Henry Glass
Encyclopedia
Henry Glass was a Rear Admiral
in the United States Navy
, best remembered for his role in the bloodless capture of Guam
in the Spanish-American War
. He was also a Union veteran of the American Civil War
.
, and entered the Naval Academy
in 1860, graduating a year ahead of schedule, with the rank of ensign
on 28 May 1863.
while attached to the steam sloop . He took part in engagements with Confederate batteries at Charleston, South Carolina
, between July and September 1863; in the Stono River
in December 1863 and July 1864; and in the North Edisto River
in February 1865. He also participated in the capture of Georgetown, South Carolina
, in February 1865.
(1865–1868); the steam sloop in the North Atlantic Squadron
(1869); and the steam sloop in the Pacific Squadron (1870–1871). During his time in the Mohican, he was assigned to temporary command of the wooden-hulled, screw gunboat for six months during 1870. Also whilst serving in Mohican, he performed duty as an aide on the staff of the Commander of the Pacific Squadron, Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden
.
Glass then served in the screw sloop
in the Asiatic Squadron
from 1872 to 1873, before returning to the United States for the first of several tours of duty at the Mare Island Navy Yard
, first serving in the receiving ship , before he was given command of the State of California's State Marine School Ship, , which was recommissioned for this service on 21 July 1876.
Returning to the Navy on 3 March 1879, Jamestown was refitted at Mare Island and sailed from San Francisco for Alaska
on 22 May 1879 to protect American lives and property threatened by "the disturbed condition of affairs" on shore. She arrived at Sitka on 14 June and remained there into the following year "preserving the peace and furnishing security to persons and property ... and ... surveying the waters and bays adjacent to Sitka." Promoted to commander on 27 October 1879, Glass served as the senior naval officer in Alaskan waters in charge of Indian affairs in that territory in 1880.
Glass' next duty was that of Commandant of Cadets at the Naval Academy, a post he held from 1889 to 1891, before serving on the Naval Examining Board from 1891 to 1893. Since the latter assignment was only intermittent, Glass served as equipment officer of the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1892 and later became captain of the yard the following year. On 23 January 1894, he was commissioned as captain.
He returned to sea in 1894 and commanded the cruiser from 1894 to 1896 before he took command of the battleship . He then returned to Mare Island to the post of captain of the yard in 1897.
was quickly readied for service, with Glass in command. Commissioned on 5 May 1898, Charleston set out for the Hawaiian Islands
16 days later. Escorting three transports — City of Peking
, Australia, and City of Sydney — she sailed from Honolulu on 4 June, bound for Manila
, Philippines. When clear of land, Glass opened his confidential orders, which directed him to take the island of Guam
while en route to the Philippines. Her mission thus outlined, Charleston altered course for Guam, and the cruiser and her three consorts reached their interim destination at daybreak on 20 June. Leaving the transports anchored outside, Charleston boldly entered the harbor and fired a challenge, only to receive no return fire of any kind. Spanish emissaries soon called upon Glass and were astonished to learn that a state of war existed between their respective countries. As the island was virtually undefended — the forts were in ruins — the Spanish governor surrendered; and Glass took possession of Guam for the United States on the afternoon of 21 June 1898.
As the orders specified, Charleston proceeded on to Manila and participated in the operations that resulted in the surrender of that city in August 1898 and took part in the initial actions against Filipino "insurgents"
who were resisting America's assumption of control in the Philippine Islands.
and Kiska
, in the Aleutians, conducting surveys of the latter place in July 1903 with an eye toward establishing a coaling station there.
Later, with New York requiring extended repairs at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Glass and his staff proceeded to San Francisco, and he briefly wore his flag in the cruiser from 28 to 30 September 1903 before he transferred to the cruiser Marblehead on the 30th. On 3 November, a revolution broke out on the isthmus of Panama which soon won the independence of that strategic region from Colombia
. Upon learning of the trouble, Glass, in Marblehead, sailed for Panama's Pacific coast and arrived there a week later. During the period of tension, Glass stationed one ship at Darien harbor to protect American lives and property and, with the permission of the Panamanian government, sent small observation parties from his ships offshore to explore the rivers, roads, and trails of the region, thereby gaining "much information ... of a country of which very little was known."
Placed on the retired list on 7 January 1906, Glass served subsequently on active duty as Commandant, Pacific Naval District. He died in Paso Robles, California
, on 1 September 1908.
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 :...
in 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...
, best remembered for his role in the bloodless capture of Guam
Capture of Guam
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war...
in the 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...
. He was also a Union veteran of 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...
.
Biography
Glass was born in Hopkinsville, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and entered the 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...
in 1860, graduating a year ahead of schedule, with the rank of ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
on 28 May 1863.
Civil War
He saw considerable action during the Civil WarAmerican 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...
while attached to the steam sloop . He took part in engagements with Confederate batteries at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, between July and September 1863; in the Stono River
Stono River
The Stono River is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns and James Island. The Intracoastal Waterway runs through...
in December 1863 and July 1864; and in the North Edisto River
Edisto River
The Edisto River is the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America, flowing 206 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties, to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach, SC...
in February 1865. He also participated in the capture of Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
, in February 1865.
1865–1880
After the war, Glass was advanced to the rank of master on 10 November 1865; to lieutenant in 10 November 1866; and to lieutenant commander on 12 March 1868. Sea duty came in a succession of ships: the steam sloop in the Pacific SquadronPacific Squadron
The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...
(1865–1868); the steam sloop in the North Atlantic Squadron
North Atlantic Squadron
The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic Squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet. On Jan...
(1869); and the steam sloop in the Pacific Squadron (1870–1871). During his time in the Mohican, he was assigned to temporary command of the wooden-hulled, screw gunboat for six months during 1870. Also whilst serving in Mohican, he performed duty as an aide on the staff of the Commander of the Pacific Squadron, Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden
John Lorimer Worden
John Lorimer Worden was a U.S. rear admiral who served in the American Civil War. He commanded Monitor against the Confederate vessel Virginia in first battle of ironclad ships in 1862.-Background and early career:Worden was born in Sparta, Mount PleasantTownship, Westchester County, New York...
.
Glass then served in the screw sloop
Screw sloop
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 were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's screws...
in the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
from 1872 to 1873, before returning to the United States for the first of several tours of duty at the Mare Island Navy Yard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, first serving in the receiving ship , before he was given command of the State of California's State Marine School Ship, , which was recommissioned for this service on 21 July 1876.
Returning to the Navy on 3 March 1879, Jamestown was refitted at Mare Island and sailed from San Francisco for Alaska
Department of Alaska
The Department of Alaska was the designation for the government of Alaska from its purchase by the United States of America in 1867 until its organization as the District of Alaska in 1884. During the department era, Alaska was variously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army , the United States...
on 22 May 1879 to protect American lives and property threatened by "the disturbed condition of affairs" on shore. She arrived at Sitka on 14 June and remained there into the following year "preserving the peace and furnishing security to persons and property ... and ... surveying the waters and bays adjacent to Sitka." Promoted to commander on 27 October 1879, Glass served as the senior naval officer in Alaskan waters in charge of Indian affairs in that territory in 1880.
1881–1898
The following year, Glass took command of the screw sloop , of the Pacific Squadron, before he began a tour at the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1883. During his time there, he compiled Marine International Law, a collection drawn, as he freely acknowledged, "from the writings and opinions of certain acknowledged authorities on the subject" to provide a handy reference work for naval officers. This volume was published in 1885. After winding up his tour at Mare Island in 1886, Glass commanded the sidewheel gunboat of the Asiatic Squadron into 1888.Glass' next duty was that of Commandant of Cadets at the Naval Academy, a post he held from 1889 to 1891, before serving on the Naval Examining Board from 1891 to 1893. Since the latter assignment was only intermittent, Glass served as equipment officer of the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1892 and later became captain of the yard the following year. On 23 January 1894, he was commissioned as captain.
He returned to sea in 1894 and commanded the cruiser from 1894 to 1896 before he took command of the battleship . He then returned to Mare Island to the post of captain of the yard in 1897.
Spanish–American War
Upon the outbreak of war with Spain in 1898, the twin-screw protected cruiserProtected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
was quickly readied for service, with Glass in command. Commissioned on 5 May 1898, Charleston set out for the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
16 days later. Escorting three transports — City of Peking
City of Peking
SS City of Peking was an iron-hulled steamship built in 1874 by John Roach & Sons for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. City of Peking and her sister ship City of Tokio were at the time of construction the largest vessels ever built in the United States, and the second largest in the world behind...
, Australia, and City of Sydney — she sailed from Honolulu on 4 June, bound for Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines. When clear of land, Glass opened his confidential orders, which directed him to take the island of Guam
Capture of Guam
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war...
while en route to the Philippines. Her mission thus outlined, Charleston altered course for Guam, and the cruiser and her three consorts reached their interim destination at daybreak on 20 June. Leaving the transports anchored outside, Charleston boldly entered the harbor and fired a challenge, only to receive no return fire of any kind. Spanish emissaries soon called upon Glass and were astonished to learn that a state of war existed between their respective countries. As the island was virtually undefended — the forts were in ruins — the Spanish governor surrendered; and Glass took possession of Guam for the United States on the afternoon of 21 June 1898.
As the orders specified, Charleston proceeded on to Manila and participated in the operations that resulted in the surrender of that city in August 1898 and took part in the initial actions against Filipino "insurgents"
First Philippine Republic
The Philippine Republic , more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic was a short-lived insurgent revolutionary government in the Philippines...
who were resisting America's assumption of control in the Philippine Islands.
1898–1908
Relieved of command of Charleston on 12 December 1898 by Capt. W. H. Whiting, Glass returned to the United States and soon assumed command of the naval training station at San Francisco, California, on 23 January 1899. Promoted to rear admiral in 1901, he broke his flag in the armored cruiser on 4 February 1903 as Commander in Chief, Pacific Squadron. During his tour of duty in command of the squadron, the flagship, New York, together with the cruiser and visited AdakAdak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
and Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
, in the Aleutians, conducting surveys of the latter place in July 1903 with an eye toward establishing a coaling station there.
Later, with New York requiring extended repairs at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Glass and his staff proceeded to San Francisco, and he briefly wore his flag in the cruiser from 28 to 30 September 1903 before he transferred to the cruiser Marblehead on the 30th. On 3 November, a revolution broke out on the isthmus of Panama which soon won the independence of that strategic region from Colombia
Separation of Panama from Colombia
The Separation of Panama from Colombia was formalized on 3 November 1903 with the establishment of the Republic of Panama from the Republic of Colombia's Department of Panama.-Prelude:...
. Upon learning of the trouble, Glass, in Marblehead, sailed for Panama's Pacific coast and arrived there a week later. During the period of tension, Glass stationed one ship at Darien harbor to protect American lives and property and, with the permission of the Panamanian government, sent small observation parties from his ships offshore to explore the rivers, roads, and trails of the region, thereby gaining "much information ... of a country of which very little was known."
Placed on the retired list on 7 January 1906, Glass served subsequently on active duty as Commandant, Pacific Naval District. He died in Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
, on 1 September 1908.