sed the requisite
examination for promotion, but he had to wait for his turn to fill a
vacancy, and, consequently, was not promoted to the rank of lieutenant
until the 20th of December, 1837. As a lieutenant, he made a good deck
officer and a very excellent executive or first-lieutenant. In the
latter capacity he served on board the bomb-brig _Stromboli_, in the
Gulf of Mexico, during the war between Mexico and the United States.
The _Stromboli_ was actively employed, and Tucker participated in the
capture of Tobasco and other naval operations against the enemy.
During the latter part of the war Tucker succeeded to the command of
the _Stromboli_ as Lieutenant-Commanding, retaining the command until
the cessation of hostilities.

His last cruise whilst belonging to the United States Navy was made as
executive officer of the frigate _Cumberland_, the flag-ship of
Flag-Officer Stringham, on the Mediterranean Station, thus ending his
active service in the United States Navy where it began, after an
interval of thirty years.

Soon after his promotion to a lieutenancy Tucker was married, at
Norfolk, Virginia, on the 7th of June, 1838, to Virginia, daughter of
Captain Thomas Tarleton Webb, of the United States Navy. This union
was, uninterruptedly, most happy and harmonious until it was dissolved
by the death of Mrs. Tucker in 1858. She left several children, three
of whom--Randolph Tucker, of Richmond, Virginia; Tarleton Webb Tucker,
of Memphis, Tennessee; and Virginius Tucker, of Norfolk,
Virginia--are now living and prospering.

On September 14th, 1855, Tucker received his commission as a
Commander, and at the same time was ordered to command the
_Pennsylvania_, an old three-decker ship-of-the-line which was in
commission as receiving-ship at Norfolk. His next duty was as Ordnance
Officer of the Norfolk Navy Yard, and it was whilst he was employed on
this duty that the secession of Virginia caused him to forward his
resignation to the Secretary of the Navy.

There is no intention of discussing in this biographical sketch the
questions which were in controversy between the Northern and Southern
States until they were finally settled by the arbitrament of arms; it
is sufficient to say that nothing but the sincerest conviction that
the highest duty required the sacrifice could have induced an officer
in Tucker's position to leave an established and an illustrious navy
to enter the service of a people who had neither ships