Career of Catesby ap Roger Jones

Catesby ap Roger Jones served in both the U.S. Navy and the Confederate Navy.

• Macedonian June 18,1836-May 4, 1837.
  Under Commodore Warrington at age 15.
• The Relief May 4, 1837-June 2, 1837.
  Under Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones (his uncle), a number of smaller boats took a practice cruies beyond the capes from Hampton Roads.
• Macedonian Jun 2, 1837-December 21, 1837
  Cruised from Hampton Roads to New York.
• Columbia December 21, 1837-March, 1840
  Under Commodore Warrington, sailed from Hampton Roads on May 6, 1838 to the Island of Madeiro, Rio Janeiro, Bombay, Columbo, Singapore, Valparaiso, Callao (Feb. 28, 1840).
• Shark March, 1840-September 30, 1840
  Under Lieutenant-Commodore A. Bigalow, sailed along the west coast of Peru and Ecuador.
• USS Constitution September 30, 1840-October 31, 1841
  Old Ironsides, a 44-gun frigate built in 1797, under the command of Commodore A. Claxton, Returned to Hampton Roads.
• Warranted as a Passed Midshipman July 1, 1842.
• Depot of Charts, Washington, DC. July 19, 1842-September, 1842
  Under Matthew F. Maury (picture at LOC, Info, Chronology). Worked with John M. Brooke. The U.S. Naval Observatory, Naval Oceanographic Office, and the Naval Meterology and Oceanography Command evolved from the Depot of Charts. See the links for its history.
• Flirt September, 1842-??
  Under Lieutenant Powell, surveyed Tampa Bay.
• Oregon ??-July, 1843
  Under Lieutenant Powell, landed at Havana and Key West before continuing to survey Tampa Bay and other Florida bays.
• Depot of Charts October 6, 1843-October 24, 1843
  
• Perry October 24, 1843-August 5, 1844.
  Served as Lieutenant under Captain Dupont. Traveled to Rio Janiero, Cape Town, East Indian ports, and Hong Kong.
• Brandywine August 5, 1844-September 19, 1845
  Under Commodore F.A. Parker, traveled from Hong Kong to Macao, Sandwich Islands, Society Islands, and Valparaiso.
• Surveyed the coast April 16, 1846-November 13, 1846
  
• U.S.S. Ohio November 13, 1846-??
  This was during the Mexican War (1846-1848). Served as Acting Master. It went from Boston (December 1846) to Rio de Janeiro (August 1847), Valparaiso (January 1848), Callao (February 1848), Mazatlan (May 1848), La Paz (July 1848), Monterey, CA (October 1848), Sausalito (November 1848).

Warranted Master on September 14, 1848. Promoted to Lieutenant on May 12, 1849. Promoted to Commissioned Lieutenant on June 5, 1849.

• U.S.S. St. Mary ??-June 17, 1850
  
• On leave in Europe April 15, 1851-July, 1852
  Wounded by two shots by French troops during a civic upheaval in Paris. Lost his forefinger on his left hand and nearly lost his life.
• Special duty in France July 17, 1852
  Ordered to return to the U.S.
• Ordnance duty, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. February 28, 1853-February 5, 1856.
  Worked with Dahlgren to introduce the Dahlgren gun.
• U.S.S. Merrimack February 5, 1856-April 3, 1857.
  Originally the ordnance officer because he was the only man besides Dahlgren that was familiar with the three Dahlgren guns on the Merrimack, he became the watch officer on March 27, 1856.
• Plymouth April 3, 1857-August 2, 1858
  Executive Officer on this ordnance steamer.
• U.S.S. Caledonia November 12, 1858-November 2, 1859
  He was the ordnance officer on a Paraguay expedition.
• U.S.S. Pawnee November 2, 1859-May 19, 1860
  Special duty fitting Pawnee for sea.
• Resigned his commision from the U.S. Navy April 17, 1861
  This was the day that Virginia, his home state, seceded.
• Appointed as Captain of the Confederate Navy April 18, 1861
  
• Jamestown Island April 29, 1861-??
  Appointed by General Robert E. Lee to be in command of the fortification and batteries in the fortification on Jamestown Island. Com. Maury assists in May.
• CSS Virgina ??-May 10, 1862
  Catesby ap Roger Jones was the Executive Officer under Admiral Buchanan (picture from LOC), and because of an injury to the Admiral on March 8, 1862, commanded the CSS Virginia (a rebuilt USS Merrimack) in the famous battle of the first Ironclads against the USS Monitor on March 9 at Hampton Roads.

After March 10, 1862, Commodore Josiah Tattnall commanded the Virginia.

• Scuttles the Virginia May 10, 1862
  With the approach of the enemy troops, Norfolk was being evacuated. The Virginia could not be made light enough to go up the James River. To prevent its capture, the Virginia was run ashore in the bight of Carney Island and set afire.
• Command of Naval Works at Charlotte, N.C. June? 1862-May 9, 1863 Replaced by his uncle, Richard L. Page.
  
• S.S. Chattahoochee July 22, 1862
• Ordered to report to General Magruder in Texas 1862
  This order, which would have had him appointed as a Colonel in the Confederate Army was apparently recalled.
• Appointed as a Commander May 6, 1863.
  
• Chief of Ordnance Works, Selma May 9, 1863 - April, 1865
  The Selma Naval Foundry supplied armor and cannon to the Confederate Naval. This ordnance allowed the Confederate ships to fight with the more numerous federal ships.
  Upon orders, Jones disassembled the machinery of the foundry and took it away before Selma was captured.

Most of this informations was gathered from Brief Sketch of the Career of Captain Catesby ap R. Jones by W.S. Mabry in Selma, Alabama, January 1912.

Last modified: Wed Aug 28 11:55:41 1996 Mabry Tyson