Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Colvocoresses, George Musalas

COLVOCORESSES, George Musalas, naval officer, b. in the island of Scio, Grecian archipelago, 22 Oct., 1816; d. in Bridgeport, Conn., 3 June, 1872. He was ransomed from the Turks after the massacre of the Greek population of the island in 1822, and sent by his father to the United States, where he was received into the family of Capt. Alden Partridge and educated at the military academy founded by that officer in Norwich, Vt. In 1832 he was appointed a midshipman, and in 1836-'7 attached to the frigate “United States” on the Mediterranean squadron. In 1838 he was commissioned passed midshipman, and accompanied Capt. Wilkes's exploring expedition to the southern seas, serving at various times on the “Porpoise,” “Peacock,” “ Vincennes,” and “Oregon,” and taking part in the overland expedition in 1841 from Vancouver's island to San Francisco. He was commissioned lieutenant in 1843, served on the Pacific squadron in 1844-'6, the Mediterranean squadron in 1847-'9, on the coast of Africa in 1851-'2, at New York in 1853-'5, on the East India squadron in 1855-'8, during which he participated as executive officer of the “Levant” in the capture of the Barrier forts in Canton river, and at Portsmouth navy-yard in 1858-'60. He was made commander in 1861, and assigned in the store-ship “Supply” on the Atlantic coast in 1861-'3, during which he captured the blockade-runner “Stephen Hart,” laden with arms and military stores; to the sloop-of-war “Saratoga,” of the South Atlantic blockading squadron, in 1864; and the sloop-of-war “St. Mary's,” of the Pacific squadron, in 1865-'6. In 1867 he received his commission as captain, and was retired. He was mysteriously murdered in Bridgeport. Capt. Colvocoresses was the author of a work on Wilkes's expedition, entitled “Four Years in a Government Exploring Expedition” (New York, 1855). — His son, George Partridge, naval officer, b. in Norwich, Vt., 3 April, 1847, was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1868, and had risen to the rank of lieutenant in 1875. He has served on most of the foreign naval stations, and in the hydrographic office at Washington, and in 1886 was assistant instructor in drawing at the U. S. naval academy.