STEWART, Charles, naval officer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 28 July, 1778; died in Bordentown, New Jersey, 6 November, 1869. His parents were Irish; his father died in 1780, and his mother was left with scant means to provide for four children. He entered the merchant marine as cabin-boy in 1791, and quickly rose to the command of an Indiaman. Entering the navy as lieutenant, 9 March, 1798, he served in the frigate "United States" in the West Indies, operating against French privateers. On 16 July, 1800, he was appointed to command the schooner "Experiment" in the West Indies, where he captured the French schooner "Deux Amis." He was also chased by two French vessels, which he skilfully avoided, and by following them he fought and captured one, the schooner "Diana," before the other vessel could assist, in the engagement. On 16 November, 1800, he took the privateer " Louisa Bridger," and the next month he rescued sixty women and children that had been wrecked while flying from a revolution in Santo Domingo. The Spanish governor of the island wrote a letter of thanks to the president for Stewart's services. He was retained on the list of lieutenants in the naval reorganization of 1801. In 1802 he served as executive of the " Constellation," blockading Tripoli, but returned in 1803 and was placed in command of the brig " Siren," in Preble's squadron, off Tripoli, where he convoyed Decatur in the "Intrepid" to destroy the " Philadelphia," and participated in all the attacks on Tripoli, being included in the vote of thanks by congress on 3 March, 1805, to Preble's officers. While blockading Tripoli he captured the Greek ship " Catapoliana" and the British brig "Scourge" for violating the blockade. As master commandant he took charge of the "Essex" and went with the fleet to Tunis, where his commander-in-chief that it was illegal to make war except by declaration of congress. He returned home in 1806, commanding the "Constellation," and was promoted to captain, 22 April, 1806. He superintended the construction of gun-boats at New York in 1806-'7, was engaged in the merchant marine in 1808-'12, but returned to the service in 1812, and with Bainbridge dissuaded the cabinet from the proposed policy of not sending the navy to sea against the British. He was assigned to command the "Argus " and "Hornet " in a special expedition to the West Indies on 23 June, 1812, but the order was cancelled, and he was appointed to command the " Constellation." In going to Norfolk he met a British fleet, which he skilfully avoided, and then participated in the defence of the town. In the summer of 1813 he took command of the " Constitution," destroyed the" Pictou," an armed merchant ship, and the brigs "Catherine" and "Phoenix," chased several British ships-of-war and the frigate "La Pique," and narrowly escaped two British frigates near Boston. With new sails he left Boston in December, 1814, captured the brig " Lord Nelson " off Bermuda, 24 December. 1814, and the ship "Susan" off Lisbon, and on 23 February, 1815, took two British ships-of-war, the " Cyane " and "Levant," after a spirited engagement of fifty minutes. While he was at anchor at St. Jago, Cape de Verde, a British fleet approached, from which he adroitly escaped with the " Constitution" and "Cyane," the "Levant" being recaptured by the fleet in the neutral harbor which she had just left. He received from congress a vote of thanks, a sword, and a gold medal, from the Pennsylvania legislature a vote of thanks and a sword, and the freedom of the city of New York. Like the famous frigate, represented in the illustration, Stewart received the soubriquet of "Old Ironsides." He commanded the Mediterranean squadron, in the "Franklin." in 1816-'20, and the Pacific squadron in 1820-'4, where he caused a paper blockade to be annulled, and vindicated the rights of American commerce. He was commissioner of the navy in 1830-'2, commanded the Philadelphia navy-yard in 1838-'41, and in 1841 was mentioned as a candidate for president, but was not nominated. He had charge of the Home squadron in 1842-'3, commanded the Philadelphia navy-yard again in 1846, and from 1854 till 1861. He was retired as senior commodore in 1856 and flag-officer in 1860, and on 16 July, 1862, was commissioned rear-admiral, after which he was on waiting orders until his death. He was in the service seventy-one years, and the senior officer for seventeen years. On 21 May, 1835, his daughter, DELIA TUDOR, married Charles Henry Parnell, and she became the mother of Charles Stewart Parnell, the Irish home-rule leader in the British parliament.