VII— PROMINENT PERSONS
Lynch, William Francis, born in Nor-
folk, \'irginia, April, 1801 ; at the age of
eighteen, after preparatory study, he entered
the United States navy as midshipman, and
nine years later, in 1828, was promoted lieu-
tenant ; in 1847 he proposed the expedition
to explore the River Jordan and the Dead
Sea, the government looking with favor
upon the proposition, and accordingly he
sailed on the United States store-ship, Sn['-
ply, to Smyrna, from whence he went over-
land to Constantinople, where he obtained
the necessary authority and protection from
the Turkish government, and in March,
1848, landed at the Bay of Acre, and in
metallic life-boats navigated and explored
the Jordan from Lake Tiberius to the Dead
Sea ; upon his return to his native country
he planned an expedition to explore West-
ern Africa, but did not carry it through, the
government failing to sanction the plan ; in
1849 he was promoted to the rank of com-
mander, and seven years later, in 1856, to
that of captain, in which capacity he served
for six years, then resigned his commission
ii' the United States navy and enlisted his
services in the Confederate navy ; he was
commissioned flag-officer, and assigned to
the coast defence of North Carolina ; cap-
tured the Federal supply ship, Fanny; com-
manded the mosquito fleet, composed of the
Confederate vessels, Appomattox, Seabird,
Ellis, Black Warrior, Curlczv and Fanny, in
defence of Roanoke Island ; unsuccessfully
resisted the attack of Flag-Officer Louis M.
Goldsborough ; fired one of his own steam-
ers, the Curh'7s<, to prevent her capture ; blew
up Fort Forrest ; on February 10, 1862, he
engaged the Union fleet, under Commander
Rowan, with a loss of five of his six vessels,
and escaped to Norfolk in the Beaufort ; he
subsequently commanded at Smithville,
North Carolina, during the attack on Fort
Fisher, December, 1864, January, 1865, and
after the surrender dismantled the defences
and returned to Wilmington, North Caro-
lina. He was author of "Narrative of the
United States Expedition up the River Jor-
dan and the Dead Sea" (1849) I "Naval Life,
or Observations Afloat and Ashore" (1851) ;
he died in Baltimore, Maryland, October 17,
1865.
Alexander, Edmund B., born in Prince William county, Virginia, October 2, 1802; graduated at West Point in 1823. He served on the frontier and on garrison duty for twenty years. In the Mexican war he won distinction at Cerro Gordo, Contreras and Cherubusco, and was brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel. He was afterward ma- jor of the Eighth Infantry, November 10, 1857, and colonel of the Tenth Infantry, March 3, 1855. He commanded the Utah expedition of 1857-58 until relieved by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. In the civil war he was provost marshal of St. Louis, chief dis- bursing officer for Missouri, and superin- tendent of the volunteer recruiting service at St. Louis. He was brevetted brigadier- general March 13, 1865, and commanded at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, until February 22, 1869, when he was placed on the retired list after fifty years' service. He removed to W'ashington, D. C, where he died January 3, 1888.
