The Mallory Family Had Ties to the Sea: Charles' Brother Stephen

A letter to the William and Mary College Quarterly from John S. Mallory, brother of Charles K. Mallory, written in 1925.

Stephen Blount Mallory was born at Hampton, Virginia, June 15, 1856.  In 1872, as a result of a competitive examination he was appointed a Cadet Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy after taking a short preparatory course at William and Mary College.

Upon graduation in 1876 from the Academy, he was appointed midshipman in the U.S. Navy and served as such until his untimely death of yellow fever in 1878, contracted while his ship, the USS Plymouth, lay in the harbor of Frederiksted, St. Croix, (Santa Cruz), Danish West Indies, now the Virgin Islands of the United States.

He was buried in the cemetery of St. Paul's Church (Anglican), Frederiksted, where his remains still are.  He had the reputation of being a very efficient and popular young officer.  He died unmarried.

--Old B-Runner

Navy Medal of Honor Recipient Henry Schutes-- Part 4: Not One, But Two Medals of Honor

Henry Schutes received Medals of Honor for both actions.  This was a new honor created in1861.  t the time of the actions, Schutes was 58, making him the oldest Medal of Honor winner.

It is not clear when he left the Navy, but according to the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, a register of employees at the USNA showed him employed there as a civilian watchman in 1865.  At some point in the mid-1870s, he moved to Philadelphia to the Naval Asylum, which was a home and hospital for retired seamen.

He broke a leg in 1889, but "refused to keep his splint in place and grew increasingly belligerent about eating."  He died on September 10, 1889 and was buried at Mount Moriah.

The cemetery attributes his death to "general failure of willpower."

--Old B-R'er

USS Passaic-- Part 7: Raising the Flag Over Sumter and Postwar Service

Following extensive repairs, she was sent to Wassau Sound under the command of Lt. Commander  Fillebrown and served on the blockade for the rest of the war.

The Passaic received a great honor on April 14, 1865, when she was ordered to Charleston to take part in the ceremony of raising the U.S. flag over Fort Sumter, exactly four years to the day after Anderson had surrendered the fort.

On June 18, 1865, the Passaic was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

It was laid up  at League Island Navy Yard in Philadelphia until 1875, when she returned to duty as part of the North Atlantic Squadron, serving as a receiving ship at the Washington Navy Yard  

She cruised with the fleet from September 1, 1882, until the November 18th when she was assigned duty with the Naval Academy at Annapolis, remaining there for the next ten years.

--Old B-Runner

This Veterans Day: In Honor of David D. Wemple, Lt. USN, Killed at Fort Fisher

I will be devoting seven of my blogs to Veterans Day 2021 today.

From the USNA Memorial Hall.

DAVID D. WEMPLE

BIRTH: June 21, 1843

DEATH:  December 24, 1864

AGE: 21

David Duane Wemple was admitted to the Naval Academy from Wisconsin on September 24, 1858, at the age of 15 years, 3 months.

From Find A Grave.

BIRTH:  21 June 1843  Steuben County, New York

DEATH:  24 December 1864  (aged 21)  Fort Fisher North Carolina

BURIAL:  Emerald Grove Cemetery   Emerald Grove, Wisconsin  (Lot 8, Grave 4)

--Old B-Runner

Some More on Charles V. Gridley-- Part 1

Back in June, I was writing about Charles V. Gridley and his service in the United States Navy, including the Civil War.  He was probably most famous as being the recipient of George Dewey's command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." at the Battle of Manila Bay which was a huge American victory during the Spanish-American War.

I have come across some more information on his Civil War service and will include it here.

From "The Spanish-American War Centennial Website, Capt. Charles V. "Steve" Gridley.

He was just 16 when appointed to the USNA and graduated in 1864 in the bottom half of his class, which also included future notables Robley Evans and  Charles Sigsbee (who was in command of the USS Maine when it blew up in Havana Harbor).  Both of these men were at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

His first assignment was on the USS Oneida in Farragut's fleet where he got his baptism of fire at the Battle of Mobile Bay.  He would not  experience such a large action again for thirty-four years, at Manila Bay.

--Old B-Runner

Civil War Service of Charles V. Gridley

From the Nation Cyclopaedia.

In 1860, he was appointed from Hillsdale, Michigan, to the United States Naval Academy  by Representative  Henry Waldron.  The opening of the civil War advanced the graduation of the Class of 1864, to which he belonged by one year; and on October 1, 1863, he was appointed ensign and assigned to the steam sloop-of-war USS Oneida, attached to the West Coast Blockading Squadron.

He was in a number of engagements, and while on the Oneida specially distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864.  He was  favorably mentioned in the Oneida's official report of the ship's executive officer:  "The conduct of  acting ensign Charles V. Gridley is beyond all praise.  He had charge of the master's division and assisted in the conning the ship from the gallant forecastle."

At the end of the war,  he was ordered to the steam sloop  USS Brooklyn, flagship of the Brazilian Station.

--Old B-Runner

Find-A-Grave: Charles Vernon Gridley From Mobile Bay to Manila Bay

CAPTAIN CHARLESVERNON GRIDLEY

BIRTH:  24 November 1844,  Logansport, Indiana

DEATH:  5 June 1898, Kobe, Japan

BURIAL:  Lakeside Cemetery, Erie, Pennsylvania

United States Naval Officer.  Am 1864 graduate of the USNA. (which had temporarily moved to Newport, Rhode Island during the Civil War for safety), he served as acting ensign on board the USS Oneida at the August 5, 1864, Battle of Mobile Bay.

By the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he had risen to the rank of captain, and was in command of the USS Olympia during the May 1, 1898, Battle of Manila Bay.  The Olympia served as the American Asiatic Squadron's commander  George Dewey's flagship.

At the start of the battle, he  commanded Captain Gridley to commence his bombardment on the Spanish ships with the words: You may fire when ready, Gridley."  The phrase, widely reported in American newspapers, became a popular catch-phrase of the time.

Captain Gridley would die a month later after an illness on board a different ship while it was anchored off Kobe, Japan.

--Old B-Runner

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 2: 'You May Fire When You Are Ready, Gridley'

From 1871 to 1875, he was stationed on the only U.S. Navy vessel on the Great Lakes, the USS Michigan which was home based at Erie, Pennsylvania.  While stationed there, he married Harriet, the daughter of Judge John Vincent and they had three children.  Harriet was also the cousin of Civil War hero  Brigadier General Strong Vincent, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gridley was promoted to commander in 1882 and served as an instructor at the Naval Academy and the Cruiser Training  Squadron.

March 14, 1897, he was promoted to captain and ordered to the Asiatic Squadron where on July 28, 1897, he received command of the USS Olympia, Commodore  George Dewey's famous flagship in Yokohoma, Japan.

*****************************

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR

During the Battle of Manila Nay in the Philippines on 1 May 1898, Gridley commanded the Olympia from inside the vessel's armored conning tower, an uncomfortably  hot station in the relentless Philippine sun.

Dewey gave his famous command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley."  What resulted was a very one-side American victory over the outmatched Spanish fleet.

At the conclusion of the battle,  Gridley was not in condition to celebrate as he was suffering from dysentery and what appears to have been liver cancer.  The heat and stress of the conning tower had further weakened him.  Dewey would have relieved him of his command had not Gridley protested.

George Dewey had been at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

CHARLES VERNON GRIDLEY

(24 November  1844 - 5 June 1898) 

Officer in the U.S. Navy in the Civil War and Spanish-American War.

He was born to  Frank and Ann Eliza (Stokes)  Gridley in Logansport, Indiana, and his parents moved to Hillside, Michigan, when he was three months old.

After attending  Hillside College, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1860.  He reported for duty with his class in 1863, joining the crew of the sloop-of-war USS Oneida with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.  

He distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864.

After the war, he stayed in the Navy and was promoted to lieutenant in 1867 and then to lieutenant commander on March 12, 1868.

--Old B-Runner

John Julius Guthrie, Jr.-- Part 1: Son of John J. Guthrie and Brother of B.W. Guthrie, CSN

From "Civil War Biographies from Western Waters" by Myron J. Smith, Jr..

JOHN JULIUS GUTHRIE, JR.

(1844, Portsmouth, Virginia-  December 3, 1903, Norfolk County, Virginia.)

Confederate States Navy

Son of John Julius Guthrie and brother of Benjamin Wilburne  Guthrie.

This D.C. resident (District of Columbia?) was appointed an acting US Navy  midshipman in the fall of  1859, and was sent  to the USNA the following summer.

Following the opening of he Civil War in April 1861, Guthrie resigned from the Federal service and was appointed a  Confederate States Navy master's mate on September 26, 1861.

--Old B-Runner

USS Marblehead-- Part 4: Actions on the Stono River and Four Medals of Honor.

Back on the Stono River with the USS Pawnee by November, the Marblehead provided cover as U.S. Army troops sank piles as obstructions in the river above Legareville, South Carolina, on November 24.  

The next month, on Christmas Day, Confederate batteries, in an attempt to chase the Marblehead and Pawnee away, opened fire.  The Marblehead suffered some twenty hits but was able to capture two of the enemy's eight-inch  seacoast howitzers

Four of her sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for action in the last action on the Stono River.  They were contraband Robert  Blake, Boatswain's Mate William Farley, Quartermaster  James Miller and Landsman Charles Moore.

On June 2, 1964, the Marblehead became a practice ship for midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy located in Newport, Rhode Island.  After just a month, she resumed her blockading duties for five months before returning to the Academy as a practice ship.

After this, she  went to the Washington Navy Yard where the Marblehead was decommissioned  19 September  1866.  Recommissioned  the following month, she was assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron where she operated in the Caribbean for the next two years.

On 18 August 1868, the Marblehead went to New York Navy Yard, was decommissioned  4 September and sold  30 September.

--Old B-Runner

Edward Simpson's Career After the Civil War

In 1881, he took command of League Island Navy Yard and in 1884 was appointed President of the Gun Foundry Board.  After that, he left the States again and traveled to Europe for advisory services.

Upon his return, he was promoted to rear admiral and next became President of the Advisory Board, which position he gave up in 1885 for President of the Board of Inspection.  He was regarded as an authority on all matters of ordnance and was author of three books on the subject now used at the Naval Academy.

Throughout his long career he had acted in an advisory capacity on issues dealing with ordnance.  One of his last offices was that of advisory boards which designed the light cruisers USS Boston, Raleigh and Atlanta.  Two of these participated in the Spanish-American War and two of them were in World War I.

At the time of his retirement , he had served in the U.S. Navy for forty-six years.  In 1920, the Navy commissioned the USS Simpson (DD-221).

He died on December 1, 1888, in Washington, D.C., and is buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Quite the Career.  --Old B-Runner

Edward Simpson's Career in the Civil War and Afterwards

Now at the USNA, Simpson was an instructor of naval gunnery and infantry tactics.  Prior to the Civil War, he was promoted to master, then to lieutenant.  In 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant-commander and in 1863, commanded the ironclad monitor USS Passaic in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

As commander, he took part in the attacks on Fort Wagner in July and August 1863 and Fort Sumter in August and September 1863.

At some point, he was removed as the Passaic's commander and became the USS Isonomia's first commander.  Now, that ship was in no way the equal of the Passaic, so at some point I'd have to believe that something bad happened to Simpson's career.

Even so, he was promoted to commander in 1865 and captain in 1870.  The next two years were spent in Europe on special duty.  In 1877, he was detailed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard as captain, and in 1878, having been promoted to commodore he was commanding officer at the New London Naval Station.

--Old B-Runner