Arent S. Crowninshield
Encyclopedia
Arent Schuyler Crowninshield (March 14, 1843–May 27, 1908) was an rear admiral
of the United States Navy
. He saw combat during the Civil War
, and after the war held high commands both afloat and ashore.
, he was the grandson of Jacob Crowninshield
(appointed Navy secretary under President Jefferson
, but who died before taking up the office), and grandnephew of George Crowninshield Jr. (adventuring owner of Cleopatra's Barge
, first yacht to cross the Atlantic) and Benjamin Williams Crowninshield
, United States Secretary of the Navy
. Some sources give his first name as Alton.
Arent graduated from the United States Naval Academy
on 28 May 1863 and immediately went into action in the American Civil War
, participating in the assault on Fort Fisher
while serving on the steam sloop .
After the war, he rose steadily through the ranks, becoming lieutenant
on 10 November 1866, and commander
on 25 March 1880. He commanded the training ship from 1878 to 1881, the school ship
of the New York Nautical School
from 1887 to 1891, and the sloop-of-war
from February 1892 to November 1893.
Promoted to captain
on 21 July 1894, he took command of the new battleship
at her commissioning in 1895, leaving in 1897 to become chief of the Bureau of Navigation
with the rank of Rear Admiral.
During the 1898 Spanish-American War
, Crowninshield was appointed to the Naval War Board, and had a large part in the United States Naval operations planning that resulted in resounding victories like the Battle of Manila Bay.
Rear Admiral Crowninshield died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, on 27 May 1908, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He saw combat during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and after the war held high commands both afloat and ashore.
Biography
Born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he was the grandson of Jacob Crowninshield
Jacob Crowninshield
Jacob Crowninshield was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and appointee to the position of U.S. Secretary of the Navy, which he never filled. His brother Benjamin Williams Crowninshield did successfully hold the post; the Crowninshield family in general was prominent in early American...
(appointed Navy secretary under President Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, but who died before taking up the office), and grandnephew of George Crowninshield Jr. (adventuring owner of Cleopatra's Barge
Cleopatra's Barge
Cleopatra's Barge was an opulent yacht built in Massachusetts in 1816. It became the Royal Yacht of King Kamehameha II who named it Haaheo o Hawaii , but was wrecked in the Hawaiian Islands in 1824.-Building:...
, first yacht to cross the Atlantic) and Benjamin Williams Crowninshield
Benjamin Williams Crowninshield
Benjamin Williams Crowninshield served as the United States Secretary of the Navy between 1815 and 1818, during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.-Biography:...
, United States Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
. Some sources give his first name as Alton.
Arent graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
on 28 May 1863 and immediately went into action in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, participating in the assault on Fort Fisher
Battle of Fort Fisher
Two battles were fought over Fort Fisher during the American Civil War. The first battle was a failed attempt by the Union army and Navy to capture the fort. The second battle was a successful operation which led to the fall of the fort and the city of Wilmington, North Carolina.* First Battle of...
while serving on the steam sloop .
After the war, he rose steadily through the ranks, becoming lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 10 November 1866, and commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on 25 March 1880. He commanded the training ship from 1878 to 1881, the school ship
School ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is especially used for ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classrooms....
of the New York Nautical School
State University of New York Maritime College
SUNY Maritime College is a maritime college located in the Bronx, New York City in historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound...
from 1887 to 1891, and the sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
from February 1892 to November 1893.
Promoted to captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on 21 July 1894, he took command of the new battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
at her commissioning in 1895, leaving in 1897 to become chief of the Bureau of Navigation
Bureau of Navigation (United States Navy)
The U.S. Navy's Bureau of Navigation was established in 1862 as part of the reorganization of the Navy Department. Principal responsibilities were to provide nautical charts and instruments and to oversee several activities involved navigation research, including the Naval Observatory...
with the rank of Rear Admiral.
During the 1898 Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Crowninshield was appointed to the Naval War Board, and had a large part in the United States Naval operations planning that resulted in resounding victories like the Battle of Manila Bay.
Rear Admiral Crowninshield died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, on 27 May 1908, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.