Viewers are welcome to send any comments or questions to John, and he will answer them following his talk.

About the presentation:

Stephen Decatur Trenchard was born in 1818 in Brooklyn, New York. Named for the great naval hero Stephen Decatur, Trenchard joined the Navy in the 1830s. Trenchard was twice assigned to the Coast Survey. In his ship, USS Vixen, on August 16, 1856, he rescued the British bark Adieu’s crew off Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Queen Victoria presented him with a sword for his heroic actions. While on USS Powhatan, he participated in two rescues, including one during the June 1859 Battle of Taku Forts in China. He commanded the USS Rhode Island and helped save many USS Monitor crew members when the ironclad sank off Cape Hatteras, NC, on December 31, 1862. Trenchard continued to serve in the Navy after the Civil War and was eventually promoted rear admiral. His naval legacy is outstanding based on his rescue operations.