James Daniel Sefton,

Captain's Clerk, USS "Vincennes."

by Terry Foenander.

At the end of 1999, I was contacted by Lynn Marie West, of Plattsburgh, New York, who advised me that she was a descendant of James Daniel Sefton, a sailor who had served in the Union Navy, aboard the USS Vincennes. Ms. West advised that Sefton had been a captain's clerk aboard that vessel, which was part of the West Gulf Squadron, commanded by Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. With the very able help of Ed Milligan, of Alexandria, Virginia, Ms. West was able to compile a brief sketch of his naval career, from the records available at the National Archives, in Washington, D.C.

Sefton was born December 29, 1839, at St. Helena, situated about 1200 miles west of Africa. The island was then a colony of Great Britain. He was apparently still a British citizen when he served in the Union Navy during the Civil War, and returned to the British isles to settle down after the war. He did continue in the merchant marine service after the war, as a letter exists, written by him aboard the SS Severn at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 30, 1873. Sefton's sister was married to an American and they lived at Old Point Comfort, Fortress Monroe, Virginia, during the 1870's and 1880's. Several letters written to his sister by Sefton from that period are in the possession of Ms. West, indicating that he had tried, unsuccessfully, to apply for prize money from his Civil War service.

Sefton is known to have enlisted at New Bedford, Massachusetts, in May, 1861, and was taken aboard the receiving ship USS Ohio at Boston, where he did his training in the art of sailing until June 13, 1861, at which time he was detached to the USS Preble, as an ordinary seaman. In mid 1862 he was rated seaman, and then gunner's mate in early November of that year. After the accidental destruction of the Preble by fire in late April, 1863, he was taken aboard the USS Potomac until June 9, of that year when he was sent aboard the USS Vincennes. He was promoted to the position of captain's clerk on April 1, 1864. He resigned from the naval service on February 3, 1865.

A letter dated November 17, 1864, written by him, applying for the position of acting ensign in the Union Navy is in the possession of his descendants and states in part:

"Having served as a seaman in the Naval service of the United States from May 1861, until the 1st of April 1864, at which time I received an appointment as Capt's Clerk, and have been serving in that capacity to the present date, I respectfully desire an appointment as an Acting Ensign U.S.A. and an examination for the same."

Although the application was approved by his immediate commander, there is no record that he ever received an appointment in that position, and this may have caused his resignation within three months.

Ms. West has researched his residency in England up to 1922, where Sefton is listed in a directory showing him as a resident in Seaforth, a suburb of Liverpool, England. In April, 2007, researcher Bob Jones, of Liverpool, England, was able to locate the gravesite of Sefton, who died January 1st, 1923, and is buried at Liverpool.

Further details of his life and naval service will be added, as it comes to hand.

The two photographs of the grave of Sefton were taken by Bob Jones, of Liverpool, and are used with his kind permission and consent.

Copyright, Terry Foenander

December, 2000 (Updated June, 2007.).