Daniel Carmick

Daniel Carmick, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1772, was appointed a lieutenant of Marines on USS Ganges on May 5, 1798, and entered the newly formed United States Marine Corps as a captain on July 11, 1798. During the Quasi-War with France, he commanded the Marine Detachment on the USS Constitution and led the daring attack to spike the cannon in the fort at Puerto Plata in Hispaniola.

Major Carmick served with distinction in the Mediterranean, and led Marines under Lt. Francis de Bellevue [François-Godefroy Barbin de Bellevue (1789-1845)] in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. When the war began, the U.S. naval presence in New Orleans was perhaps stronger than at any point in the country, certainly as to "gunboats," the shallow-draft coastal and riverine craft.

Wounded on December 28, 1814, by a Congreve rocket in one of the engagements which set the stage for the more well-known (January 8, 1815) battle, Daniel Carmick died November 6, 1816. At that time, Carmick was the "second highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps." He is buried in Saint Louis Cemetery Number 2 in New Orleans.

In 1942, the destroyer USS Carmick (DD-493) was named in his honor.

Marine Corps ceremonies were held at Major Carmick's tomb in conjunction with the Marine Corps "birthday" celebration, November, 2012. Carmick's contributions to his fledgling country and Corps have escaped well-deserved scrutiny. He participated in the U.S. Marine Corps' first landing on foreign soil on May 11, 1800, * (See Note Below) is credited with helping to establish the term "leatherneck" in reference to Marines, and apparently had issues with authority (the Commandant of the Marine Corps, which was a position Carmick felt he himself deserved), eventually being acquitted by a court martial and having his command returned to him.

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