"James Shepard Thornton had a very distinguished career in the United States Navy. His name and memory have been perpetuated by the Department in the U.S. Navy torpedo boat "Thornton", and stories and traditions about him as one of the famous fighters of the Navy are still current in the service.
He was a man of singular quickness, both of thought and action; cool and determined in time of danger; extremely thorough in professional preparation; and wholly devoid of physical fear. These qualities, combined with a powerful physique and robust health, made him a formidable fighter, and it was his fortune to see an unusual amount of active and dangerous service. He was a stern disciplinarian, one of the most severe in the [N]avy, but very popular with his men. In private life, he was an affectionate, even-tempered and warm-hearted friend, and a jovial companion. He had quick appreciation of the merits of others, unswerving loyalty to his friends, his superiors and the service, and great personal modesty.
He was born in the Thornton homestead at Thorntons' Ferry, New Hampshire, February 25, 1827. His father died while he was very young, leaving him to the care and guardianship of Frnaklin Pierce and Senator Atherton. By the latter, he was appointed a midshipman in the Navy on January 15, 1841.
In 1845, while at home on his first leave, he gave the first public evidence of that indifference to physical danger, which was often criticized as recklessness, but from which he never suffered disaster. Finding the house of a poor woman in Nashua on fire, and the volunteer fire department engaged in moving out the effects instead of attempting to save the house, Midshipman Thornton led a volunterr force of fire fighters, and soon emerged from the conflict triumphant but with all the hair burned off his head.
IN 1846, he was sent to the Naval Academy, and in 1847, to sea as past-midshipman, where he had the great advantage of active service in the Mexican War.
In 1850, he went to the Pacific on coast survey work. While there, being unjustly insulted and humiliated by a superior officer, from whom he was unable to obtain redress, he promptly resignedc from the Navy, and then seeking out his former superior officer, administered to him such a public castigation that the offending officer was shortly forced to leave the service.
From 1850 to 1854, young Thornton was engaged in surveying the gold fields of California and in what is now Utah, but in February 1854, being restored to his old rank among his classmates, he re-joined the service and went at once to sea, serving in the Brazils, where he had been as a midshipman during the Mexican War. While in the Brazils, he exhibited his courage by several times refusing to fight duels. One duel, however, he was forced into, and was slightly wounded after having himself fired into the air. He was never challenged again.
AT the outbreak of the Civil War, he was transferred to Admiral Farragut's flagship, the Hartford, and was her executive officer during the famous passage of the forts when Farragut was lashed to the rigging. After the battle, Farragut stated to his flag lieutenant that he has never seen a more efficient officer in action as was Thornton. The scheme of covering the sides of the flagship with chains was Thornton's invention, for which he received high praise from Farragut.
In 1862, he was commissioned Lieutenant Commander, and given command of the Winona, off Mobile. While in this command, he made a small boat reconnaissance under heavy fire from Fort Gaines, sounding the various approaches to the fort and gatherine information of the greatest value. For this exploit, the Navy Department caused a torpedo boat to be named for him. Later, he cut out a rebel steamer from under the guns of Fort Morgan in total disreagrd of the signals of his flag officer not to risk engagement. He declined to see the signals, believing his ship to be in such position that he was justified in disregarding orders from a distance, and when his conduct was reported on complaint to Admiral Farrgut, he received unqualified commendation.
In December 1862, he was assigned to the Kearsarge as executive officer at the beginning of her cruise in search of the Alabama. Just before the battle, Thornton wrote home that he had his ship and crew in such a state of efficiency that they could fight an action without officers. Nevertheless, when the fight actually took place, Thornton went from gun to gun steadying the crews and occasionally aiming and firing the guns. Captain Winslow was very hearty in his praise of the services of his executive officer during the battle. To the accuracy of her own fire was largely due to the victory of the Kearsarge, adn the accuracy of that fire was attributed both by her commanding officer and by her crew as due to a great extent to the efficiency of her executive officer. In the battle, Thornton repeated his Hartford maneuver of protecting the vital parts of the ship with chains, a maneuver which the English naval officers of that day as well as Admiral Farragut of the old, and Captain Mahan of the new, American navy characterized as of the highest professional merit.
After the battle, there were some unworthy efforts made to create jealousy and trouble between Captain Winslow and his executive officer, but the efforts failed. Thornton always remained unswervingly loyal to his commanding officer who assumed all the burden of possible defeat and whom he held entitled to the full credit of the victory. Winslow, on his part, was prompt and generous in his praise of Thornton's skill and services, and when the officers of the Kearsarge met their first public welcome on their return, Winslow entered the banquet hall arm in arm with his executive officer. After the battle, Thornton received three superb jewelled swords of honor from the grateful marine underwriters and baords of trade of Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston.
For distinquigshed service in the action with the Alabama, Thornton was advanced several numbers in his grade and given command of the Kearsarge.
From 1865 to 1873, he was stationed at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, and in August 1873, was sent in command of the USS "Monongahela" to Kerguelen Island with the transit of Venus expedition. The only available charts for this dangerous voyage were the original charts made by Captain Cook, which were placed at Thornton's disposal by the British government. He accomplished his difficult mission successfully, but upon return voyage, while studying his copy of the Cook chart in his cabin, he was thrown down by a sudden lurch of the ship, and received serious injuries to the spine. He was at once invalidated home, but died on May 14, 1875 at Germantown, Pennsylvania, within a few weeks after his arrival." Hon. Charles Thornton Davis