and French squadron under fire from the Taku Forts at the mouth of the Pei Ho or Hai River. His explanation of his action, "blood is thicker than water", subsequently became a famous slogan. On his return voyage early in 1860, Tattnall commanded the Powhatan, carrying the first diplomatic embassy from Tokugawa Japan to the United States. While stopped at Honolulu, Hawaii along the way, the British residents of that city wrote a letter thanking Tattnall for his "gallant and humane conduct" during the "unfortunate affair at the Pei-ho River". The embassy was safely conveyed to San Francisco and then Panama, where they crossed the isthmus and continued on to Washington, D.C. American Civil War At the outbreak of the Civil War, Capt. Tattnall held command of the Sackett's Harbor Station. Though he opposed secession, Tattnall resigned his commission on February 21, 1861. A week later, Governor Joseph E. Brown commissioned Tattnall as the senior flag officer of the Navy of Georgia. On March 26, 1861, he received his commission as a captain in the Confederate Navy. Tattnall commanded Southern naval units during the defense of Port Royal until the harbor was captured by Union forces on 7 November 1861. From there, he moved to overall command of the defense of Virginia's waters early in March 1862. Tattnall, by then a flag officer in the Confederate Navy as well as the Navy of Georgia, directed CSS Jamestown and other warships in captures of Federal merchantmen off Sewell's Point in April 1862. On May 11, 1862, in the face of advancing Federal forces, Flag Officer Tattnall ordered the destruction of his flagship, CSS Virginia (ex-Merrimack). He was later acquitted by a court martial of all charges stemming from that action. He resumed command of the naval forces of Georgia on May 29, 1862, and retained it until 31 March 1863, when he turned over command of forces afloat to Comdr. Richard L. Page and concentrated upon the shore defenses of Savannah. When Savannah fell to General William Tecumseh Sherman's troops, Tattnall became a prisoner of war. He was paroled on May 9, 1865, and, soon thereafter, took up residence once more in Savannah. Death Tattnall died in Savannah on June 14, 1871, and was buried in Bonaventure Cemetery. He is buried in the Tattnall family plot (section E, lot 1), beside his wife. Namesakes Two ships, USS Tattnall, have been named