John M. Gamble-- Part 5

While in command of the Greenwich, he captured the British armed whaler Seringapatam after a sharp engagement on or about  13 July 1813.  This engagement earned him much publicity in American newspapers of the time as the British ship was considered the biggest threat to American whalers in the Pacific at the time.

Porter later ordered the Greenwich burned to deprive Britain of valuable whale oil.  Later, during the Nuku Hiva Campaign, David Porter again ordered Gamble to take command of the prize ship Sir Andrew Hammond.

After the Seringpatam Mutiny, Gamble set out to the Leeward Islands in the Sir Andrew Hammond, but was intercepted on the way by the HMS Cherub.

--Brock-Perry

John M. Gamble, USMC-- Part 4: The Only Marine Officer to ....

Lt. Colonel John M. Gamble is chiefly remembered in history as the only Marine to ever command a U.S. Naval vessel, and he did this not once, but twice.  He commanded two separate prizes captured by the USS Essex while operating in the Pacific Ocean.  

The Essex was commanded by David Porter, father of eventual Union Admiral David Dixon Porter. and raised another Union Admiral who achieved fame also in the Civil War, David Glasgow Farragut.  As a matter of fact, Farragut accompanied David Porter in this Pacific cruise.

The two ships that Gamble commanded were the aforementioned Sir Andrew Hammond and Greenwich.  For want of Navy officers, Gamble was placed in charge.

--Brock-Perry

John M. Gamble, USMC-- Part 3: His Brother Peter Also in War of 1812 Where He Lost His Life

It should be mentioned that John M. Gamble had a brother by the name of Peter Gamble who was an officer in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.

Peter Gamble was born on 5 November 1793 in Bordentown, New Jersey.  He was appointed midshipman on 16 January 1809, and served on Thomas Macdonough's flagship USS Saratoga at the Battle of Lake Champlain.

There, he was killed in action while sighting his gun on 11 September 1814.

Macdonough his deplored the loss and commended his bravery in action.

A destroyer was named for both Peter and John M. Gamble, the USS Gamble DD123/DM-15).  This ship was at Pearl Harbor when the attack came.

--Brock-Perry

John M. Gamble, USMC-- Part 2

From Wikipedia.

JOHN MARSHALL GAMBLE

(1791 - 11 September 1836)

He remains the first and only-known U.S. Marine to command a U.S. Naval vessel for commanding the prize ships Greenwich and Andrew Hammond.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and commissioned a second lieutenant in the USMC on 16 January 1809, at the age of 17.

During the War of 1812, he was stationed in the Pacific Ocean on the frigate US Essex where he rose to be a captain by June 1814.  Among his accomplishments during that time was sailing the whaling ship Albert Hammond, a prize taken by the Essex, with a 4-man crew and without benefit of a chart to the Hawaiian Islands in 17 days.

--Brock-Perry

John M. Gamble, USMC

From "Records of officers and men of New Jersey in wars 1791-1815."

GAMBLE, JOHN M.

Midshipman, January 16, 1809

Ordered to duty at New York, N.Y.:

Transferred to merchant service, July 5, 1809.

He remains the only known US Marine ever to command a Navy ship, which he did twice during the War of 1812.

(For subsequent and continued record, see Officers of the United States Marine Corps, War with Great Britain.)

--Brock-Perry

The Gamble Family in the USN and USMC

From the "Biographical Register of Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York"  by William Munro MacBean.

Colonel John Marshall Gamble

**  Colonel Gamble  was one of  four sons of  Major William Gamble of the United States Marine Corps, all of whom served in the U.S. Navy.

**  Captain Thomas Gamble of the U.S. Sloop of War Erie, the eldest, died at Pisa, Italy, October  10, 1818.  He was named after his uncle who was Quartermaster-General of British forces in North America in 1769,  and died as a Major in  London in 1821 at the age of 86, leaving 14,500 pounds toward paying off the British national debt, probably because he never forgave his brother and nephews for their disloyalty.

**  Lieutenant Francis R. Gamble, commander of the U.S. Storeship Decoy, died off Cape Hatteras, September 29, 1824.

**  Lieutenant Peter Gamble, the youngest of the four brothers was killed at the Battle of Lake Champlain, on Commodore Macdonough's ship.

--Brock-Perry

John M. Gamble, USMC

From US  Naval and Heritage Command:  Navy Officers 1798-1900.

JOHN M. GAMBLE

Midshipman:  16 January 1809  (His brother Peter was appointed midshipman the same day.)

Appointed  Second Lieutenant Marine Corps:  16 January 1809  (Appointed the same day as he became a midshipman.)

First Lieutenant:  5 March 1811

Captain:  18 June 1814

Major by Brevet:  18 April 1816

Major: 1 July 1834

Lieutenant Colonel by Brevet:  3 March  1827

Died:  11 September 1836  (He died the same day as his brother did 22 years earlier.)

--Brock-Perry

USS Gamble (DD-123) (DM-15): Named for Two Brothers

The ship was named after two brothers.  One, Peter, was in the U.S. Navy, and the other, John M. Gamble was in the USMC.  Both fought in the War of 1812 with one being killed.  This ship was at Pearl Harbor when the British attacked along with another destroyer named the Perry, after Oliver Hazard Perry.

From Wikipedia.

Peter Gamble was born  on 5 November 1793 in Bordentown , New Jersey.  He was appointed  midshipman on 16 January 1809 and served on Thomas Macdonough's flagship USS Saratoga at the Battle of Lake Champlain.

He was killed  in action while sighting  his gin on  11 September 1814.

Macdonough deplored Peter's loss and commended his gallantry in action.

John M. Gamble was the brother of Peter Gamble and achieved the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel  in the United States Marine Corps.

--Brock-Perry

Two Destroyers at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Named After People from the War of 1812

In my Tattooed On Your Soul:  WW II blog, I have been writing about the USS Montgomery (DD-121) (DM--17) which was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked.  It did not receive any damage, but it and other destroyers anchored in Middle Loch, across from Fort Island, may have shot down as many as six Japanese planes.

Two of those ships with the Montgomery that day were named after War of 1812 naval heroes.  

They were the USS Perry (DD-320) (DMS-17), named for Oliver Hazard Perry and the USS Gamble (DD-123) (DM-15) named after Peter Gamble, killed at the Battle of Lake Champlain.  And, it was also named after Peter's brother, John M. Gamble who was an officer in the USMC.

--Brock-Perry