James Parker was born in Newark, Ohio, and graduated from the US Naval Academy, serving in the Navy until 1856, when he resigned to sudy law under Salmon P. Chase.
According to a 1911 document, on April 13, 1861, he volunteered to return to the Navy. At the Second Battle of Fort Fisher, he commanded the USS Maumee and was in charge of the Third Division of Fleet Captain Kidder Breese's landing force.
Parker was commended for his part in the action, "Most notably, during the landing, he realized that he outranked Breese, but as Breese was under the direct command of Admiral Porter, Parker relinquished control, saying, 'I won't dispute about the command, but will waive my rank and go into this fight at the head of my men leaving it up to you to make the situation just as little disagreeable as possible.'"
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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