Commodore Daniel Todd Patterson

Commodore Daniel Todd Patterson (1786-1839) was a hero from the Battle of New Orleans, the final conflict of the War of 1812. During the decisive battles of December 1814 and January 1815, Patterson was Commodore of the flotilla supporting General Andrew Jackson. Posed against a threatening sky, the youthful, masculine Patterson is pictured making a traditional gesture of command. On February 28, 1815, he was promoted to Captain, and his portrait was probably commissioned shortly thereafter. His naval career brought him to Norfolk in 1824. His portraitist, John Wesley Jarvis, painted a steady stream of naval officers from the same war, beginning with six full-length portraits for New York City Hall, an unprecedented and highly publicized commission.

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