Joseph Smith (1790–1877)

Joseph Smith (30 March 1790 – 17 January 1877) was an rear admiral of the United States Navy, who served during the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War.

Biography
Smith entered the navy as a midshipman in 1809 and he served as the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks from 1846 until his retirement in 1869. During the Civil War Smith was a member of the Ironclad board who oversaw the planning, development and construction of the USS Monitor, the U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship.