Editing Silas H. Stringham (section)

== Early career ==

Having received his commission as a [[lieutenant]] on December 9, 1814,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/war1812/list3.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19980703135102/http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/war1812/list3.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 3, 1998 |title=Naval Officers of the War of 1812 |work=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]] |year=2011 |access-date=12 March 2012}}</ref> he was assigned to the brig {{USS|Spark|1813|2}}, Captain Thomas Gamble, which was part of [[Stephen Decatur]]'s squadron in the [[Second Barbary War|Barbary Wars]], and helped to take an Algerine frigate. In early 1816, while ''Spark'' was at [[Gibraltar]], a French brig, attempting to enter the bay in a heavy gale, capsized. Stringham and six seamen in a small boat, pulled over to the brig, and rescued five of the crew. He attempted to return to ''Spark'', but could make no headway, so turned and pulled for the Algerian shore, but was wrecked in the heavy surf, with one of his crew and two of the Frenchmen drowned.<ref name="JTHeadley"/>

In 1819 Stringham was serving aboard the {{HMS|Cyane|1806|2}}, conveying [[American Colonization Society|black settlers]] to [[Liberia]]. While ''Cyane'' was off the African coast. Captain Edward Trenchard gave Stringham command of a boat in the capturing of four slavers. Trenchard then appointed Stingham prize-master and sent him home with them. In 1821 Stringham was appointed [[first lieutenant]] of the brig {{USS|Hornet|1805 brig|2}} in the [[West Indies Squadron (United States)|West Indies Squadron]], and from 1825 to 1829 served at the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard]]. In late 1829 he was appointed First Lieutenant of the {{USS|Peacock|1813|2}} to take part in the search for his former ship ''Hornet'', believed lost. During the search he was transferred to the sloop {{USS|Falmouth|1827|2}}, and sent to [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]], finally returning to New York in 1830.<ref name="JTHeadley"/>

Stringham was promoted to [[Commander (United States)|commander]] on March 3, 1831,<ref name="hamersly"/> and for the next five years was engaged on shore duty. In 1836-37 he served in the [[Mediterranean Squadron (United States)|Mediterranean Squadron]]<ref name="JTHeadley"/> commanding the {{USS|John Adams|1799|2}},<ref name="hamersly"/> then returned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard.<ref name="JTHeadley"/> Receiving promotion to [[Captain (United States)|captain]] in 1841,<ref name="Eicher">{{cite book |last1=Eicher |first1=John H |author-link1=David J. Eicher |title=Civil War High Commands |year=2001 |publisher=Stanford University Press|location=Stanford, CA|isbn=978-0-8047-3641-1|page=516}}</ref> he commanded the [[razee]] {{USS|Independence|1814|2}} in the [[Home Squadron]] in 1843, then returned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, serving as [[commandant]] in 1845–46.<ref name="hamersly"/>