Oliver S . Glisson Oliver Spencer Glisson [ – ] was a rear admiral of the United States Navy who served during the Mexican – American War and the American Civil War . Childhood . Glisson was born to parents Thomas Glisson [ – ] and Rebecca Runyan Glisson [ – ] near Mount Pleasant , Ohio ( Mount Healthy since 1850 ) in Hamilton County , the second of ten children . The family relocated to a farm east of Brookville , Indiana in neighboring Franklin county around 1817 . To attend school , Glisson lived at the Brookville home of Dr . David Oliver . After Glisson entered the U . S . Navy , his family moved back to Hamilton County , Ohio on a farm located in Colerain Township around 1828 . Naval career ( 1826 – 1844 ) . Glisson was recruited from Indiana as a midshipman on . Among his sponsors were Senator James Noble , Governor James Ray , Judge John Test and Indiana Supreme Court Judge John T . McKinney . Glisson ' s first cruise was aboard the corvette in the West Indies Squadron during 1827 – 28 . He transferred within the squadron to the sloop - of - war 1829 – 30 and then the schooner 1831 – 32 . Promoted to passed midshipman on , Glisson was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron 1832 – 35 aboard the ship of the line . Launching from Hampton Roads on , the first port of call was New York Harbor to pick up Edward Livingston , minister plenipotentiary to France . After landing Livingston at Cherbourg Harbour , the ship proceeded to the Mediterranean Sea . Two crew members published a book detailing the ports which the ship called until their arrival at Port Mahon on . In 1836 while performing land duty in the Norfolk Navy Yard , Glisson married Pamela Parker and took up residence . On , he was promoted to lieutenant and served as a recruiter during the Norfolk Rendezvous 1837 – 38 . Glisson was sent to the Brazil Squadron aboard the sloop - of - war 1839 – 42 . Returned to the West India Squadron , he sailed on the sloop - of - war 1843 – 44 . The sloop - of - war carried him during patrol of the South American coast for another tour in the Brazil Squadron 1845 – 46 . Naval career ( 1845 – 1860 ) . During the Mexican – American War he was given his first command , the pilot schooner in the Home Squadron . For the duration of the war , Glisson sailed the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico ' s east coast . At the end of naval fighting in June 1847 , Reefer and her sister ships settled down to blockade duty and maintained both water lines of supply and communication for the Army . After the war from 1848 through 1850 , he served in the Norfolk Navy Yard again and then was granted permission to take special duty between 1851 and 1852 . Glisson was attached to the steam frigate in 1853 for a tour with the East India Squadron . Until 1855 , he participated in the Japan Expedition and was in Japan when the first treaty was signed by Commodore Matthew Perry . Promoted to commander on , he remained with the East India Squadron commanding the store ship through 1856 . Returning to the United States for land assignment , Glisson spent 1857 – 60 based at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum . Naval career ( 1861 – 1865 ) . At the commencement of the American Civil War , Glisson was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in which he remained until the close of the war . On , he took charge of the borrowed , monitoring the Aquia Creek vicinity to intercept trade across the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland . Next , Glisson received command of the steamer to patrol the $ 3 coast in and off the Rappahannock River . On , Glisson rescued six refugee slaves found hiding on Stingray Point Light . The slaves had escaped the Confederate Army which was forcing them to the front as human shields during battles . Glisson requested authorization from Silas Stringham , the commander of the Atlantic Blocking Squadron , who in turn relayed the request to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles . Even before Stringham wrote Welles , Glisson reported on he had picked up three more slaves , claiming they would be killed if they were returned . Welles responded " It is not the policy of the Government to invite or encourage this class of desertions , and yet , under the circumstances , no other course than that pursued by Commander Glisson could be adopted without violating every principle of humanity . " Under the cover of night on , Glisson approached an unmanned light - boat , which had previously been stationed as a beacon off of Frying Pan Shoals . It was anchored under the guns of Fort Caswell to be outfitted with armaments for its new function to defend the fort . A detachment of volunteers from the crew set the light - boat afire and suffered no casualties despite heavy gunfire from the fort during their withdrawal . The transport , which was bound for the offensive to capture New Orleans with General Benjamin Butler ' s expedition of 1 , 500 men , was run up onto the Frying Pan Shoals the morning of . Dropping achor confirmed the " Mississippi " , with a draft of , was in of water . Meanwhile the ship forged onto a fluke of the anchor punching a hole through the hull about square . Although the sea was calm and the fore compartment was sealed , danger of break up or capsize was imminent . It would have taken days to land the troops using the ship ' s boats and the shore was hostile territory . Glisson , in the " Mount Vernon " , happened upon the ship and began rescue operations by tying off a hawser to pull the ship free . 300 troops were offloaded onto the " Mount Vernon " , munitions and food were thrown overboard , pumps were manned , the engines worked at full speed and troops ran back and forth between stern and bow to rock the boat free . But the " Mississippi " remained fast until just after sundown as the high tide finally lifted the ship enough to pull free , preventing a catastrophe and allowing the " Mississippi " to resume its course after repairs to the hull . Glisson took command of steam sloops of war , the in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and then the from the latter part of 1862 through 1864 . He was promoted to captain . The " Mohican " , stationed at the Cape de Verde Islands for six months , took part in the chase of the CSS Alabama . Relocating to Bahia , Glisson learned they had just missed the " Alabama " by twenty – four hours . While at the island of Fernando de Noronha Glisson saved the crew of a French vessel , for which he received the thanks of the French government . Glisson helmed the steamer from 1864 through 1865 . His actions in the first and second attacks on Fort Fisher earned him a promotion recommendation from Admiral David Porter . Naval career ( 1866 – 1871 ) . On , Glisson was commissioned as commodore and oversaw the station at League Island , Philadelphia from 1867 – 69 . He was appointed rear admiral and ordered to the command of the European Squadron just as the Franco - Prussian War had commenced . Arriving at Flushing , Netherlands with his wife , Glisson relieved his predecessor , Rear Admiral William Radford and hoisted his pennant above his flag ship , the steam frigate . From Flushing , the " Franklin " was compelled to sail to Portsmouth , England for repairs upon her propeller . After repairs were completed , the " Franklin " set course to Lisbon , Portugal for coal . While there , Glisson was asked to participate in the wedding of Charles Allen Perkins , attaché for the American Legation . The bride was the Princess Dona Maria Isabella Francoise de Bourbon , granddaughter of King Charles IV of Spain and exiled in Portugal . Glisson escorted the bride and gave her away instead of her father , diplomat Ignacio Gurowski , who was unable to attend . The wedding was performed twice : once in the Church of St . Louis of the French and again on board the " Franklin " . Leaving Lisbon , the " Franklin " next dropped anchor in Naples , Italy and then at Nice , France . After slightly over seven months in Europe , Glisson was placed on the retired list as he approached the mandatory age of 62 . He relinquished squadron command to Rear Admiral Charles S . Boggs and returned with his wife to the United States . Marriage and family . Glisson married Pamela A . Parker [ 1816 – ] in Norfolk , Virginia . She was the daughter of Copeland Parker [ 1777 - 1830 ( aged 50 ) ] and his second wife Diana Robinson Hall [ 1780 - 1856 ( aged 75 ) ] . The Glissons had four sons , all born in Norfolk , Virginia : After the Civil War , Glisson moved his family to 1630 Chestnut Street , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . He spent the rest of his life there with a vacation home in Long Branch , New Jersey . Legacy . The biography " To the Loving Memory of Rear Admiral Oliver S . Glisson , U . S . N . " was published by Glisson ' s sons , Oliver Jr . and Jacob , in 1891 . Most of the 146 page book is devoted to Glisson ' s Civil War engagements via contemporary first - hand newspaper accounts written by A . F . and C . C . Fulton , editors and proprietors of the Baltimore American . Glisson House at 405 Duke Street , Norfolk , Virginia is a Greek Revival home that Glisson had built circa 1840 . The three story home is located in the West Freemason Street Historic District and Hunter House Victorian Museum includes the house in its walking and guided tours . In 1850 , Glisson retained attorney Thomas S . Yeatman to map plat s on the farm of his recently deceased father , Thomas Glisson . Glisson Subdivision is situated south of the village of Dunlap , Ohio which had formed in 1849 . A storm near Smithfield , Virginia in 1884 caused the roof of the Old Brick Church to fall , collapsing a portion of the eastern wall also . Glisson contributed to the restoration effort , sponsoring the pulpit and sounding board . The relatives of Glisson ' s wife Pamela dwelt in the Smithfield area and the donation was made in her name .