George F . Pearson George Fredrick Pearson ( 1799 – 1867 ) was Rear - Admiral of the United States Navy , commanding the Pacific Squadron during the later part of the American Civil War . Early life and career . George F . Pearson was born in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , in 1799 but lived most of his life in Massachusetts . He entered the U . S . Navy on March 11 , 1815 , as a midshipman , and his first ship was the frigate . In 1820 Midshipman Pearson served on the ship of the line . In 1822 he was on the ship of the line and passed for promotion at the West Indies station . Pearson was commissioned Lieutenant on January 13 , 1825 , and was given duty on the West Indies station . Lt . Pearson ' s assignment was on the schooner in the Mediterranean in 1826 . In 1828 , he was with the Mediterranean Squadron on the sloop - of - war . In 1829 he took a leave of absence which lasted until 1831 when he joined the sloop of war on the Mediterranean Station . From 1832 to 1836 , he was again on leave , or waiting for orders or stationed as Ordinary at Boston until he was assigned to the the flagship for Commodore Alexander Dallas of the West Indies Squadron , where it conducted operations supporting the Second Seminole War . Pearson was promoted to Commander on September 8 , 1841 . After the sloop of war " Boston " completed repairs it set sail from New York under the command of Commander Pearson on November 7 , 1846 , to join the Home Squadron blockading the eastern coast of Mexico . Eight days out of port , " Boston " ran aground on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas after encountering a storm . " Boston " was wrecked beyond salvage , but her entire crew survived the disaster . On September 14 , 1855 , Pearson was promoted to Captain . In 1860 Person was given command of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , Maine . Civil War . On December 21 , 1861 , Captain Pearson was put on the Retired List , but continued in command of the Portsmouth Naval Yard , being promoted to Commodore on Retired List , July 16 , 1862 . On October 4 , 1864 , Commodore Pearson was given command of the Pacific Squadron , serving at that post from 1864 to 1866 as Acting Rear Admiral aboard his flagship . Under his command Commander Henry Kallock Davenport suppressed the so - called Salvador Pirates , a Confederate Navy plot to capture one of the two Panama Railroad steamships and turn it into a Confederate commerce raider to capture a gold - laden Pacific Steamship Company vessel . His squadron continued to protect American lives and property in Mexico and became in the same mission in Peru , defending them from attack by either side both during the Spanish blockade during the Peruvian War with Spain . Later life . After the Civil War ended in May 1865 , Pearson ' s Pacific Squadron had to deal with the . Its captain , unaware of war ' s end , was attacking American whaling ships in the North Pacific as late as August 1865 . From 1866 to 1869 the Pacific Squadron was split into North and South Pacific Squadrons . Pearson served as South Pacific Squadron ' s first commander , as Rear Admiral in command of the South Pacific Squadron being promoted to Rear Admiral on Retired List , July 25 , 1866 . His squadron continued to be involved in protecting American interests in Panama and the Pacific coast of South America due to the ongoing war by Peru , Ecuador and Chile with Spain . After being relieved of duty in the Pacific , he returned to Portsmouth , New Hampshire , where he died , July 1 , 1867 , at the age of 68 .