---
title: Captain Franklin Buchanan: First Commander of the CSS Virginia
author: Mathew Brady
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22317/captain-franklin-buchanan/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-11-05
---
# Captain Franklin Buchanan: First Commander of the CSS Virginia
_Authored by Mathew Brady_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/22317.jpeg)
## Image Caption
Captain Franklin Buchanan of the US Navy, circa 1855-1861, photograph by Mathew Brady.
The picture is thought to have been taken in May 1861, shortly after Buchanan resigned his commission in the belief that his home state of Maryland was going to secede from the Union. It did not, but Buchanan's attempt to take back his resignation was rejected, and he joined the Confederate Navy, commanding the *CSS Virginia* on the first day of the [Battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of Hampton Roads and becoming a full admiral by 1864.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Brady, M. (2026, November 05). Captain Franklin Buchanan: First Commander of the CSS Virginia. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Brady, Mathew. "Captain Franklin Buchanan: First Commander of the CSS Virginia." *World History Encyclopedia*, November 05, 2026. .
### MLA
Brady, Mathew. "Captain Franklin Buchanan: First Commander of the CSS Virginia." *World History Encyclopedia*, 05 Nov 2026, .
## License & Copyright
The public domain content above is from the [Library of Congress](http://www.loc.gov/). You can copy it freely. [Original image](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018667934/) by [**Mathew Brady**](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018667934/). Submitted by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/ "User Page: Joshua J. Mark"), published on 05 November 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.