Andrew E. K. Benham

Andrew Ellicott Kennedy Benham (April 10, 1832 – August 11, 1905) was an American rear admiral. In his early career, he served in China, the Pacific and Paraguay. During the American Civil War, he took part in the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, and patrolled the Texas coast as part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.

Early life Andrew Ellicott Kennedy Benham was born on April 10, 1832, in Staten Island, New York, near New Dorp. He was the son of Navy Commander Timothy Green Benham and Juliet Lockman.

Early career Benham was appointed a midshipman on November 24, 1847, After another tour of duty in Plymouth followed by one in the frigate , Benham attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1853. Later that year, he was transferred to the steamer Western Port (renamed Wyandotte) assigned to the expedition sent to Paraguay to extract an apology for shooting at the gunboat . In 1860, he moved to the steamer in the Home Squadron.

Personal life He married Emma Hester Seaman (1833–1924), the daughter of Henry John Seaman (1805–1861) and Katherine Sarah (née Seaman) Seaman (1813–1896). They had three children: a daughter who died in infancy c. 1866; Henry Kennedy Benham born in 1867 and who died of appendicitis in 1904; and Edith Wallace Benham (1874–1962), who married James Meredith Helm and served for 25 years as the Social Secretary for the White House under Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.

After retiring, Benham lived at 1315 20th Street NW in Washington, D.C.

Namesakes Three U.S. Navy ships have subsequently been named in his honor: , an launched in 1913. , the lead destroyer of the , which sank in battle in 1942. , a which operated during World War II.

The Benham Rise in the Philippine Sea west of Luzon was named after him.