For years there has been a demand for a single reference that would provide information on all US naval officers of flag rank, and now this specially commissioned work, the first in a series, fills that vital need. This volume presents concise but complete biographical summaries of the 211 men of the US Navy who achieved the rank of admiral from 1862, when the rank of rear admiral was first used, to the end of the nineteenth century. Staff as well as line officers are included, and those who achieved the rank of admiral after retirement are also listed. Each entry contains personal information military ranks and information is also provided on the availabilty and location of personal papers and published or unpublished articles and other materials written by or about each man. Finally, there is a photograph of nearly every individual listed. Until now information of this sort has been very difficult to obtain and frequently inaccurate, because recordkeeping in the navy"s early years was limited. For the researcher, then, this dictionary eliminates the frustration of collecting bits of information from numerious sources. Subsequent volumes will include all American admirals to the present. Additional volumes on US Marine Corps generals and Coast Guard admirals are planned as well.