Benjamin P. Lamberton
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Benjamin P. Lamberton (25 February 1844 - 9 June 1912) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served in the Spanish-American War.
Benjamin Peffer Lamberton was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania on February 25, 1844. He attended Carlisle High School and the Dickinson Preparatory School before spending three years as a member of the Dickinson College class of 1862. He was a Member of Belles Lettres Literary Society.
Decided on a naval career and transferred to the Naval Academy, Lamberton is appointed Midshipman on 21 September 1861. Graduating in time to see active service on the U.S.S. America as it pursued the Confederate raiders Florida and Talahassee in 1864. In 1865 he was attached to the steam sloop Susquehanna of the Brazil Squadron. He served with the rank of lieutenant commander from 1868 to 1885 when he was promoted to commander and assigned to the Lighthouse Board in Charleston as an inspector.
In 1898 Lamberton was ordered to command the cruiser Boston of the Asiatic Squadron, but upon arrival in Hong Kong following 30 years of service in various ships and shore operations, Lamberton was promoted to captain on May 17th 1898 and appointed as chief of staff on board Admiral George Dewey’s flagship Olympia in the Battle of Manila Bay. An incident during the heat of the battle demonstrated the ardor of Olympia’s crew. On learning of Dewey’s decision to give the crew a break for breakfast, a gun captain commented to Captain Lamberton, “For God’s sake, Captain, don’t let us stop now. To hell with breakfast!”
Promoted to rear admiral 11 September 1903 Benjamin Peffer Lamberton who married Elizabeth Stedman on February 1873 in Boston MA and had 3 children, lived in Washington, D.C. during his retirement, duck hunting and fishing with his friend President Cleveland. He died on June 9, 1912
The destroyer USS Lamberton (DD-119) was named after him.
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
