LeRoy Fitch


LeRoy Fitch, was a member of the United States Naval Academy class of 1856, and served with great distinction in the American Civil War and afterward. Commanding Moose in the Mississippi Squadron, in 1863 he pursued General John Hunt Morgan, CSA, the famed raider, for 500 miles up the Ohio River, frustrating Morgan's attempts to cross the river and retire to Confederate territory. Commander Fitch died in Logansport, Indiana, 13 April 1875.

Namesake

In 1941, the destroyer USS Fitch was named in honor of Commander Fitch, sponsored by his grandniece, Mrs. H. W. Thomas.