David Conner (naval officer)

Conner was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was the son of David Conner, an Irishman. He worked in Philadelphia and then joined the U.S. Navy on 16 January 1809. He served his first few years as a midshipman on the frigate . ==Military career==

During the War of 1812 Conner served in during her chase of HMS Belvidera and her actions with in February 1813 and the March 1815 capture of . During the capture of the Penguin he was severely wounded in the hip and his recovery took almost two years. He was held as a prisoner of war by the British. He received promotion to Lieutenant in July 1813. He served as a Navy Commissioner in 1841 and 1842, and upon the establishment of the bureau system in the Navy became the first Chief of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repair. During the Mexican–American War, Commodore Conner commanded the Home Squadron which operated in the Gulf of Mexico in 1846 and 1847. He successfully disrupted Mexican trade in the Gulf of Mexico with the Blockade of Veracruz. He attempted an operation up the Alvarado River but had to withdraw due to the lack of shallow draft vessels. On November 14, 1846, he captured Tampico as a base for future operations. and subsequently commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Ill health, however, kept him from seeing much other active employment. Commodore Conner died at Philadelphia on 20 March 1856 at age 64 and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery. ==Legacy==

Two destroyers of the United States Navy have been named in his honor. The USS Conner (DD-72) was a Caldwell-class destroyer in service from 1918 to 1940 and the USS Conner (DD-582) was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service from 1943 to 1946. ==References==