JOSIAH

See also:

• JOSIAH TATTNALL (1795-1871)

TATTNALL (1795-1871)  , American naval officer, was born near Savannah, and was educated in England . He entered the United States navy in 1812, and was actively employed till the beginning of the Civil War . He may be said to have gained a world-wide reputation by his use of the phrase " blood is thicker than water " to justify his intervention on behalf of the British squadron engaged in the operations against the Peiho Forts . Tattnall's flagship the Toeywan had grounded shortly before, and had been helped off by the British squadron . He was in the Peiho river when the unsuccessful attack of the 25th of June 1859 was made . Tattnall not only brought the Toeywan under fire, but lent the aid of his boats to land detachments to turn the Chinese defences . When the Civil War began he took the side of the Confederacy . He was put in command of its naval forces when Franklin Buchanan resigned after he was wounded in the action with the Federal squadron in Hampton Roads . The Confederate States were never able to form a sea-going squadron, and Tattnall had no chance to do more than make a struggle with insufficient resources on its rivers . He died on the 14th of June 1871 .