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HENRY A. PHELON
[from: History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. 1879. v.2]
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Henry A. Phelon was born in Nantucket, Mass., Oct. 12, 1831. His paternal grandfather, Henry Phelon, was among those who early settled at Feeding Hills, Hampden Co., Mass., and was a very successful farmer. His father, Henry Phelon, Jr., was born at Feeding Hills, in 1799. When but a boy he left the paternal roof and went to Nantucket, and with a seeming natural desire for a seafaring life, and an ambition to know something of the world, he engaged in the whale-fishery. For twenty-one years he was in the employ of Starbuck Brothers, working his way up from the humble position of sailor to be commander of some or the finest ships that ever left that port. In 1841 he retired from the sea, and bought a small farm in West Springfield, Mass., where he lived for seven years, and became one of the prominent men of the town, taking an active interest in all that pertained to the welfare of his fellow-men, and being elected to represent them in the State Legislature. In 1848 he was prevailed upon by Swifts & Nye, of New Bedford, to became part owner and take command of the ship Ploughboy for a whaling voyage, and with his son (the subject of this narrative), then seventeen years of age, sailed for the Pacific Ocean on a four years' voyage; but in the fall of 1849 the vessel was wrecked off the coast of Peru, South America, and the crew picked up by a Spanish catamaran and taken to Guayaquil. This ended the father's seagoing life. He returned to West Springfield, and died in the year 1851. The mother, Mary Ann (Folger) Phelon, was a lineal descendant on her mother's side of Thomas Macy, who was the first white settler on Nantucket Island, in 1659. He was dwelliing in Salisbury, Mass., when a fine of five dollars an hour was imposed on him for entertaining two Quakers a day and a night. He preferred the society of the Indians (some three thousand of whom, dwelt then upon Nantucket) to such foolish laws. He died in 1682. His wife, Sarah Hopcott, of Chelmarth, England, died in 1706, aged ninety-four. On her father's side the Folgers were a numerous race. Peter Folger, the grandfather of Benjamin Franklin, was invited to Nantucket Island. in 1663, to act as miller, weaver, and interpreter with the Indians, and there the mother of Franklin was born. His mother died Feb. 4, 1875. Captain Phelon first went to sea with his father, the late Captain Henry Phelon, in 1848, but the father's last expedition was only the beginning of ocean life with the son. Upon his return from Peru, he was still attracted to lead a seafaring life. The calm of his rural home was more galling than the stormy sea, and accordingly, in 1850, he embarked as a sailor on a voyage for Europe, and for nearly ten years Captain Phelon was on whaling voyages, in the merchant service, and coasting, visiting almost every portion of the world, and sailing twice around the globe. He rose from a subordinate station to the highest in command. When the war of the Rebellion broke out, Captain Phelon made haste to offer his services to his country, and in February, 1862, he was commissioned as acting master in the United States navy, and served as executive officer of the U. S. S. Victoria and Commodore Perry, and was subsequently placed In command of the gunboat Shawsheen, which was destroyed in the advance up the James River. She received a shot in her boiler, which exploded, and Captain Phelon and many of his officers were supposed to be killed. The press thus eulogized him: "He was regarded as one of the best officers of the navy; a braver man never trod the quarter-deck, and his unusual social qualities made him the favorite of all who knew him." Subsequently, he was executive officer of the iron-clad Atlanta, and in July, 1864, took command of the U. S. S. Monticello, under S. P. Lee, acting rear-admiral, commanding N. A. B. Squadron. It was during his command of this war vessel that Captain Phelon, while cruising off "New Inlet," N. C., in the night, discovered the rebel gunboat "Tallahassee" standing for the shore under a full head of steam. After a challenge and no reply, Captain Phelon opened upon the mysterious vessel with shell, and grape, and after a short but sharp contest the rebel gunboat disappeared, but was seen the next morning lying serenely under the guns of Fort Fisher, having escaped notwithstanding the vigorous lookout of the blockading fleet. Upon this occasion, Captain Phelon was noticed as follows: "To Captain Phelon all honor is due; to him belongs the credit of first engaging the rival of the destroyed Alabama." Soon after he took command of the U. S. S. Daylight, which he continued to command until the close of the war. He was complimented a number of time's by the commanding officers of the squadron. Commodore Davenport, in writing to Admiral Lee, says: "I desire to call your attention to the zealous and very efficient manner in which he has performed his duties while here. He has made a number of very important captures of rebels, and his good conduct generally recommends him to your most favorable consideration." At the close of the war Captain Phelon returned to West Springfield, and was married, June 13, 1864, to Miss Josephine, daughter of C. C. Brand, of Norwich, Conn., who was the inventor of the whaling "bomb-lance"). He was a merchant and postmaster at West Springfield from 1867 to 1876, and in the year 1877 he was appointed to a position in the custom-house at Boston, which he now holds. He has only one brother living, Charles I. Phelon, who has also seen much of the world, his business for the past fifteen years having called him to every city and town of importance on this continent. The two brothers still own and have their home under the old paternal roof. |
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Source.
History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.
This transcription was made from the volume at Hathi Trust.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Jul 14, 2023
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