VOORHEES, Philip Falkerson, naval officer, born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1792; died in Annapolis, Maryland, 26 February, 1862. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 15 November, 1809, and was engaged in the second war with Great Britain, taking part in the capture of the "Macedonian" by the" United States," and of the "Epervier" by the " Peacock," for which he received a medal from congress. He was promoted to commander, 24 April, 1828, and to captain, 28 February, 1838, and in 1842-'5 was assigned the frigate "Congress " on her first cruise, during which he assisted in rescuing the stranded British steamer " Gorgon" in La Plata river. In 1844 Captain Voorhees captured an armed Argentine squadron and an allied cruiser which had fired into his convoy, a Boston bark, where some fishermen, chased by the cruiser, had taken refuge. Captain Voorhees released this squadron after an apology had been made, but detained the cruiser, which had aggravated the assault by firing under a false flag, Commander Daniel Turner afterward released the cruiser, but justified Captain Voorhees's action in a letter to the Argentine commander, and Voorhees was also highly praised by United States diplomatic and consular representatives and foreign naval officers in South America. Yet this capture was made the occasion for a series of charges on which he was tried by courts-martial in 1845. The sentences of these courts were not approved, and after a few months' suspension President Polk, in 1847, restored Captain Voorhees to his full rank in the navy, and gave him command of the East India squadron--the post of an admiral at the present day, that grade not having been established at that time, "in manifestation of his complete rehabilitation in honor as well as in rank in the judgment of the government" as declared in the official opinion of Attorney-General Caleb Cushing, which also declared the proceedings of the courts-martial "null and void." He returned in 1851 in his flag-ship, the "Plymouth," and in 1855 was placed on the reserved list. He regarded this as an injustice, and appealed to congress for reinstatement, but a court of inquiry reaffirmed the decision of the board. On a second appeal President Buchanan referred the whole matter to Attorney-General Jeremiah S. Black, who, in an opinion dated 15 October, 1858, said: " The history, even of the American navy, hardly contains another instance where one man has been the victim of so many blunders." President Buchanan, with the consent of the senate, therefore restored him to the leave pay-list, and at the opening of the civil war Captain Voorhees urged his assignment to active duty, but, he died a few months afterward.