John Dillingham was born on February 15, 1824, in Brewster, Massachusetts, to Nathan and Eliza Dillingham. His father earned a living as a trader. His mother died on June 7, 1830, and his father married Emily Foster on June 11, 1831. By 1850, he was living in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and working as a mariner. He married Clara C. Ball on February 12, 1852, and their son Georgia was born around 1855.
According to an early biographer, he “was a California pioneer, and commanded clipper ships in the [18]50s.” He returned to Chelsea by 1860, and the census enumerator described him as a “master mariner.” By 1860, he owned $3,000 of real estate and $1,200 of personal property.
He joined the United States Navy in May 1861, and he served as an acting master. By December 1862, he was commanding the USS Morning Light. He served on blockade duty off the coast of Texas. Confederate forces captured him in January 1863, and he remained a prisoner of war until August 1864. He resigned from the navy on December 28, 1864.
He returned to Chelsea after leaving the navy, and he resumed his work as a master mariner. By 1870, he owned $3,500 of real estate and $1,800 of personal property. He retired in the 1870s and moved to Titusville, Pennsylvania. In 1889, he received an appointment as warden of the port of San Diego, California. He died there of “La Gripp” on January 25, 1895.