific in 1859-1861 and had shore duty at the Naval Rendezvous at Boston on two occasions during the later 1850s. The Civil War began while Lieutenant Gherardi was in the Pacific and, soon after returning to the East Coast in mid-1861, he began nearly two years' service in the gunboat Chippewa and the screw sloop Mohican, receiving promotion to Lieutenant Commander during this time. While in the Gulf of Mexico beginning in August 1863 he commanded the gunboats Chocura, John P. Jackson and Port Royal, remaining in the Gulf in the latter until February 1866, many months after the war's end. During the rest of the 1860s, Commander Gherardi served in Washington, D.C., at the Naval Observatory and the Hydrographic Office, was stationed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and commanded the gunboat Tahoma off Mexico. He returned to the Pacific in late 1870 as Commanding Officer of the sloop of war Jamestown and during 1871-1874 commanded the receiving ship Independence at the Mare Island Navy Yard. In 1875-1876 Captain Gherardi commanded the North Pacific Station flagship, USS Pennsacola. His next command was the receiving ship Colorado at the New York Navy Yard in 1878-1881. During 1881-1883 he was Commanding Officer of the European Station's flagship, USS Lancaster. Promoted to Commodore in November 1884, he was a member of the Naval Examining and Retirement Boards, served as President of the former, and was Governor of the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia. In October 1886 he became Commandant of the New York Navy Yard, receiving the rank of Rear Admiral in August 1887, while holding that position. In 1889-1892 Gherardi commanded the North Atlantic Station, followed by command of two Naval Review fleets in 1892-1893. Rear Admiral Gherardi's active career concluded with a return to the New York Navy Yard as Commandant in 1893-1894. He retired in November 1894 and died at Stratford, Connecticut, on 10 December 1903. TAKEN from www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/b-gherdi.htm