John White Moore

Who was John White Moore?

John White Moore was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy

Born at Plattsburg, New York, he was appointed third assistant engineer in the Navy in 1853 and was promoted to chief engineer in 1861. During the Civil War he took part in the engagements with the ram CSS Manassas and in the capture of the defenses of Pensacola in 1861; in the passage and capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the capture of New Orleans, the passage of the Vicksburg batteries, and the fight with the ram CSS Arkansas in 1862; and in the capture of Port Hudson in 1863.

Moore originated the use of chain cables to protect the sides of wooden ships, of a paint designed to render the fighting ships less easily visible, and of the fighting tops found on the masts of many large war vessels.

He retired in 1894 with the rank of commodore, but during the Spanish-American War he served as an inspector in the New York Navy Yard. For his services in the Civil War he was raised to the rank of rear admiral in 1906.