United States Naval Officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy on October 19, 1841, and started his naval career as a Midshipman. Promoted to Passed Midshipman on August 19, 1847, he served during the Mexican War as part of the officer compliment of the "USS Porpoise", a 224-ton "Dolphin" class brig. The vessel served as part of the American Naval sqaudron off the eastern seaboard of Mexico, and in anti-slave ship duty off Africa. Promoted to Master on Sptember 14, 1855 and to Lieutenant the next day, Watson Smith took part that year in the Naval expedition to uncover the fate of the USS Advance, a ship that had been dispatched in 1853 to find the fate of Sir John Franklin's Artic expedition and had subsequently dissapeared. In that task he served as Acting Master of the "USS Arctic". A few years later he was assigned to serve on the USS Wabash. During the Civil War he was given command of the schooner "USS Norfolk Packet" before he received a promotion to Lieutenant Commander (July 16, 1862) and contracted Yellow Fever during the 1864 Red River Campaign. He returned to Trenton, New Jersey, where he succumbed to the disease in December 1864.
United States Naval Officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy on October 19, 1841, and started his naval career as a Midshipman. Promoted to Passed Midshipman on August 19, 1847, he served during the Mexican War as part of the officer compliment of the "USS Porpoise", a 224-ton "Dolphin" class brig. The vessel served as part of the American Naval sqaudron off the eastern seaboard of Mexico, and in anti-slave ship duty off Africa. Promoted to Master on Sptember 14, 1855 and to Lieutenant the next day, Watson Smith took part that year in the Naval expedition to uncover the fate of the USS Advance, a ship that had been dispatched in 1853 to find the fate of Sir John Franklin's Artic expedition and had subsequently dissapeared. In that task he served as Acting Master of the "USS Arctic". A few years later he was assigned to serve on the USS Wabash. During the Civil War he was given command of the schooner "USS Norfolk Packet" before he received a promotion to Lieutenant Commander (July 16, 1862) and contracted Yellow Fever during the 1864 Red River Campaign. He returned to Trenton, New Jersey, where he succumbed to the disease in December 1864.
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