SELFRIDGE, Thomas Oliver, naval officer, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 24 April, 1804. He entered the navy as midshipman, 1 January, 1818, was promoted to lieutenant, 3 March, 1827, and served in the West Indies, Brazil, and the Mediterranean. He was commissioned commander, 11 April, 1844, and was assigned to the ship "Columbus," which was the flag-ship of the East India squadron in 1845-'6, and subsequently of the Pacific squadron during the Mexican war, 1846-'7. In May, 1847, he was transferred to the sloop "Dale," in which he participated in the engagement and capture of Mazatlan and Guawnas; at the latter place he received a severe wound, in consequence of which he was obliged to relinquish the command of the "Dale," and returned home in June, 1848. He was then on leave and on duty at the Boston navy-yard until 1861, when he had command of the steam frigate " Mississippi," in the Gulf squadron, for a few months. His wound incapacitated him for sea-service, and he had charge of the navy-yard at Mare island, California, in 1862-'5. He was promoted to captain, 14 September, 1855, and to commodore, 16 July, 1862, and was retired on 24 April, 1866. He was president of the examining board in 1869-'70, lighthouse inspector at Boston, and also member of the examining board in 1870-'1, since which time he has been on waiting orders, and is now the senior officer of the navy on the retired list. He was promoted to rear-admiral, 25 July, 1866.--His son, Thomas Oliver, naval officer, born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, 6 February, 1837, was graduated at the United States naval academy at the head of his class in 1854. He was promoted to lieutenant, 15 February, 1860, and was 2d lieutenant of the "Cumberland" when she was sunk by the "Merrimac" in Hampton Roads, Virginia He was detailed to command the "Monitor" after the engagement with the " Merrimac," but was transferred as flag-lieutenant of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, fie was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, and commanded the iron-clad steamer " Cairo," which was blown up by a torpedo in Yazoo river, near Vicksburg. He had charge of a siege-battery in the capture of Vicksburg, and the steamers "Conestoga" and "Manitou." He commanded the iron-clad Osage, , in the Red river expedition, during which he inflicted a loss of 400 killed and wounded on the Confederates at Blair's plantation. He next commanded the "Vindicator" and the 5th division of the Mississippi river fleet until 1864. He had charge of the steamer "Huron" in both attacks on Fort Fisher, and commanded the 3d division of the landing party of sailors that stormed the fort. He was promoted to commander, 31 December, 1869, and in that year took charge of surveys for an interoceanic canal across the isthmus of Darien. He surveyed the San Blas route in 1870, the lines near Caledonia bay, the De Puydt route, and the Gorgoza route in 1871, and the Atrato river in 1871-'3. He was also a member of the international congress at Paris on the subject of the canal in 1876. The official reports of these surveys were published by congress. He commanded the steamer "Enterprise," North Atlantic station, in 1877-'80, during which cruise he surveyed Amazon river. He was commissioned captain, 24 February, 1881, and in January took charge of the torpedo station at Newport, Rhode Island, where he remained until 1885. During his service at the torpedo station he invented a device to protect a ship by suspending torpedoes to a net by which an attacking torpedo would be destroyed. In 1885-'7 he commanded the "Omaha," of the Asiatic squadron, and in March, 1877, after he had engaged in target practice off the island of Ike-Sima, Japan, the bursting of an unexploded shell caused the death of four natives of the island. He was tried by court-martial for criminal carelessness in Washington in 1888, but was acquitted.