Dahlgren, << DAL gruhn, >> John Adolphus Bernard (1809-1870), an American naval officer and inventor, developed the Dahlgren gun that became famous during the American Civil War (1861-1865). He served as chief of the United States Navy Bureau of Ordnance and built a gun factory, where he made and tested his naval cannon.
Dahlgren became an unofficial aide to President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and directed the defense of Washington, D.C. Later, he served as commander of the Union Navy’s South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Dahlgren was born in Philadelphia on Nov. 13, 1809. He died on July 12, 1870.
