| Edward Weston Carpender | |
| Death Date: | May 16, 1877 |
| Birth Place: | New York, US |
| Death Place: | Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey, US |
| Placeofburial: | Christ Church, Shrewsbury, New Jersey, US |
| Branch: | United States Navy |
| Serviceyears: | 1813–1865 |
| Rank: | Commodore |
Edward Weston Carpender ( – May 16, 1877) was a United States Navy officer who served in three wars. At age 17, he was commissioned a midshipman on 10 July 1813 during the War of 1812, was promoted to commander on 8 September 1841 and served in the Mexican-American War, and was promoted to commodore and served in the American Civil War.[1] [2] [3]
On January 13, 1825, Carpender was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.[1] In 1827 he was attached to the United States Navy Mediterranean Squadron.[3] From 1829 to 1830 he served as an officer aboard the sloop-of-war USS Falmouth of the West India Squadron.[3] From 1833 to 1834 he was attached to the Naval Rendezvous at Boston.[3] In 1840 he served with the Pacific Squadron on the frigate USS Constitution.[3] In 1841 he was promoted to Commander and in 1845 he was placed in charge of Norfolk Navy Yard as an inspector.[3]
In 1846, Carpender participated in the blockade of Tuxpan as commander of the brig USS Truxtun, during which the ship struck a sandbar, resulting in the surrender of the officers and men to the Mexicans and the destruction of the ship.[4] In October 1848, while in command of the steamship USS Iris, in rescuing a French ship, the barque L'Eugènie which had struck a bank and become stranded off the anchorage of Antón Lizardo, his initial detention of the ship and crew developed into a diplomatic incident that ultimately involved United States Secretary of State John M. Clayton and French Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexis de Tocqueville.[5]
Previously retired under the Act of 1855,[2] Carpender returned to duty by 1861, commanding the US Storeship Falmouth, formerly the sloop-of-war USS Falmouth on which he had served from 1829 to 1830.[6] On July 16, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of commodore. He served as prize commissioner at Key West, Florida from 1864 to 1865.[3] [2]
Carpender retired to Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey,[3] where he died on May 16, 1877, at the home of his brother-in-law, Col. E. T. Williams.[7] [1] His age at death was reported by the local New Jersey and Philadelphia newspapers to be 81, placing his birth at ca. 1796.[7] [2] [3]