page_title: John Ericsson
section_title: Death and ensuing controversy
hierarchical_section_title: John Ericsson / Death and ensuing controversy
caption_attribution_description: English: It depicts USS Baltimore (Cruiser # 3) departing New York Harbor to return the remains of John Ericsson to his native Sweden. Note the Swedish ensign flying from the ship's foremast.
context_page_description: John Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
  Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty, which competed in the Rainhill Trials on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which were won by inventor George Stephenson's, Rocket. In North America, he designed the United States Navy's first screw-propelled steam-frigate USS Princeton, in partnership with Captain Robert F. Stockton, who unjustly blamed him for a fatal accident. A new partnership with Cornelius H. DeLamater, of the DeLamater Iron Works in New York City resulted in the first armoured ironclad warship equipped with a rotating gun turret, USS Monitor, which dramatically saved the U.S. naval blockading squadron from destruction by an ironclad Confederate States naval vessel, CSS Virginia, at the famous Battle of Hampton Roads at the southern mouth of Chesapeake Bay in March 1862, during the American Civil War.
context_section_description: Ericsson died on March 8, 1889, the anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads, in which his Monitor famously played a central role.
  His wish to be buried in his native land sparked a series of articles in the New York Times alleging that, by selecting the third-rate USS Essex (1874) to transport his remains, the US Navy was not paying proper respect to Ericsson. The Navy responded and sent the remains on the USS Baltimore, escorted by other ships such as USS Nantucket. On August 23, 1890, the fleet departed with a twenty-one gun salute and the Swedish flag hoisted on every ship of the squadron.  Captain Joseph Henderson was allotted the task to take the cruiser Baltimore safely out to sea. Around 100,000 people turned out for the funeral procession and departure ceremonies, including several veterans of the USS Monitor.
  His final resting place is at Filipstad in Värmland, Sweden.
caption: The White Squadron's Farewell Salute to the Body of John Ericsson, New York Bay, August 23, 1890
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