Alexander Murray ( 1816 – 1884 ) Rear Admiral Alexander Murray ( 2 January 1816 – 10 November 1884 ) was an flag officer in the United States Navy , who served during the Mexican – American War and the American Civil War . Biography . Early career . Murray was born in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , and was entered the Navy as a midshipman on August 22 , 1835 . He served aboard the schooner in the West Indies Squadron in 1836 - 38 , and on the steamer off the Atlantic coast in 1839 - 41 , receiving promotion to passed midshipman on June 22 , 1841 . He then served on the sloop in the Home Squadron in 1841 - 43 , and the schooner in the Pacific Squadron in 1844 - 45 . He returned to the Home Squadron in 1846 , to participate in the capture of Alvarado , Tabasco , Tuxpan , Veracruz , and Tampico during the Mexican War . Murray then served in the Coast Survey in 1846 - 49 , and was promoted to master on March 23 , 1847 , and received his commission as lieutenant on August 12 , 1847 . Murray served aboard the razee in the Mediterranean Squadron in 1849 - 51 , and was stationed on the receiving ship at Norfolk in 1852 - 53 . He was placed on the Reserved List on September 13 , 1855 , not returning to Active status until August 12 , 1857 . Murray then served on the Coast Survey in 1858 - 60 . Civil war . At the start of the Civil War Murray was given command of the screw steamer and assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron . " Louisiana " operated along the coast of Virginia , blocking the passage of Confederate blockade runner s , and attacking their bases . On 13 September 1861 , " Louisiana " and the frigate engaged the Confederate steamer off Newport News , but shot from both sides fell short . In early 1862 " Louisiana " was part of the naval forces supporting Ambrose Burnside ' s North Carolina Expedition , and Murray saw action at a series of battles ; at Roanoke Island on February 8 , Elizabeth City on February 10 , and New Bern on February 14 . In May 1862 Murray commanded a combined Army - Navy operation on Virginia ' s York and Pamunkey Rivers , destroying twenty - seven enemy vessels , including two large steamers , and approaching to within of Richmond , the capital of the Confederacy . He was promoted to commander on July 16 , 1862 , and was assigned to duty in the Sounds of North Carolina in 1863 . He was then stationed at Portsmouth Navy Yard , New Hampshire , until the end of the war . Post - war career . Murray was appointed to command of the steamer on April 2 , 1866 , and was promoted to captain on July 25 . In May 1866 , " Augusta " embarked Gustavus Fox , the Assistant Secretary of the Navy , and sailed on a cruise , accompanied by the monitor and the gunboat . The purpose of the cruise was threefold ; firstly to convey Fox to Russia as President Andrew Johnson ' s personal representative to Tsar Alexander II , secondly to demonstrate the monitor ' s ability to operate in the open sea , and thirdly to cultivate friendly international relations . After the three ships arrived at Queenstown , Ireland , " Ashuelot " sailed independently to the Far East , and " Augusta " and " Miantonomoh " then visited England , before finally arriving at Kronstadt in August . After a month ' s stay in Russia , during which the Tsar and members of the royal family visited the ships , they called at Stockholm , Sweden , Kiel , Germany , and ports in France , Portugal , and Spain . After transiting the Strait of Gibraltar , the ships spent Christmas at Málaga , Spain , before spending the next four and a half months visiting ports in the Mediterranean Sea . They returned home via the Canary Islands , the Cape Verdes , Barbados , and the Bahamas , finally arriving at Philadelphia on 22 July 1867 . Murray then served as commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1869 . He was promoted to commodore on June 19 , 1871 , and to rear admiral , on April 26 , 1876 , and served on the Lighthouse Board , and commanded the Pacific Station . Murray was placed on the Retired List on April 30 , 1878 . Rear Admiral Murray died on November 10 , 1884 in Washington , D . C .