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Home Town Shelbyville, Tennessee
Last Address He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetary.
George Beall Balch (8 January 1821 – 18 April 1908) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.
Born in Shelbyville, Tennessee, Balch was appointed Acting Midshipman in 1837 and was assigned to the sloop "Cyane," of the Pacific squadron. He served in the Mexican War and was executive officer of Plymouth during Commodore Matthew C. Perry's expedition to Japan. During the Civil War he took part in many engagements. Rear Admiral Balch served as superintendent of the Naval Academy (1879–81) and for a short period commanded the Pacific Fleet. He retired in January 1883 and died at Raleigh, North Carolina.
Other Comments:
Rear Admiral George B. Balch, USN, (1821-1908) George Beale Balch was born in Shelbyville, Tennessee, on 3 January 1821. Appointed as a U.S. Navy Midshipman from the state of Alabama in late 1837, his assignments during the next dozen years included several ships, some of them serving with the African and Mediterranean Squadrons. He also took part in combat operations along the Mexican east coast during 1846-1847 and had two periods of duty in Washington, D.C., the last at the Naval Observatory.
Balch was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in August 1850. In 1851-1855 he was an officer on the sloop of war Plymouth in the Far East. In April 1854, during that tour, he was wounded in action at Shanghai, China. After briefly serving in the Great Lakes' gunboat Michigan in 1855, Lieutenant Balch was assigned to the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. for nearly two years. He went back to sea in Plymouth in 1857, when she was part of the Home Squadron, transferring to the sloop of war Jamestown later in the year. From late 1858 until October 1860 he served in the sloop of war St. Mary's on the Pacific Squadron.
As the political crisis of 1860-1861 developed into Civil War, Lieutenant Balch was ashore, at the Naval Academy and the Naval Observatory. From mid-1861 to mid-1862 he was commanding officer of the steam sloop Pocahontas, an active blockader along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, and received promotion to the rank of Commander during this time. He spent most of the rest of the Civil War in command of USS Pawnee, which was also employed along the Confederacy's south Atlantic coast.
While back at the Washington Navy Yard in 1865-1868, Balch was promoted to Captain. He commanded USS Contoocook (renamed Albany 1n 1869) during 1868-1870, then returned to the Nation's Capital for several assignments during the 1870s and in mid-decade was Governor of the Naval Asylum, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After attaining the rank of Rear Admiral in June 1878, Balch was Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, at Annapolis, Maryland (1879-1881), then commanded the Pacific Station until retired from active duty in January 1883. Rear Admiral George B. Balch died at Raleigh, North Carolina, on 16 April 1908. He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetary.
The Navy has named two destroyers in honor of Rear Admiral George B. Balch: USS Balch (Destroyer # 50, later DD-50), 1914-1935; and USS Balch (DD-363), 1936-1946.
This was formed in 1866 when the Pacific Squadron (1818 - 1866) was divided into two parts - North Pacific Squadron and South pacific Squadron, these 2 squadrons were then combined in 1872 to form the Pacific Station (1872 - 1878) which changed names in 1878 to the Pacific Squadron until 1907 when it was renamed the Pacific Fleet.
Other Memories Balch was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in August 1850. In 1851-1855 he was an officer on the sloop of war Plymouth in the Far East. In April 1854, during that tour, he was wounded in action at Shanghai, China. After briefly serving in the Great Lakes' gunboat Michigan in 1855, Lieutenant Balch was assigned to the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. for nearly two years. He went back to sea in Plymouth in 1857, when she was part of the Home Squadron, transferring to the sloop of war Jamestown later in the year. From late 1858 until October 1860 he served in the sloop of war St. Mary's on the Pacific Squadron.
