Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson

William Thomas Sampson (9 February 1840 – 6 May 1902) was a United States Navy admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on July 3 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the

He was born in Palmyra, New York, and entered the United States Naval Academy on 24 September 1857. Palmyra is a Town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7672 at the 2000 census The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the After graduating first in his class four years later, he served as an instructor at the Academy. In 1864, he became the executive officer of the monitor Patapsco of the South Atlantic Blockading Station and engaged in sweeping torpedoes off Charleston, South Carolina. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year While executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an Organization, the exact meaning of the role is variable A monitor was a type of relatively small Warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns and was used by some navies Built in Wilmington Delaware Patapsco was the fourth US Navy ship to bear that name The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. He survived the loss of that ironclad on 15 January 1865, when she struck a torpedo, exploded, and sank with a loss of 75 lives. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Following duty in the steam frigate Colorado on the European Station, another tour as instructor at the Naval Academy, and in the Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department, he served in the screw sloop Congress. American Civil War operations Colorado was recommissioned 3 June 1861 and sailed from Boston 18 June to join the Union Navy 's The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the US government established in 1884 to enforce laws relating to the construction equipment operation inspection safety and The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30 1798 to provide administrative and technical support and civilian leadership A screw sloop is a Propeller -driven Sloop-of-war. In the 19th century during the introduction of the Steam engine, Ships driven by propellers He then commanded Alert, practice ship Mayflower, and Swatara while on duty at the Naval Academy. Built in New York in 1861 Alert -- a screw tugboat built in 1861 at Syracuse New York. Spanish-American War Acquired by the Navy for the impending war with Spain (see Spanish-American War) Mayflower joined Admiral Sampson's squadron Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Swatara for Swatara Creek in Pennsylvania.

During the next years, he was Assistant to the Superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory, then Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island. The United States Naval Observatory ( USNO) is one of the oldest Scientific agencies in the United States. Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km south of Providence On 9 September 1886, he became Superintendent of the Naval Academy. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He was promoted to Captain on 9 April 1889, reported to the Mare Island Navy Yard to fit out San Francisco, and assumed command when that protected cruiser was commissioned on 15 November 1889. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS was the first United States Navy Shipyard established on the Pacific Coast See also See USS ''San Francisco'' for other ships of this name Protected cruisers were a type of naval Cruiser of the late 19th century so known because their deck armour offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. He was detached in June 1892 to serve as Inspector of Ordnance in the Washington Navy Yard and was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance on 28 January 1893. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Washington Navy Yard is the former Shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Washington D The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd was the US Navy 's organization responsible for the procurement storage and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He assumed command of the battleship Iowa on 15 June 1897. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were See also List of battleships of the United States Navy List of ship launches in 1896 List of ship commissionings Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common On 17 February 1898, he was made President of the Board of Inquiry to investigate the destruction of the Maine. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common "The Maine" redirects here For the pop punk band see The Maine (band. On 26 March 1898, he assumed command of the North Atlantic Station, with the temporary rank of Rear Admiral. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral.

The United States declared war against Spain on 21 April 1898; and, eight days later, Admiral Cervera's fleet sailed from the Cape Verde Islands for an uncertain destination. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Pascual Cervera y Topete ( February 18, 1839 - April 3, 1909) served as Almirante (or Admiral) of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron The Republic of Cape Verde ( Portuguese: Cabo Verde, 'kabu 'veɾdɨ is a Republic located on an Archipelago in the Macaronesia Admiral Sampson, in flagship New York, put to sea from Key West in search of the Spanish Fleet and established a close and efficient blockade on that fleet in the harbor of Santiago on 1 June 1898. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well USS New York (ACR-2 Assigned to the South Atlantic Squadron, New York departed New York Harbor 27 December 1893 for Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected On the morning of 3 July 1898, Cervera's fleet came out of the harbor. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Sampson was ashore and could do nothing. Admiral Winfield Scott Schley was in command of the Flying Squadron and met the Spanish fleet, completely destroying every Spanish vessel in a running sea battle lasting five hours. Winfield Scott Schley ( 9 October 1839 - 2 October 1911) was an admiral of the United States Navy. The Flying Squadron was a US Navy squadron that operated in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean during the first half of the Spanish-American The next day, Rear Admiral Sampson sent his famous message: "The Fleet under my command offers the nation as a Fourth of July present, the whole of Cervera's Fleet". This disingenuous message left out any mention of Schley's leadership in the battle. As Schley's role became known through the press, Sampson attempted to destroy his subordinate via his own press accounts. Schley appealed for a court of inquiry, which he got in 1901. This disgraceful affair, despite some criticism of Schley, exonerated the commander of the Flying Squadron and elevated him to the status of a national hero. For his part, Sampson was publicly discredited. At the court of inquiry, moreover, Schley was supported and exonerated by the testimony of his own men. In the Navy, the procedure was so divisive that the rank-and-file identified themselves as either a "Schley man" or a "Sampson man". Schley clearly had the best of this contest. Accordingly, it was no surprise that Sampson retired in 1902, and died shortly thereafter.

After the Battle of Santiago Bay, Sampson was appointed Cuban Commissioner on 20 August 1898 but resumed command of the North Atlantic Fleet in December. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. He became Commandant of the Boston Navy Yard in October 1899 and transferred to the Retired List on 9 February 1902. The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and after 1945 called Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest Shipbuilding facilities Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Rear Admiral Sampson died in Washington, D.C. a few months later and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War

Four destroyers of the Navy have been named USS Sampson in his honor. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Four ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Sampson for Rear Admiral William T The United States Naval Academy's Sampson Hall, which houses the English and History departments, is named in his honor. The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States The United States Navy also authorized a service medal, known as the Sampson Medal, to recognize those who had served under his command during the Spanish-American War. The Sampson Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy which was first authorized in 1901

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships ( DANFS for short is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every Ship ever used

See also

List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy