Alexander Rhind Alexander Colden Rhind ( October 31 , 1821 – November 8 , 1897 ) was an rear admiral in the United States Navy , who served during the Mexican – American War and American Civil War . Biography . Early career . Rhind was born in New York City , New York , the son of Charles Rhind , a prominent shipowner who also served as Minister to Turkey from 1827 . His mother , Susan Fell , was a descendant of Cadwallader Colden , the Governor of the colonial Province of New York from 1769 to 1771 . Rhind was appointed midshipman on September 3 , 1838 , and between 1839 and 1841 he served on the Mediterranean Station aboard the frigate and the sloop . He then served aboard the sloop in the West Indies in 1842 - 43 , then on the frigate off the coast of Africa in 1843 - 44 , before attending the Philadelphia Naval School in 1844 - 45 . Promoted to passed midshipman on July 2 , 1845 , Rhind served on the brig on the Coast Survey in 1845 - 46 , which was then attached the Home Squadron on the coast of Mexico during the Mexican – American War , being present at Alvarado and Tabasco . Rhind served on the steamer in 1848 , before rejoining the Coast Survey aboard the schooner " Ewing " on a voyage to the coast of California in 1849 - 50 . He then served aboard the sloop in the East Indies in 1850 - 51 , before returning to the Coast Survey , where he remained until 1854 , receiving promotion to the rank of master on April 30 , 1853 . Rhind was commissioned as a lieutenant on February 17 , 1854 , and served on the sloop on the Pacific Station , but in May 1855 was court - martial ed after a disagreement with his commander , and left the Navy in September 1855 . Eventually reinstated , Rhind served on the sloop , the flagship of the Africa Squadron from 1859 - 61 . Civil War . On December 14 , 1861 , during the American Civil War , Rhind was ordered to take command of the screw steamer ; and , while commanding her , earned the Thanks of the Navy Department in a letter dated September 7 , 1864 , for the capture and destruction of Confederate works commanding the South Edisto , Dawho , and Pon - Pon River s , in April 1862 , and received promotion to lieutenant commander on July 16 , 1862 . Promoted to commander on January 2 , 1863 , in that year he participated in the attacks on Charleston ' s defenses as commanding officer of the ironclad ram . During the attack on April 7 , 1863 , " Keokuk " was struck over 90 times in 30 minutes , suffering 19 holes at or near her waterline . Retiring , she was kept afloat until the following morning , before finally sinking , by which time the crew had been taken off . Later , after commanding the gunboat and the screw frigate , on October 23 , 1863 , he assumed command of the side - wheel gunboat on the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron , and earned praise from Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee for the " gallantry and endurance displayed " by himself and his crew during an engagement with three batteries at Deep Bottom on August 13 , 1864 . In December 1864 he was detailed to command the powder boat , which was loaded with 215 tons of gunpowder , then towed by to a point 250 yards off Fort Fisher . There Commander Rhind and his crew set the fuzes and started a fire before escaping to " Wilderness " . The blast from the explosion , although loud , did little damage and two days later Rhind returned to close proximity to the fort to plant a marker buoy as near to the fort as possible to allow the fleet to bombard Fort Fisher at close range . Admiral Porter , in his official report to the Navy Department , wrote ; Post - war career . After the war Rhind served as the commander of the receiving ship at New York City , then as commander of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1869 - 70 , finally receiving promotion to the rank of captain on March 2 , 1870 . He commanded the screw sloop from 1872 - 76 on the European Station , receiving promotion to commodore on September 30 , 1876 , then serving as a Lighthouse Inspector until 1879 . He was President of the Board of Inspection and Survey from 1880 – 1882 , and then Governor of the Naval Asylum in 1883 . He was promoted to rear admiral on October 30 , 1883 , the day before his retirement , having reached the mandatory age . Rear Admiral Rhind died at New York , on November 8 , 1897 , and is buried at the Colden Family Cemetery , Montgomery , New York . Namesake . The , launched in July 1938 , was named for him .