George H. Perkins was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire in 1836. During the American Civil War, he served in the United States Navy as a naval officer. Serving under David Farragut, he was noted for his involvement in the Capture of New Orleans and the Battle of Mobile Bay, prompting Farragut to refer to Perkins as "the bravest man that ever trod the deck of a ship". He died on October 28, 1899.