Emmons family.

George Foster Emmons, a career officer, began training at the Brooklyn naval school in 1828. Upon completing his studies in 1834, he married Antonia Thornton, daughter of Francis Anthony Thornton, who was head purser of the United States Navy.

From 1830-33, Emmons served on the frigate Brandywine cruising in the Mediterranean. His next assignment took him to South America where Emmons would spend most of his career. He served on several ships before 1838 when he joined the Wilkes expedition exploring Antarctic. He returned to South America for most of the 1840s, although in 1847 he was sent to the Pacific division to patrol the California coast. In the 1850s Emmons alternated between commanding the frigate Savannah off South America and serving in the naval Bureau of Construction and Equipment, Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, Emmons guarded the Texas coast as part of the West Gulf Blockade Squadron. In 1866 he became captain of the U.S.S. Ossipee in the North Pacific Squadron and the following year escorted the American commissioners to take official possession of Alaska.

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