William Nicholson (naval officer)

William Carmichael Nicholson (ca. 1790 – 25 July 1872) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

William Carmichael Nicholson
Born	Maryland
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Navy Union Navy
Rank	Commodore
Unit	USS President
Commands held	USS Roanoke
Battles/wars	War of 1812 American Civil War
Awards	Medal of Honor

A native of Maryland, Nicholson was the son of naval officer John Nicholson. He entered as a midshipman in 1812 and served on the USS President under Stephen Decatur during the War of 1812.

Commissioned captain in 1855, he commanded steam frigate USS Roanoke from May 1861. Appointed Commodore on the retired list in July 1862, he served a year on the Retiring Board. He died at the Philadelphia Naval Asylum at the age of approximately eighty.

Namesake

The ships named USS Nicholson were named for him, his father, his uncles, James Nicholson and Samuel Nicholson, and his cousin, James W. Nicholson.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.