Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.078 W 075° 08.903
18S E 487325 N 4422362
This statue honors Uriah Phillips Levy, who volunteered for the War of 1812, becoming a supernumerary sailing master on the ship "Argus", which fought British ships in the English Channel.
Waymark Code: WMJBX7
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 10/26/2013
Views: 8
Uriah Phillips Levy was born April 22, 1792 in Philadelphia, and by age 14, in 1806, he was apprenticed as a sailor. At age 21 he volunteered for the War of 1812, and was supernumery sailing master (a trained substitute) on the US Naval brig USS Argus. The Argus had departed from New York Harbor on June 18, 1813 on a mission to deliver William H Crawford to France to take up the post of Minister of the First French Empire. The task was completed on July 11, and three days later the crew of the Argus embarked on a month of active raiding of British ships in the waters near the British home port. It is reported that the Argus captured 19 ships, in a hectic few days, setting most of the captured ships on fire. The raiding captured the attention of the Royal Navy, who quickly set about to stop the damage. An epic battle between the Americans on the Argus and the Brittish on the Pelican ensued; on the morning of August 14, 1813, the two rival ships engaged in battle on the seas west of St. David's Head. The Argus was a quick ship and could have escaped but her captain, Master Commandant William Henry Allen, chose to wait and battle. This was a serious mistake, as the Captain of the Pelican, captain was Commander John Fordyce Maple, was able to position his vessel in a superior position to the wind, and began firing upon the Argus. The damage was swift, with Commander Allen losing a leg and massive damage to the sails. The ships raked broadsides several more times, each ship and crew receiving damage, but the Argus was the most damaged and after 45 minutes of intense battle, the Americans (including Levy) surrendered. Commander Allen was returned to Plymouth but died a week later. The rest of the Americans on the Argus were taken prisoner and held in the notorious Dartmore Prison in England for the duration of the war. Levy was held prisoner a total of 16 months.
TEXT ON THE PLAQUE:
Born in Philadelphia in 1792, Uriah Phillips Levy was a fifth generation American. According to family stories, he left for sea at ten years old, returnging to celebrate his bar mitzvah here at Congregation Mikveh Israel in 1805. He served with distinction in the U.S. Navy in the War of 1812 and became the first Jewish Navy Commodore - equivalent to the rank of Admiral today.
During his fifty-year career, Levy was brought before a court martial six times and killed a man in a duel-all incidents related to rampant anti-Semitism. He was dismissed twice from the Navy, but was reinstated by Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler. He went on to command the Mediterranean fleet and was appointed to head the Navy Court Martial Board by President Lincoln to head the Navy Court Martial Board during the Civil War. Levy played a key role in helping repeal the flogging of sailors, making the U.S. Navy the first in the world to abolish physical punishment.
Levy always admired Thomas Jefferson and the Bill of Rights he crafted, which safeguard liberties for all Americans. In 1834, he commissioned a statue of Jefferson, which sits in the U.S. Capitol today. In 1834, Levy purchased Monticello, Jefferson's home near Charlottesville, Virginia, which he repaired, restored and preserved for future generations.
The World War II destroyer escort USS Levy (DE-162)was named in his honor, as were the Uriah P. Levy Jewish Chapel at the Norfolk Naval base in Virginia, and the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Levy is buried at Beth Olom Cemetery in Queens, New York.
Sculptor: Gregory Pototsky
Sources:
www.fojcusna.org/levy_center_jewish_chapel.html
(
visit link)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Argus_(1803)
(
visit link)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uriah_P._Levy
(
visit link)