Commodore Reigart Bolivar Lowry

Biography of Reigart B. Lowry who was a career naval officer who spent 40 years in the U.S. Navy. He played an active role in many of the major operations of the Navy from 1840 to 1880. He graduated from the first class at Annapolis, fought in the Mexican War, went to Japan with Commodore Perry, and was in a ship off of Fort Sumter when the first shots of the Civil War were fired. He played an active role in many of the important naval operations of the Civil War. After the Civil War, military operations lessened, government corruption increased, and politicians tried to gain more influence in the Navy. Reigart Lowry fought against these influences, and in his last year, he led the fight against a fellow naval officer who was trying to take advantage of this atmosphere.

This book is a story about the struggle of a man against political influence and corruption, and it is also a story about the man himself and about the Navy in which he served.

The book is about a struggle of sixteen senior Captains trying to prevent another Captain with less seniority from being promoted ahead of them. Politics and corruption had become common in government, but had been largely kept out of the Navy. The 16 Captains were fighting to keep that corruption out of the Navy.

The book is also a story of Reigart Bolivar Lowry who joined the Navy when he was 14 years old and served until his death. He served in many ways and was at the scene of most of the important events of the Navy over that 40 year period.

Since Reigart Lowry was present at most of the important events of the Navy, the book is also a history of the Navy from 1840 to 1880, including the Civil War right in middle of the period.

William McClintock received a B.A. in history from Oberlin College in 1968 and an M.A. in American History from New York University in 1970. He has had a varied career including being an officer at Bankers Trust Company, Chief Financial Officer at Corporate Annual Reports (later Addison) and since 1993, president of William McClintock Associates, a political consulting firm. Reigart B. Lowry was his great great grandfather. Hundreds of Lowry's letters and other documents were in closets at McClintock's grandmother's house. Searching through these letters and documents led to a lifetime interest in history and research. Much of this book was written many years ago and edited and reedited over the years.