Isherwood, Benjamin Franklin (1822-1915) chief engineer in the Engineer Corps of the U.S. Navy (1849), engineer in chief of the U.S. Navy (1861), and first chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering (1863-69), born in New York City. Isherwood's main achievement was the rapid design and construction of a steam-powered fleet for the Civil War. He had to provide a sufficient number of ships to blockade Confederate supply routes, a daunting task given the state of the navy in 1861. During the war Isherwood designed machinery for forty-six paddlewheel vessels and seventy-nine screw steamers. In 1862 he advocated building large, fast, heavily armed and armored ships, which were in construction from 1863 until after the war. He also conducted numerous experiments on marine engines to study the practical use of steam for power. Although his Wampanoag (1868) was the fastest ship in the world, Isherwood came under increasing criticism from civilian engineers, Congress, and naval officers who believed steam-powered vessels had too many drawbacks, and he was removed from office. He retired in 1884, after which he was made rear admiral.
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