Richard Wainwright (admiral)
Richard Wainwright | |
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![]() Richard Wainwright in 1902 | |
Born | Washington, D.C., U.S. | December 17, 1849
Died | March 6, 1926 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 76)
Buried | Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, U.S. |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1868–1911 |
Rank | ![]() |
Commands held | Office of Naval Intelligence USS Gloucester 2nd Division, Great White Fleet |
Battles/wars |
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Children | Richard Wainwright |
Relations | Richard Wainwright (father) |
Signature | ![]() |
Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright (December 17, 1849 – March 6, 1926), son of commander
Biography
Early life and ancestors
Born in
Early career
Wainwright was appointed to the
Spanish–American War
On the night the Maine was blown up in Havana harbor, Wainwright stood beside Sigsbee on the quarterdeck as the vessel was sinking. It was Wainwright who issued the order to lower the lifeboats in which the surviving crew escaped. From the beginning, Wainwright believed the Maine was not blown up by accident and he was impatient to avenge the death of the officers, bluejackets and Marines who died as a result.[4]
In the interval between the blowing up of the Maine and the
Tell the officer in charge of the guard that if any Spaniard touches the flag that flies from that wreck, there will be another wreck in Havana harbor. Tell him I will sink his barge myself if he attempts to carry out that order.
When Wainwright did finally leave Havana, he hauled down the flag himself. On his arrival in Washington, the U. S. Navy was in the process of purchasing vessels that could be used in the war. Among them was a yacht, the Corsair, owned by J. P. Morgan. She was converted into a gunboat, renamed the Gloucester, and commissioned with Wainwright in command.
In the
The victory came with no casualties, which was attributed to "The accuracy and rapidity of her fire, making the proper service of the guns on the Spanish ships impossible." Wainwright was commended for his valor in this action[2][8] and was advanced by ten numbers on the promotion seniority list.[9]
After ordering his heavily damaged flagship Infanta Maria Teresa to run aground, Spanish fleet commander Spanish Admiral Cervera, was picked up by the Gloucester. Wainwright was there to greet him as he was brought aboard. "I congratulate you, sir," said the American, "on having made as gallant a fight as was ever seen on the sea."[2]
1900-1911
From 1900–1902, Wainwright was Superintendent of United States Naval Academy. During this time, the submarine boat Holland was in Annapolis to train crews for submarines then under construction.[10] Wainwright, having this opportunity to observe their operation, fully endorsed them for their planned harbor defense role.[11]
In 1904 he commanded American forces during the
Wainwright was invested as a Chevalier (knight) of the French
Retired from active duty on December 7, 1911. Admiral Wainwright died on March 6, 1926, in Washington, D.C., aged 76.[12] and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.[13]
Marriage and family
He married Evelyn Wotherspoon on September 11, 1873, in Washington, D.C.. Their son, Commander Richard Wainwright, Jr., United States Navy, earned the Medal of Honor for his service at Veracruz, Mexico.
A Naval Academy classmate, Admiral Seaton Schroeder, became his brother-in-law when he married Wainwright's sister,[2] Maria Campbell Bache Wainwright.
Namesakes
Three ships have been named
Gallery
See also
- List of superintendents of the United States Naval Academy
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- ^ "Descendants of Signers of the Declaration of Independence". Evening Star. Washington, D.C. July 2, 1911. p. 6 (Part 4). Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Wainwright to Leave the Navy". The Princeton Union. Princeton, Minnesota. December 21, 1911. p. 10. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Fighting Dick Wainwright on Navy Retired List". The Washington Herald. Washington, D.C. December 17, 1911. p. 2. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ Rivero Méndez, Ángel (1922). Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico [Chronicle of the Spanish-American War in Puerto Rico] (in Spanish). pp. 497–498.
- ^ a b "Wainwright". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "The Wrecked Maine: Board of Survey Will Determine Her Final Disposition". The Salt Lake Herald. Salt Lake City, Utah. March 28, 1898. p. 2. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Armed Yacht vs. Torpedo-Boat Destroyers". Marine Engineering. 2 (August 1898). Marine Publishing Company: 15. 1898. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Gloucester (Gbt) i". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ISBN 978-1851099528. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ^ "The Holland Off for Annapolis". New-York Tribune. New York, NY. October 20, 1900. p. 6. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- St. Louis, Missouri. June 11, 1902. p. 8. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Wainwright II (DD-419)". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ Burial Detail: Wainwright, Richard, ANCExplorer.army.mil. Accessed November 15, 2022.
External links
- Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. .
- Wainwright, Richard, RADM, Togetherweserved.com
- Richard Wainwright, Rear Admiral, United States Navy, ArlingtonCemetery.net, 18 December 2022, an unofficial website