Andrew Augustus Henderson (born Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1816; died Brooklyn, New York, April 4, 1875) was an American surveyor, navy surgeon, and inventor who is best known today for his work collecting biological specimens.
Henderson was the son of Dr. John Henderson (1774-1848?) and his second wife Elizabeth Allison. His uncle Joseph Henderson, also a doctor, served two terms as a U.S. Representative (1833-1837) from Pennsylvania. Henderson was the fourth of his father's eight sons (and no daughters), although most of them died young. His older brother Matthew (1814-1894) was also a surgeon. [1]
Henderson was employed by the Pennsylvania Geological Survey in 1839 and 1840; his work on it was praised by geologist J. P. Lesley in a history of early survey efforts. [2]
Henderson graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1841 and was commissioned as an Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Navy. He was advanced to Surgeon in 1856 and Medical Director in 1871.
Henderson at first was attached to vessels involved with the Seminole War; he was part of an 1842 canoe expedition into the Everglades commanded by Lieutenant John Rodgers. [3] Henderson later sailed on vessels interdicting slave traders off the coast of Africa.
During the Mexican-American War he was present at the battles of Río San Gabriel and La Mesa, January 8-9, 1847, which led to the recapture of Los Angeles.
In 1852-3 he served aboard the USS Dolphin on a voyage that helped generate the first bathymetric charts of the Atlantic Ocean. [4]
From 1853-6 he was stationed at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum and a member of the Board of Examiners.
From 1856 to 1858 he served aboard the USS Portsmouth on a cruise to the Pacific, seeing action at Canton in 1856.
In 1860 Henderson received three patents for improvements to reaping and mowing machines. [5] He applied to extend two of the patents in 1874. [6]
After the return of the Portsmouth he was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard until 1861, when he was transferred to the USS Richmond, which operated in the Gulf of Mexico on blockade duty. In 1862-3 the Richmond was part of David Farragut's squadron which assisted in the capture of New Orleans, Vicksburg, and other Confederate strongholds on the lower Mississippi.
In 1864 Henderson was posted to the Norfolk Naval Hospital. In 1868–1869 he was appointed as fleet surgeon for the South Pacific Squadron. In 1870–1871 he served at the Boston Navy Yard.
In 1871 Henderson was promoted to medical director and posted to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he served as the director of the Naval Laboratory there, a unit which provided drugs and medical supplies to the navy, until his death in 1875. [7]
From 1848, Henderson was a Correspondent of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and would periodically send biological specimens back to Philadelphia for study. In 1858 he contributed a collection of birds to the Academy collected in Japan and the Philippines which was the subject of an article in the Academy's journal. [8] A number of plant species were named from specimens collected by Henderson - the shrubs Coptosperma borbonica and Tarenna borbonica of the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, the vine Kadsura marmorata of Borneo and The Philippines, and Gazania splendens , a South African ornamental composite, among others. In 1919 zoologist Henry Weed Fowler named a species of Zenarchopterus (a type of viviparous halfbeak fish) after Henderson, but the specimen Henderson collected is now considered to be Zenarchopterus ectuntio. [9]
Henderson married Mary Elizabeth Peaco (1825-1872), daughter of Dr. John W. Peaco (also a navy surgeon, although he had died in 1827). They had John Augustus Henderson (1853-), a navy engineer, George Andrew Henderson (1855-), Virginia Henderson (1859-), and Robley Dunglison Henderson (1861-1864). [10]
Henderson and his wife are buried in Woodlands cemetery in Philadelphia.
USS Wabash was a steam screw frigate of the United States Navy that served during the American Civil War. She was based on the same plans as Colorado. Post-war she continued to serve her country in European operations and eventually served as a barracks ship in Boston, Massachusetts, and was sold in 1912.
Rear Admiral Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, as superintendent of the Naval Academy, president of the United States Naval Institute, and commander-in-chief of the Pacific Squadron.
Elisha Kent Kane was a United States Navy medical officer and Arctic explorer. He served as assistant surgeon during Caleb Cushing's journey to China to negotiate the Treaty of Wangxia and in the Africa Squadron. He was assigned as a special envoy to the United States Army during the Mexican–American War and as a surveyor in the U.S. Coast Survey.
Sir Alexander Armstrong was an Irish naval surgeon, explorer, naturalist and author. After obtaining a medical degree he joined the Royal Navy and was stationed on board HMS Investigator, tasked with finding the lost expedition of explorer Sir John Franklin. Investigator was trapped in the ice at Mercy Bay in 1851 and Armstrong spent several winters in the Arctic before he returned to London.
William Maxwell Wood was an officer and surgeon in the United States Navy in the middle 19th century. He became the First Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy in 1871, with the equivalent rank of commodore. He rose to president of the examining board in 1868 and chief of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 1870 following his service in the American Civil War as Fleet Surgeon of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron aboard the USS Minnesota and Medical Officer of the James River Flotilla, participating in several famous Naval battles, and establishing temporary hospitals as needed during the Civil War.
William Samuel Waithman Ruschenberger was a surgeon for the United States Navy, a naturalist, and an author.
John Kearsley Mitchell was an American physician and writer, born in Shepherdstown, Virginia. Orphaned at the age of eight, and sent to his late father's family in Scotland at the age of thirteen, Kearsley was educated at Ayr Academy and the University of Edinburgh.
William Paul Crillon Barton, was a medical botanist, physician, professor, naval surgeon, and botanical illustrator.
Thomas Harris was a U.S. naval officer. He served as the second chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Thomas H. Cripps was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who became a U.S. Medal of Honor winner during the American Civil War. While serving in the Union Navy as a quartermaster aboard the USS Richmond, he operated one of that's ship's guns under heavy enemy fire for two hours during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama on August 5, 1864, helping to damage the CSS Tennessee and destroy artillery batteries of the Confederate States Army at Fort Morgan, even as the enemy's shell and shot damaged his ship and killed several of his fellow crewmen. For those actions, he was awarded his nation's highest honor for bravery on December 31, 1864.
Ninian Pinkney, also spelled Pinckney, was a United States Navy surgeon and medical director. He graduated from St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1829, and from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1833. He spent his entire naval career helping to develop the field of surgery and medicine. He was especially prominent—and praised—during the American Civil War.
James Martin II was a native of Ireland who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the mid-19th century. Rising up through the ranks from private to sergeant while fighting for the federal government of the United States (Union) during the American Civil War, he displayed conspicuous bravery on August 5, 1864, while serving aboard the USS Richmond. Operating one of that ship's guns under heavy enemy fire for two hours during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, he helped to damage the CSS Tennessee and destroy artillery batteries of the Confederate States Army at Fort Morgan, even as the enemy's shell and shot damaged his ship and killed several of his shipmates. In recognition of his gallantry, he was presented with the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest award for valor, on December 31, 1864.
Rear Admiral Henry Kuhn Hoff was a United States Navy officer. During his long career, he took part in combat in Sumatra and in the American Civil War.
Rear Admiral Charles Carroll Carpenter was an officer in the United States Navy. He participated in the African Slave Trade Patrol, fought in the American Civil War, served as commander of the Asiatic Squadron, and was recalled to duty briefly during the Spanish–American War.
Captain Robert F. R. Lewis was an officer in the United States Navy. He participated in the Paraguay Expedition, fought in the Mexican War and American Civil War, and served briefly as commander of the Asiatic Squadron.
Rear Admiral Andrew Bryson was an officer in the United States Navy. He fought in the American Civil War and served as commander of the South Atlantic Squadron.
Rear Admiral George H. Cooper was an officer in the United States Navy. During his long naval career, he served on the African Slave Trade Patrol, and fought in the Second Seminole War, the Mexican War, the American Civil War, and the Korean Expedition, and rose to command of the North Atlantic Squadron.
John Cummings Howell was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of rear admiral and late in his career was commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic Squadron and then of the European Squadron.
Phineas Jonathan Horwitz was an American surgeon.