Joseph S. Skerrett

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For the American literary critic and professor of English, see Joseph Skerrett.
Joseph S. Skerrett
Rear Admiral
Commands held
Battles/wars

Kingdom of Hawaii, and served as commander of the Pacific and Asiatic Squadrons. He had the reputation of being the best navigator in the U.S. Navy in his day.[3]

Naval career

Skerrett was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, on 18 January 1833. As a child, he was a schoolmate of Lucy Webb, who later would become First Lady of the United States as the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes,[4] and the two were lifelong friends.[5]

Early career

Skerrett was appointed as a midshipman on 12 October 1848.[6] At the time, the United States Naval Academy curriculum required more years spent at sea than on shore at the school itself, and he went to sea immediately. During his midshipman years Skerrett was attached to the frigate USS Independence in the Mediterranean Squadron from 1848 to 1852 and to the sloop-of-war USS Marion off the west coast of Africa from 1852 to 1854, serving as navigator and officer of the watch on the two ships. He graduated from the academy in 1853 at the head of his class, being promoted to passed midshipman on 15 June 1854. He then served at the Naval Academy until 1855, and was promoted to master on 15 September 1855 and to lieutenant the following day.[7][8]

Skerrett served aboard the

stores ship in the North Atlantic Squadron.[9]

African Slave Trade Patrol

From 1860 to 1862, Skerrett was assigned to the sloop-of-war

lieutenant commander on 16 July 1862.[10][11][12]

American Civil War

While Skerrett was aboard Saratoga, the American Civil War broke out in April 1861. Eager to see action in the conflict, Skerrett requested a transfer that would allow him to see combat. United States Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, however, suspected that the sympathies of Skerrett's wife, the former Margaret Love Taylor (18 April 1838–28 November 1905), might lie with the Confederate States of America, and so he refused to place Skerrett in a combat position. Skerrett transferred to the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., in 1862 to serve as ordnance officer, but was so eager to get into action that he asked to be allowed to resign from the Navy and join a battery of artillery from Ohio. Welles threatened him with imprisonment at Fort Mifflin if he did not withdraw his resignation, and Skerrett remained on duty at the navy yard.[13][14]

In 1863, Welles relented and allowed Skerrett to be assigned to the

Western Gulf Squadron, which was enforcing the Union blockade of Confederate ports in Texas. Aboard Aroostook, he finally saw action on 27 June 1864 during combat against Confederate forts at the mouth of the Brazos River in Texas. He served aboard Aroostook in Texas waters through the end of the war in 1865.[15][16][17]

Apprenticeship system

After leaving Aroostook, Skerrett did much to establish a system of apprenticeship in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the Naval Rendezvous in Washington, D.C., from 1866 to 1867[18] and was promoted to commander on 9 June 1867.[19] He then was the commanding officer of the sloop-of-war USS Portsmouth, operating as an apprentice ship, from 1867 to 1868 before serving as head of the department of seamanship at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1868 to 1872. While at the academy, he commanded the sloops-of-war USS Macedonian and USS Saratoga on two practice cruises.[20][21][22]

Surveying the Pacific

From 1872 to 1875, Skerrett commanded USS Portsmouth on a lengthy surveying voyage in the Pacific Ocean, which Portsmouth reached by steaming around Cape Horn, during which she encountered one of the worst storms ever experienced there, enduring 27 days of severe weather and drifting so far south that some of her men suffered frostbite. In the Pacific, Portsmouth operated as far north as the Territory of Alaska – where Skerrett rendered assistance to an Inuit settlement – and made the first accurate surveys of many parts of the Pacific for which accurate charts had been lacking, and the voyage was regarded at the time as one of the most conspicuous and successful in U.S. Navy history. Skerrett suffered problems with his eyesight during the voyage, and never fully regained his vision.[23][24][25]

During her long Pacific surveying voyage, Portsmouth arrived at

Kingdom of Hawaii in 1874, joining the sloop-of-war USS Tuscarora and the Royal Navy corvette HMS Tenedos there. Skerrett impressed other ship captains by bringing Portsmouth safely to her mooring without the help of a trained pilot, a feat previously thought impossible in Honolulu Harbor. An Imperial Russian Navy admiral who witnessed the exploit sent Skerrett a letter complimenting him on the achievement.[26][27]

Hawaii's

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Charles Reed Bishop, requested assistance in putting down the riot, 150 Marines from Portsmouth and Tuscarora joined a landing party of 70 men from Tenedos in dispersing the rioters and securing government buildings without bloodshed, and Kalakaua ascended the throne without further violence.[28][29]

Hayes administration

Portsmouth returned from the Pacific voyage by again rounding Cape Horn and proceeding to New York City,[30] arriving there in 1875. Skerrett then served a second tour at the Washington Navy Yard from 1875 to 1878, was promoted to captain on 5 June 1878, and was a lighthouse inspector in the First District in Maine from 1878 to 1881.[31][32][33] His friendship with Lucy Webb Hayes made him a welcome visitor at the White House throughout the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes (4 March 1877–4 March 1881), and at one point President Hayes offered to make him a bureau chief in the United States Department of the Navy. With what was described as characteristic modesty, Skerrett declined on the grounds that he was too junior in rank for the position.[34]

Asiatic Squadron and Samoa

Skerrett returned to sea in 1881 as

Indochina during the Sino-French War.[35][36][37]

Naval Asylum and navy yard duty

Relinquishing command of the Asiatic Squadron in 1884, Skerrett moved on to a tour at the

Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, from 1889 to 1890 and of the Washington Navy Yard from September 1890 to December 1892.[38][39]

Pacific and Asiatic Squadrons

Skerrett's next assignment was command of the

James H. Blount as a special envoy to Hawaii with authority to act on Cleveland's behalf. Blount ordered Skerrett to have the American flag hauled down on 1 April 1893 and directed that the provisional government receive no further U.S. government support. Skerrett wrote favorably about the new government on 25 July 1894, but was reminded not to favor it over others contending to govern the islands.[41][42]

Perhaps because he favored the provisional government, Skerrett suddenly and unexpectedly was relieved of command of the Pacific Squadron by

rear admiral on 16 April 1894.[44] His mandatory retirement from the Navy upon reaching the age of 62 was scheduled for 18 January 1895, but he voluntarily requested an earlier retirement based on time in service in order to make room for Commodore Joseph P. Fyffe to be promoted to rear admiral before Fyffe's mandatory retirement at age 62 on 26 July 1894. Skerrett thus was placed on the retired list early, on 9 July 1894,[45] allowing Fyffe to be promoted to rear admiral shortly before his own mandatory retirement.[46]

Retirement and death

In retirement, Skerrett resided in Washington, D.C., where he died of what was diagnosed as "

Arlington, Virginia.[48]

Gallery

  • Skerret as a commander circa 1867.
    Skerret as a commander circa 1867.
  • Skerrett reviews the men of the protected cruiser USS Boston in Palace Square in front of Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 16 January 1893.
    Skerrett reviews the men of the
    Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii
    , on 16 January 1893.
  • Sketch of Skerrett in the Kentucky New Era, June 1, 1894.
    Sketch of Skerrett in the Kentucky New Era, June 1, 1894.
  • Illustration of Skerrett from The San Francisco Call, January 2, 1897.
    Illustration of Skerrett from The San Francisco Call, January 2, 1897.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  2. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  3. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  4. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  5. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  6. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  7. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  8. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  9. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  10. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  11. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  12. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897, which claims the total of slaves freed from Nightingale was 1,061.
  13. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  14. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  15. ^ Hamerlsy, p. 58.
  16. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  17. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  18. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  19. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  20. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  21. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  22. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  23. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  24. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  25. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  26. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  27. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  28. ^ Anonymous. "Admiral Skerrett Dead: The Distinguished Naval Officer Passes Away in Washington." The New York Times, January 2, 1897.
  29. ^ Alexander, p. 3.
  30. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  31. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  32. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  33. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  34. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  35. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  36. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  37. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  38. ^ Hamersly, p. 58.
  39. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  40. ^ "Admiral Skerrett in Command". The Morning Call. Vol. LXXIII, no. 43. San Francisco, California. January 12, 1893. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  41. ^ Alexander, pp. 83, 94.
  42. ^ Anonymous, "Named To Be Rear Admiral: Eventful and Varied Career of 'Sailor Joe' Skerrett," The New York Times, April 19, 1894.
  43. ^ "Hawaiian Happenings: Latest News From That Troubled Element". Fresno Weekly Expositor. Vol. XXIV, no. 30. November 15, 1893. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  44. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  45. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.
  46. ^ Anonymous, "A Ladder to Flag Rank," The New York Times, September 10, 1894.
  47. ^ Skerrett's date of death is universally given as 1 January 1897; sources dated 2 January 1897 described him as having died the previous night at midnight, so his death appears to have occurred at about the instant that 1 January gave way to 2 January 1897.
  48. ^ Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.

References

Military offices
Preceded by Commander, Asiatic Squadron
30 October 1883 – 19 December 1883 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander, Pacific Squadron
9 January 1893 – 6 November 1893 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander, Asiatic Squadron
11 December 1893 – 1 September 1894 		Succeeded by
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