Sir Alexander Milne , 1st Baronet Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne , 1st Baronet , GCB ( 10 November 1806 – 29 December 1896 ) was a Royal Navy officer . As a captain on the North America and West Indies Station he was employed capturing slave - traders and carrying out fishery protection duties . He served as a Junior Naval Lord under both Liberal and Conservative administrations and was put in charge of organising British and French transports during the Crimean War . He became Commander - in - Chief , North America and West Indies Station and in this role he acted with diplomacy , especially in response to the Trent Affair on 8 November 1861 during the American Civil War , when the USS " San Jacinto " , commanded by Union Captain Charles Wilkes , intercepted the British mail packet RMS " Trent " and removed , as contraband of war , two Confederate diplomats , James Mason and John Slidell . He became First Naval Lord in the Third Derby ministry in July 1866 and in this role took advantage of the Government ' s focus on spending reduction to ask fundamental questions about naval strategy . He again became First Naval Lord in the First Gladstone ministry in November 1872 , remaining in office under the Second Disraeli ministry and identifying the critical need for trade protection at times of War and demanding new cruiser s to protect British merchant shipping . Naval career . Born the second son of the Admiral Sir David Milne and Grace Milne ( daughter of Sir Alexander Purves , Bt ) , Milne joined the Royal Navy in February 1817 . After initial training at the Royal Navy College at Portsmouth he joined his father ' s flagship , the fourth - rate HMS " Leander " , on the North American Station in 1819 . Over the next few years he served in the sixth - rate HMS " Conway " , third - rate HMS " Ramillies " , second - rate HMS " Ganges " and third - rate HMS " Albion " . He became an acting lieutenant in the sloop HMS " Cadmus " on the coast of Brazil in June 1827 and was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant on 8 September 1827 . Promoted to commander on 25 November 1830 , he joined the sloop HMS " Snake " on the West Indies Station in December 1836 and was employed capturing slave - traders . Promoted to captain on 30 January 1839 , Milne was given command of the sixth - rate HMS " Crocodile " on the North America and West Indies Station and employed carrying out fishery protection duties before becoming Captain of the sixth - rate HMS " Cleopatra " also on the North America and West Indies Station in November 1840 . In HMS " Cleopatra " he was employed both capturing slave - traders and carrying out fishery protection duties . He became Flag - captain in the first - rate HMS " Caledonia " to his father , who was then serving as Commander - in - Chief , Plymouth , in April 1842 and Flag - captain in the first - rate HMS " St Vincent " to Sir Charles Ogle , who was then serving as Commander - in - Chief , Portsmouth , in October 1846 . Milne became Fourth Naval Lord in the First Russell ministry in December 1847 , Fifth Naval Lord in the First Derby ministry in March 1852 and Fourth Naval Lord in the Aberdeen ministry in January 1853 , when he was put in charge of organising British and French transports during the Crimean War . He became Third Naval Lord in the First Palmerston ministry in November 1857 and , having been promoted to rear - admiral on 20 January 1858 and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( Civil ) on 20 December 1858 , he became Fourth Naval Lord in the Second Derby ministry in April 1859 . During his service at the Admiralty from December 1847 to June 1859 he served under four different First Lords of the Admiralty in three Liberal and two Conservative administrations . Milne became Commander - in - Chief , North America and West Indies Station , hoisting his flag in the second - rate HMS " Nile " , in January 1860 : in this role he acted with diplomacy , especially in response to the Trent Affair on 8 November 1861 during the American Civil War , when the USS " San Jacinto " , commanded by Union Captain Charles Wilkes , intercepted the British mail packet RMS " Trent " and removed , as contraband of war , two Confederate diplomats , James Mason and John Slidell . Milne was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( Military ) on 25 February 1864 and promoted to vice - admiral on 13 April 1865 . Milne became First Naval Lord in the Third Derby ministry in July 1866 and in this role took advantage of the Government ' s focus on spending reduction to ask fundamental questions about naval strategy . He remained in office until the Third Derby ministry fell from power 18 months later . He became Commander - in - Chief , Mediterranean , hoisting his flag in the battleship HMS " Lord Warden " , in April 1869 . He was promoted to full admiral on 1 April 1870 and advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 20 May 1871 . He again became First Naval Lord in the First Gladstone ministry in November 1872 , remaining in office under the Second Disraeli ministry and identifying the critical need for trade protection at times of War and demanding new cruiser s to protect British merchant shipping . He retired from office in September 1876 and was created a Baronet on 26 October 1876 . In retirement he chaired a Royal Commission on the defence of British possessions and commerce abroad . Promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 10 June 1881 , he lived at Inveresk House in Inveresk where he died from pneumonia on 29 December 1896 . He was buried in Inveresk churchyard on 2 January 1897 . Family . In 1850 he married Euphemia Cochran ; they had two daughters and one son .