844 ROBERT HENRY THURSTON. 



board, then in session at Philadelphia. This he did on Jnly 9, 1861, 

 and was in due course examined on fJuly 2.5 and found well qualified 

 for the naval service. His first connnission as third assistant eng-iueer, 

 U. S. Navy, was made out under date of July 3(», 1S61, but it was not 

 until about a month later, or on August 25, that he was called into 

 active service and ordered to the V. S. S. UnddlUa^ fitting out at the 

 Brooklyn Navy-Yard for service on the southern blockade. The ship 

 was put into commission September 3() and sailed October IS for Port 

 Royal, S. C, where she was attached to the squadron under Rear- 

 Admiral Dupont. After active service in these waters for about a 

 year the VnadUla was ordered North to New York for repairs, return- 

 ing again to her station in October, 1S62. During the following- 

 winter the Princess Royal., a valuable merchant steamer, was taken as 

 a prize, and due to the skill and valuable help rendered in connection 

 with securing this prize. Assistant Engineer Thurston was ordered 

 home in lier, in charge of the engineers department. The prize was 

 taken North to Philadelphia, and after turning over his department 

 at the navy -yard. Assistant Engineer Thurston was detached and 

 ordered on February 11, 1863, to examination for promotion to the 

 rank of second assistant engineer. This examination was passed suc- 

 cessfully, and he was then placed on waiting orders, where he remained 

 till the following June, when he was ordered to the Chijypeiva at Port 

 Royal, S. C, in charge of the engineer's department. He remained 

 on duty in this capacity for about a year, when the ship returned 

 North to Philadelphia, and he was detached and placed on waiting 

 orders. On July 11, 1864, he was ordered to the Maumee, which was 

 fitting at the Brooklyn Navy-Y"ard, but a few weeks later was detached 

 and ordered to the Pontoosuc for more immediate service, this vessel 

 having been assigned to duty as consort to a Pacific mail steamer en 

 route to Aspinwail and return. On October, 18, 1864, he was detached 

 from the Pontoosuc and ordered to the Dictator, then fitting out and 

 making preliminary trials in New Y'ork Harbor. This ship, contain- 

 ing machinery of Ericsson's design, had experienced great difficulty 

 in meeting- on trial the conditions specified in the contract, and it was 

 feared that without extended change in the de-sign and installation of 

 the machinery she would be unable to satisfactorily meet the contract 

 requirements. Assistant Engineer Thurston threw himself into this 

 problem with his accustomed insight and zeal, and with minor changes 

 and under his charge, the requirements were fulfilled to a point which 

 formed the Ijasis of a settlement satisfactory to the Government on 

 the one hand and the designer on the other. 



On June 6, 1865, he was ordered to examination for promotion to 

 the grade of first assistant engineer, and received his commission as 

 such the following month. Shortly after, the war being over, he was 

 detached from the Dictator and placed on waiting orders, and in the 



