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{{short description|United States Navy officer of the Spanish-American War (1849–1926)}}
{{short description|American admiral (1849–1926)}}
{{Other people|Richard Wainwright}}
{{Other people|Richard Wainwright}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|name=Richard Wainwright
|name=Richard Wainwright
|birth_date={{birth date|1849|12|17}}
|birth_date={{birth date|1849|12|17|mf=yes}}
|death_date={{Death date and age|1926|3|6|1849|12|17}}
|death_date={{Death date and age|1926|3|6|1849|12|17|mf=yes}}
|birth_place=[[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
|birth_place=[[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
|death_place=Washington, D.C., U.S.
|death_place=Washington, D.C., U.S.
|placeofburial=
|placeofburial=[[Arlington National Cemetery]], Virginia, U.S.
|placeofburial_label=
|image=Richard Wainwright (Spanish-American War naval officer), 1902.jpg
|image=Richard Wainwright (Spanish-American War naval officer), 1902.jpg
|caption=Richard Wainwright in 1902
|caption=Richard Wainwright in 1902
|signature_size = 210px
|nickname=
|signature=Richard Wainwright (US naval officer during the Spanish-American war) signature.jpg
|signature=Richard Wainwright (US naval officer during the Spanish-American war) signature.jpg
|allegiance={{flag|United States of America|1867}}
|allegiance= {{flagu|United States|1908}}
|branch={{flag|United States Navy}}
|branch={{flag|United States Navy|1908}}
|serviceyears=1868–1911
|serviceyears=1868–1911
|rank=[[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]]
|rank=[[File:USN Rear Admiral rank insignia.jpg|32px]] [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]]
|commands=[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]<br/>{{USS|Gloucester|1891|6}}<br/>2nd Division, [[Great White Fleet]]
|commands=[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]<br />{{USS|Gloucester|1891|6}}<br />2nd Division, [[Great White Fleet]]
|unit=
|unit=
|battles=
|battles= {{Tree list}}
⚫
* [[Sinking of the Maine|Sinking of the ''Maine'']]
[[American Civil War]]<br>
** [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]]
⚫
[[Sinking of the Maine|Sinking of the ''Maine'']]<br>
* [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]]
* [[Banana Wars]]
⚫
** [[Santo Domingo Affair]]
[[Banana Wars]]<br>
{{Tree list/end}}
⚫
* [[Santo Domingo Affair]]
|awards=
|awards=
|laterwork=
|laterwork=
|relatives = [[Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]] (father)
|relations = [[Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]] (father)
|children = [[Richard Wainwright (World War I naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]]
|children = [[Richard Wainwright (World War I naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]]
}}
}}

Rear Admiral '''Richard Wainwright''' (17 December 1849 – 6 March 1926), son of Commander [[Richard Wainwright (naval officer, Civil War)|Richard Wainwright]], was an officer in the [[United States Navy]] during the [[Spanish–American War]].
Rear Admiral '''Richard Wainwright''' (December 17, 1849&nbsp;– March 6, 1926), son of commander [[Richard Wainwright (naval officer, Civil War)|Richard Wainwright]], was an officer in the [[United States Navy]] during the [[Spanish–American War]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early life and ancestors===
===Early life and ancestors===
Born in [[Washington, D.C.]], the son of Sarah Franklin Bache and [[Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]]. He was the grandson of [[Richard Bache Jr. (Texas politician)|Richard Bache, Jr.]], who served in the [[Republic of Texas]] Navy and was elected as a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847 and Sophia Burrell Dallas, the daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and [[Alexander J. Dallas (statesman)|Alexander J. Dallas]] an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President [[James Madison]]. He was great-grandson of [[Sarah Franklin Bache]] and [[Richard Bache]], the great-great-grandson of [[Benjamin Franklin]], and a nephew of [[George Mifflin Dallas]] the 11th [[Vice President of the United States]] who served under [[James K. Polk]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Descendants of Signers of the Declaration of Independence|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1911-07-02/ed-1/seq-50/|accessdate=20 May 2015|work=Evening star.|date=2 July 1911|location=Washington, D.C.|page=6 (Part 4)}}</ref>
Born in [[Washington, D.C.]], the son of Sarah Franklin Bache and [[Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)|Richard Wainwright]]. He was the grandson of [[Richard Bache Jr. (Texas politician)|Richard Bache&nbsp;Jr.]], who served in the [[Republic of Texas]] Navy and was elected as a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847, and Sophia Burrell Dallas, the daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and [[Alexander J. Dallas (statesman)|Alexander J. Dallas]] an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President [[James Madison]]. He was great-grandson of [[Sarah Franklin Bache]] and [[Richard Bache]], the great-great-grandson of [[Benjamin Franklin]], and a nephew of [[George Mifflin Dallas]] the 11th [[Vice President of the United States]] who served under [[James K. Polk]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Descendants of Signers of the Declaration of Independence|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1911-07-02/ed-1/seq-50/|accessdate=May 20, 2015|work=Evening Star|date=July 2, 1911|location=Washington, D.C.|page=6 (Part 4)}}</ref>


===Early career===
===Early career===
Wainwright was appointed to the [[US Naval Academy]] in 1864 by President [[Abraham Lincoln]] and graduated near the top of his class in 1868. Wainwright's early career is not well documented. From 1890 to 1893 he commanded the {{USS|Alert|AS-4|2}}, and in 1896 he became the [[Office of Naval Intelligence|Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy]]. In November 1897, he was ordered to the Armored Cruiser {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|2}}, to serve as executive officer under Captain [[ Charles Dwight Sigsbee|Charles D. Sigsbee]].<ref name=Princeton/><ref name="Fighting Dick">{{cite news|title=Fighting Dick Wainwright on Navy Retired List|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1911-12-17/ed-1/seq-2/|accessdate=20 May 2015|work=The Washington Herald|date=17 December 1911|location=Washington, D.C.|page=2}}</ref>
Wainwright was appointed to the [[US Naval Academy]] in 1864 by President [[Abraham Lincoln]] and graduated near the top of his class in 1868. Wainwright's early career is not well documented. From 1890 to 1893 he commanded the {{USS|Alert|AS-4|2}}, and in 1896 he became the [[Office of Naval Intelligence|Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy]]. In November 1897, he was ordered to the Armored Cruiser {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|2}}, to serve as executive officer under Captain [[Charles Dwight Sigsbee|Charles D. Sigsbee]].<ref name=Princeton/><ref name="Fighting Dick">{{cite news|title=Fighting Dick Wainwright on Navy Retired List|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1911-12-17/ed-1/seq-2/|accessdate=May 20, 2015|work=The Washington Herald|date=December 17, 1911|location=Washington, D.C.|page=2}}</ref>


==Spanish–American War==
==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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/P%C3%A1gina:Cr%C3%B3nica_de_la_guerra_hispano-americana_en_Puerto_Rico.djvu/538|first= Ángel |last=Rivero Méndez| title=Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico [Chronicle of the Spanish-American War in Puerto Rico]|year=1922|pages=497-498|website=es.wikisource.org|lang=es}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/P%C3%A1gina:Cr%C3%B3nica_de_la_guerra_hispano-americana_en_Puerto_Rico.djvu/538|first= Ángel |last=Rivero Méndez| title=Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico [Chronicle of the Spanish-American War in Puerto Rico]|year=1922|pages=497–498|language=es}}</ref>


In the interval between the blowing up of the Maine and the [[ Spanish–American War|declaration of war]] against [[Spain]], Wainwright was assigned command of the tender {{USS|Fern|1871|2}} and placed in charge of the salvage survey and recovery of the bodies of the victims.<ref name=DANFS2>{{Cite DANFS|title=Wainwright|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wainwright-i.html|accessdate=20 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Wrecked Maine: Board of Survey Will Determine Her Final Disposition|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1898-03-28/ed-1/seq-2/|accessdate=21 May 2015|work=The Salt Lake Herald|date=28 March 1898|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=2}}</ref> He stayed aboard throughout the seven weeks long [[USS Maine (ACR-1)#1898 Sampson Board's Court of Inquiry|Sampson court of inquiry]], never setting foot ashore. As the initial salvage closed, for concern about oncoming war, Wainwright remained. On the day that the last salvage team was ordered home, the Spanish naval commander in Havana, [[Admiral Vincente Manterola]], ordered the American flag, which was still flying from the rigging of the wrecked ''Maine'', [[Striking the colors|struck]]. Wainwright heard of the order and, calling an interpreter, issued an order that immediately made him famous,<ref name=Princeton>{{cite news|title=Wainwright to Leave the Navy|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016758/1911-12-21/ed-1/seq-10/|accessdate=20 May 2015|work=The Princeton Union|date=21 December 1911|location=Princeton, Minnesota|page=10}}</ref>
In the interval between the blowing up of the Maine and the [[Spanish–American War|declaration of war]] against [[Spain]], Wainwright was assigned command of the tender {{USS|Fern|1871|2}} and placed in charge of the salvage survey and recovery of the bodies of the victims.<ref name=DANFS2>{{Cite DANFS|title=Wainwright|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wainwright-i.html|accessdate=May 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Wrecked Maine: Board of Survey Will Determine Her Final Disposition|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1898-03-28/ed-1/seq-2/|accessdate=May 21, 2015|work=The Salt Lake Herald|date=March 28, 1898|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=2}}</ref> He stayed aboard throughout the seven weeks long [[USS Maine (ACR-1)#1898 Sampson Board's Court of Inquiry|Sampson court of inquiry]], never setting foot ashore. As the initial salvage closed, for concern about oncoming war, Wainwright remained. On the day that the last salvage team was ordered home, Rear Admiral Don Vicente de Manterola y Tasconera (the Spanish naval commander in Havana) ordered the American flag, which was still flying from the rigging of the wrecked ''Maine'', [[Striking the colors|struck]]. Wainwright heard of the order and, calling an interpreter, issued an order that immediately made him famous,<ref name=Princeton>{{cite news|title=Wainwright to Leave the Navy|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016758/1911-12-21/ed-1/seq-10/|accessdate=May 20, 2015|work=The Princeton Union|date=December 21, 1911|location=Princeton, Minnesota|page=10}}</ref>
{{pull quote|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.}}
{{pull quote|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 {{USS|Gloucester|1891|2}}, and commissioned with Wainwright in command. In the [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]] he engaged the Spanish [[torpedo-boat destroyers|torpedo boats]] [[Spanish destroyer Furor|''Furor'']] and [[Spanish destroyer Plutón|''Plutón'']], driving them ashore as wrecks with her battery of 6-pounders.<ref name=MEL>{{cite journal |year=1898 |title=Armed Yacht vs. Torpedo-Boat Destroyers |journal=Marine Engineering |volume=2 |issue=August 1898 |page=15 |publisher=Marine Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=otg2AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA6-PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=20 May 2015}}</ref> 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 [[Spain|Spanish]] ships impossible." Wainwright was commended for his valor in this action<ref name=Princeton/><ref name=Gloucester>{{Cite DANFS|title=Gloucester (Gbt) i|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/gloucester-i.html|accessdate=20 May 2015}}</ref> and was advanced by ten numbers on the promotion seniority list.<ref name=Tucker>{{cite book|editor1-last=Tucker|editor1-first=Spencer C.|editor2-last=Arnold|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=Wiener|editor3-first=Roberta|editor4-last=Pierpaoli Jr.|editor4-first=Paul G.|editor5-last=McCallum|editor5-first=Jack|editor6-last=Murphy|editor6-first=Justin D.|title=The Encyclopedia of the Spanish–American and Philippine–American Wars a Political, Social, and Military History|date=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=9781851099528|page=685|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYfSbFGFWlUC|accessdate=16 March 2017}}</ref>
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 {{USS|Gloucester|1891|2}}, and commissioned with Wainwright in command.
In the [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]] he engaged the Spanish [[torpedo-boat destroyers|torpedo boats]] [[Spanish destroyer Furor|''Furor'']] and [[Spanish destroyer Plutón|''Plutón'']], driving them ashore as wrecks with her battery of 6-pounders.<ref name=MEL>{{cite journal |year=1898 |title=Armed Yacht vs. Torpedo-Boat Destroyers |journal=Marine Engineering |volume=2 |issue=August 1898 |page=15 |publisher=Marine Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=otg2AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA6-PA15 |accessdate=May 20, 2015}}</ref>
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 [[Spain|Spanish]] ships impossible." Wainwright was commended for his valor in this action<ref name=Princeton/><ref name=Gloucester>{{Cite DANFS|title=Gloucester (Gbt) i|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/gloucester-i.html|accessdate=May 20, 2015}}</ref> and was advanced by ten numbers on the promotion seniority list.<ref name=Tucker>{{cite book|editor1-last=Tucker|editor1-first=Spencer C.|editor2-last=Arnold|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=Wiener|editor3-first=Roberta|editor4-last=Pierpaoli Jr.|editor4-first=Paul G.|editor5-last=McCallum|editor5-first=Jack|editor6-last=Murphy|editor6-first=Justin D.|title=The Encyclopedia of the Spanish–American and Philippine–American Wars a Political, Social, and Military History|date=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=978-1851099528|page=685|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYfSbFGFWlUC|accessdate=March 16, 2017}}</ref>


After ordering his heavily damaged flagship [[Spanish cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa|''Infanta Maria Teresa'']] to run aground, Spanish fleet commander [[Pascual Cervera y Topete|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."<ref name=Princeton/>
After ordering his heavily damaged flagship [[Spanish cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa|''Infanta Maria Teresa'']] to run aground, Spanish fleet commander [[Pascual Cervera y Topete|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."<ref name=Princeton/>


==1900-1911==
==1900-1911==
From 1900–1902, Wainwright was Superintendent of United States Naval Academy. During this time, the submarine boat {{USS|Holland|SS-1|2}} was in Annapolis to train crews for submarines then under construction.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Holland Off for Annapolis|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1900-10-20/ed-1/seq-6/|accessdate=4 June 2015|work=New-York Tribune|date=October 20, 1900|location=New York, NY|page=6}}</ref> Wainwright, having this opportunity to observe their operation, fully endorsed them for their planned harbor defense role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Submarine Boats for Harbor Defense|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-06-11/ed-1/seq-8/|accessdate=4 June 2015|work=The St. Louis Republic|date=June 11, 1902|location=[[St. Louis, Missouri]]|page=8}}</ref>
From 1900–1902, Wainwright was Superintendent of United States Naval Academy. During this time, the submarine boat {{USS|Holland|SS-1|2}} was in Annapolis to train crews for submarines then under construction.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Holland Off for Annapolis|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1900-10-20/ed-1/seq-6/|accessdate=June 4, 2015|work=New-York Tribune|date=October 20, 1900|location=New York, NY|page=6}}</ref> Wainwright, having this opportunity to observe their operation, fully endorsed them for their planned harbor defense role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Submarine Boats for Harbor Defense|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-06-11/ed-1/seq-8/|accessdate=June 4, 2015|work=The St. Louis Republic|date=June 11, 1902|location=[[St. Louis, Missouri]]|page=8}}</ref>


In 1904 he commanded American forces during the [[Santo Domingo Affair]] in which his ships shelled rebel troops and supported an [[amphibious assault]]. Later, promoted to rear admiral, he commanded the Second Division of the [[Great White Fleet]] during that fleet's historic voyage around the world from 1907-1909.<ref name=DANFS2/>
In 1904 he commanded American forces during the [[Santo Domingo Affair]] in which his ships shelled rebel troops and supported an [[amphibious assault]]. Later, promoted to rear admiral, he commanded the Second Division of the [[Great White Fleet]] during that fleet's historic voyage around the world from 1907–1909.<ref name=DANFS2/>


Wainwright was invested as a Chevalier (knight) of the French [[Legion of Honor]].
Wainwright was invested as a Chevalier (knight) of the French [[Legion of Honor]].{{cn|date=November 2022}}


Retired from active duty on December 7, 1911. Admiral Wainwright died on March 6, 1926, in Washington, D.C., aged 76.<ref name=DANFS>{{cite web |title=Wainwright II (DD-419) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wainwright-ii.html |website=Naval History and Heritage Command |accessdate=April 14, 2020}}</ref> and was interred in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/Cgp3YWlud3JpZ2h0EgdyaWNoYXJk/ Burial Detail: Wainwright, Richard], ANCExplorer.army.mil. Accessed November 15, 2022.</ref>
Retired from active duty on December 7, 1911. Admiral Wainwright died on March 6, 1926 in Washington, D.C.<ref name=Grave/>


===Marriage and family===
===Marriage and family===
He married on September 11, 1873 at Washington, D.C., [[Evelyn Wotherspoon Wainwright|Evelyn Wotherspoon]], born June 13, 1853 at Washington, D.C., and died on November 24, 1937 at Washington, D.C.<ref name=Grave>{{Find a Grave|29089584}}</ref> Their son, [[Richard Wainwright (Medal of Honor)|Richard Wainwright, Jr.]], Commander, United States Navy, earned the [[Medal of Honor]] for his [[Tampico Affair|service at Veracruz, Mexico]], and is also buried in the cemetery at the United States Naval Academy.
He married [[Evelyn Wotherspoon Wainwright|Evelyn Wotherspoon]] on September 11, 1873, in Washington, D.C.. Their son, Commander [[Richard Wainwright (Medal of Honor)|Richard Wainwright, Jr.]], United States Navy, earned the [[Medal of Honor]] for his [[Tampico Affair|service at Veracruz, Mexico]].


A Naval Academy classmate, [[Seaton Schroeder|Admiral Seaton Schroeder]], became his brother-in-law when he married Wainwright's sister,<ref name=Princeton/> Maria Campbell Bache Wainwright.
A Naval Academy classmate, [[Seaton Schroeder|Admiral Seaton Schroeder]], became his brother-in-law when he married Wainwright's sister,<ref name=Princeton/> Maria Campbell Bache Wainwright.
Line 75: Line 79:


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy]]
* [[List of superintendents of the United States Naval Academy]]



==References==
==References==
* {{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wainwright-i.html}}
* {{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wainwright-ii.html}}
{{reflist|3}}
{{reflist|3}}


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* {{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Wainwright, Richard (junior)|year=1900 |short=x |notaref=x}}
* {{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Wainwright, Richard (junior)|year=1900 |short=x |notaref=x}}
* [https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=426672 Wainwright, Richard, RADM], ''Togetherweserved.com''
* [https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=426672 Wainwright, Richard, RADM], ''Togetherweserved.com''
* {{citation|title=Richard Wainwright, Rear Admiral, United States Navy |date=18 December 2022 |url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rwain.htm |publisher=ArlingtonCemetery.net |id=an unofficial website}}<!-- Not a reliable source. (Did they copy from us, or did WP copy from them?) Do not use for citations. -->


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | title=Head of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]<br/>(Chief Intelligence Officer)| before=[[Frederic Singer]] | after=[[Richardson Clover]] | years=4 April 1896 - 15 November 1897}}
{{succession box | title=Head of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]<br />(Chief Intelligence Officer)| before=[[Frederic Singer]] | after=[[Richardson Clover]] | years=4 April 1896 – 15 November 1897}}
{{succession box | before=[[Frederick V. McNair, Sr.]]| title=[[List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy|Superintendent of United States Naval Academy]] | years=1900–1902 | after=[[Willard H. Brownson]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Frederick V. McNair, Sr.]]| title=[[List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy|Superintendent of United States Naval Academy]] | years=1900–1902 | after=[[Willard H. Brownson]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
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[[Category:1926 deaths]]
[[Category:1926 deaths]]
[[Category:Wainwright family|Richard]]
[[Category:Wainwright family|Richard]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:United States Navy admirals]]
[[Category:United States Navy admirals]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
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[[Category:Directors of the Office of Naval Intelligence]]
[[Category:Directors of the Office of Naval Intelligence]]
[[Category:Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy]]
[[Category:Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 20:29, 8 December 2023

For other people named Richard Wainwright, see Richard Wainwright (disambiguation).
Richard Wainwright
Richard Wainwright in 1902
Born(1849-12-17)December 17, 1849
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedMarch 6, 1926(1926-03-06) (aged 76)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1868–1911
Rank Rear Admiral
Commands heldOffice of Naval Intelligence
USS Gloucester
2nd Division, Great White Fleet
Battles/wars
ChildrenRichard Wainwright
RelationsRichard Wainwright (father)
Signature

Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright (December 17, 1849 – March 6, 1926), son of commander Richard Wainwright, was an officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War.

Biography[edit]

Early life and ancestors[edit]

Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Sarah Franklin Bache and Richard Wainwright. He was the grandson of Richard Bache Jr., who served in the Republic of Texas Navy and was elected as a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847, and Sophia Burrell Dallas, the daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President James Madison. He was great-grandson of Sarah Franklin Bache and Richard Bache, the great-great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, and a nephew of George Mifflin Dallas the 11th Vice President of the United States who served under James K. Polk.[1]

Early career[edit]

Wainwright was appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln and graduated near the top of his class in 1868. Wainwright's early career is not well documented. From 1890 to 1893 he commanded the Alert, and in 1896 he became the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy. In November 1897, he was ordered to the Armored Cruiser Maine, to serve as executive officer under Captain Charles D. Sigsbee.[2][3]

Spanish–American War[edit]

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 declaration of war against Spain, Wainwright was assigned command of the tender Fern and placed in charge of the salvage survey and recovery of the bodies of the victims.[5][6] He stayed aboard throughout the seven weeks long Sampson court of inquiry, never setting foot ashore. As the initial salvage closed, for concern about oncoming war, Wainwright remained. On the day that the last salvage team was ordered home, Rear Admiral Don Vicente de Manterola y Tasconera (the Spanish naval commander in Havana) ordered the American flag, which was still flying from the rigging of the wrecked Maine, struck. Wainwright heard of the order and, calling an interpreter, issued an order that immediately made him famous,[2]

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 Battle of Santiago de Cuba he engaged the Spanish torpedo boats Furor and Plutón, driving them ashore as wrecks with her battery of 6-pounders.[7]

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[edit]

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 Santo Domingo Affair in which his ships shelled rebel troops and supported an amphibious assault. Later, promoted to rear admiral, he commanded the Second Division of the Great White Fleet during that fleet's historic voyage around the world from 1907–1909.[5]

Wainwright was invested as a Chevalier (knight) of the French Legion of Honor.[citation needed]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Three ships have been named USS Wainwright for Richard, his father, his son and two cousins.

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Descendants of Signers of the Declaration of Independence". Evening Star. Washington, D.C. July 2, 1911. p. 6 (Part 4). Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Wainwright to Leave the Navy". The Princeton Union. Princeton, Minnesota. December 21, 1911. p. 10. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  3. ^ "Fighting Dick Wainwright on Navy Retired List". The Washington Herald. Washington, D.C. December 17, 1911. p. 2. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b "Wainwright". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Armed Yacht vs. Torpedo-Boat Destroyers". Marine Engineering. 2 (August 1898). Marine Publishing Company: 15. 1898. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  8. ^ "Gloucester (Gbt) i". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  9. ^ Tucker, Spencer C.; Arnold, James; Wiener, Roberta; Pierpaoli Jr., Paul G.; McCallum, Jack; Murphy, Justin D., eds. (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish–American and Philippine–American Wars a Political, Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 685. ISBN 978-1851099528. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  10. ^ "The Holland Off for Annapolis". New-York Tribune. New York, NY. October 20, 1900. p. 6. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "Submarine Boats for Harbor Defense". The St. Louis Republic. St. Louis, Missouri. June 11, 1902. p. 8. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "Wainwright II (DD-419)". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. ^ Burial Detail: Wainwright, Richard, ANCExplorer.army.mil. Accessed November 15, 2022.

External links[edit]

Preceded by Head of the Office of Naval Intelligence
(Chief Intelligence Officer)
4 April 1896 – 15 November 1897 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Superintendent of United States Naval Academy
1900–1902 		Succeeded by
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