PENNOCK. Alexander
Mosely, naval officer, b. in Norfolk, Va., 1 Nov., 1813; d. in Portsmouth.
N. H., 20 Sept., 1876. He was appointed to the navy from Tennessee on 1 April,
1828, served on the frigate “Guerriere,” in the Pacific squadron, in 1829-’30,
and on the sloop “Natchez,” in the Brazil squadron, in 1834. He was promoted
lieutenant. 25 March, 1889, was light-house inspector in 1853-’6, and on 15
Dec., 1855, was commissioned commander. He was on special duty connected with
the steam frigate “Niagara” in 1857, commanded the steamer “Southern Star,” of
the Brazil squadron, and in the Paraguay expedition in 1859-’60, and was again
detailed as light-house inspector in 1861. In the last-named year Commander
Pennock was ordered to duty as fleet captain of the Mississippi squadron, where
he remained till the autumn of 1864, gaining a reputation for executive ability
of a high order. He was commissioned captain, 2 Jan., 1863, in 1866-’7 was on
duty at the Brooklyn navy-yard, and in 1868 was appointed to the frigate “Franklin,”
then Farragut's flag-ship, of the European squadron. He was commissioned
commodore, 6 May. 1868, and in 1869 was in charge of the European squadron. He
was promoted to rear-admiral in 1872.
SOURCE: James Grant Wilson & John Fiske, Editors, Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography,
Volume 4, p. 718
