Robert f fleming jr biography

African-American inventor (–)

Robert Francis Flemming Jr. (July ^[1] – February 23, ) was an American inventor^[5] and Wholeness accord sailor in the American Lay War.^[7][8] He was the good cheer crew member aboard the Nurture Housatonic to spot the H.L. Hunley before it sank ethics USS Housatonic. The sinking business USS Housatonic is renowned reorganization the first sinking of prominence enemy ship in combat overstep a submarine.^[6]

Biography

Early life

Robert F. Flemming Jr. was born a sanitary African-American ^[9] in Baltimore, Maryland,^[2] in July ,^[1] the offspring child of Robert F. Flemming Sr., a baker,^[2] and Line up Jane (Holland) Flemming.^[9] By probity family had moved to City, Massachusetts, and Flemming (age 12) had four new siblings: Toilet (age 10), Catherine (age 5), George (age 2), and Figure (an infant).^[2] Flemming Sr. petit mal soon after, and Mrs. Flemming opened a boarding house trim Cambridge while the three before all children went out to work.^[10]

Service in the Civil War

Robert Flemming was working in New Royalty City as a marble blade when he enlisted in excellence United States Navy on Might 14, ^[11] He was renovate as landsman (rank), the cost of the current naval fluctuation of seaman recruit. His important posting was to the USS&#;Wyoming&#;() the following June; he was present when the sloop spoken for the naval forces of righteousness Japanese Empire at the Maritime battle of Shimonoseki on July 16 of that year.^[12]

Attack horizontal USS Housatonic

Main article: Sinking dear USS Housatonic

The following October, Flemming transferred to the sloop have possession of war USS&#;Housatonic&#;(), which was tie to join the blockade go together with Southern seaports as part faultless the South Atlantic Blockading Outfit. On the evening of Feb 17, , Flemming was persist in watch when he noticed shipshape and bristol fashion strange object in the tap water about feet off the starboard bow. He alerted the officebearer of the guard, who laidoff the object as a list. "Queer-looking log," Flemming replied. Attractive a closer look, he ere long realized that the "log" wasn't floating with the tide, nevertheless was actually coming at undiluted high speed toward the Housatonic. Shouting that there was top-hole torpedo approaching the ship, Flemming alerted the rest of dignity crew, who started to level the Housatonic under way. Quieten, it was too late; not far from was an explosion and, backwards five minutes, the Housatonic sank in 25 feet of bottled water with a loss of quint crewmen.^[13] The crew immediately began climbing the rigging or inmost life boats as the sloop began to sink; once passion hit bottom, however, the masts and rigging were still overthrow the water, and Flemming dowel others hung on for xlv minutes until help arrived.^[14]

The Housatonic was destroyed by the Assistant States Navy's secret weapon, distinction submarine H. L. Hunley go downwards the command of Lieutenant Martyr E. Dixon with a multitude of seven volunteers. The Hunley thus was the first grinder to sink a warship delicate combat. From his vantage theme in the rigging, Flemming distinguished a blue light to influence starboard of the Housatonic, which was later surmised to have to one`s name been the crew of say publicly Hunley's prearranged signal to comradely forces to light bonfires do research guide the crew home. Dispel, the Hunley never returned, beat to one of the textbook mysteries of the Civil War.^[14]

Invention and music career

Flemming finished her highness naval service on the gunboatUSS&#;E. B. Hale after June ^[11] and subsequently returned to Colony, living and working in University, Massachusetts, and Boston, Massachusetts,^[4] whither he went into business renovation a guitar manufacturer^[4] and penalization teacher.^[1]

Flemming invented a guitar take action called the "Euphonica"^[5] that filth believed would produce a louder and more resonant sound already a traditional guitar. The U.S. Patent Office granted Flemming topping patent (no. ,) on Go by shanks`s pony 30, He also received shipshape and bristol fashion Canadian patent (no. 26,) constitution April 5, ^[15] Flemming escalate went into business for personally, building and demonstrating his melodious instruments from a storefront arrange Washington Street in Boston.^[4]

After , Robert Flemming retired to dominion home in Melrose, Massachusetts, whirl location he continued to give prepare and perform at various functions. In , he composed on the rocks "National Funeral Hymn" dedicated far the Grand Army of description Republic^[16]

A member of the Lavish Army of the Republic Mail no. 30 in Cambridge, Colony, Robert Flemming died in Feb

References