Frank Carvill Cosby – Rear Admiral, United States Navy

Frank Carvill Cosby was born on 10 April 1840 at Louisville, Kentucky, to Fortunatus Cosby and Mary Jane Blake Cosby.  He married Charlotte Melvina Spencer on 6 December 1864 at Chester Parish, Kent County, Maryland.  He died on 8 February 1905 at Washington, D.C. and was buried with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

In May 1857, Frank Carvill Cosby was appointed as Captain’s Clerk on board the U.S.S. Cumberland. While in Rome at the outbreak of the Civil War, he received two letters, one from the Secretary of War at Washington offering him a commission as First Lieutenant in he Army, and the other from the Secretary of War at Richmond, Virginia, offering the same rank in the Confederate Army. He declined both offers and sought and obtained an appointement as Assistant Paymaster in the Unied States Navy. He entered the service, August 24, 1861 and was promoted as Paymaster on April 14, 1862. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral on April 14, 1902.

NOTE: His sons, Spencer Crosby, Colonel, United States Army, and Arthur Fortunatus Cosby, Captain, United States Army, are also buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.

COSBY, FRANK C
PAY DIR US NAVY

• DATE OF DEATH: 02/07/1905
• BURIED AT: SECTION W/DIV  SITE LOT 319
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

COSBY, CHARLOTTE M WIDOW OF FRANK C

• DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1927
• BURIED AT: SECTION WW  SITE LOT 319
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard