He was first lieutenant (i.e. second in command) of the 20-gun brig USS Eagle during the Battle of Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814.

Along with the other officers who fought in the battle, he received the Thanks of Congress and a silver commemorative medal.

He served on board the famed frigate USS Constellation in the Mediterranean Sea from 1815 to 1817.

He was among the first group of officers promoted to the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy.

After leaving his position as chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks in the spring of 1869, he served on the board from examining officers for promotion until September 1871, when he was fully retired after 62 years of continuous service in the Navy.