Aaron Ward (sailor)
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Aaron Ward (October 10, 1851 - July 5, 1918) was an officer in the United States Navy
during the Spanish-American War
.
, Ward entered the United States Naval Academy
with the rank of midshipman
on September 28, 1867, graduating on June 6, 1871.
He was ordered to the steam frigate California
on the Pacific Squadron
, and was promoted to ensign
July 14, 1872. He next served in steam sloop in the West Indies from 1873 to 1874, before reporting to the screw frigate
on the European Station, and was promoted to master
on February 8, 1875.
Ward served a tour of duty at the Naval Academy from 1876 to 1879. Next he served with the training squadron in 1879 through 1882, receiving his commission as lieutenant
on November 25, 1881.
Ward was occupied with various professional duties at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island
, and the New York Navy Yard through 1885. From 1885 to 1888 he was stationed in the sloops and on the Pacific Station
. Between 1889 and 1894, Ward served as naval attaché in Paris
, Berlin
, and St. Petersburg
. He sailed with armored cruiser
in the West Indies and Brazil
until 1894, and in protected cruiser
in the Mediterranean
through 1896.
During the Spanish-American War, Ward commanded the armed yacht . Commended for gallantry, he was advanced to lieutenant commander
on March 3, 1899, for conspicuous service at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
. He then commanded the auxiliary cruiser for a year in the West Indies, followed by service as chief of staff to the Asiatic Squadron
commander. From 1901 to 1908, Ward commanded the gunboats and , and then the armored cruiser
, successively. He served for one year as supervisor of the harbor at New York before becoming an aide to the Secretary of the Navy in 1909. In 1910 Ward was promoted to rear admiral
. In 1911 he became second in command of the Atlantic Fleet. Rear Admiral Ward retired on October 10, 1913.
He died on July 5, 1918, and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery
, Brooklyn
, New York City
.
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 :...
Aaron Ward (October 10, 1851 - July 5, 1918) was an officer 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...
during 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...
.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
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...
, Ward entered 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...
with the rank of midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on September 28, 1867, graduating on June 6, 1871.
He was ordered to the steam frigate California
USS Minnetonka (1867)
USS Minnetonka was one of eight wooden steam frigates authorized by the United States Navy during the American Civil War to provide a postwar general purpose fleet....
on the Pacific Squadron
Pacific 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...
, and was promoted to 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....
July 14, 1872. He next served in steam sloop in the West Indies from 1873 to 1874, before reporting to the screw frigate
Screw frigate
Steam frigates and the smaller steam corvettes were steam-powered warships.The first vessel that can be considered a steam frigate was the Demologos which was launched in 1815 for the United States Navy....
on the European Station, and was promoted to master
Master (naval)
The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...
on February 8, 1875.
Ward served a tour of duty at the Naval Academy from 1876 to 1879. Next he served with the training squadron in 1879 through 1882, receiving his commission as 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 November 25, 1881.
Ward was occupied with various professional duties at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, and the New York Navy Yard through 1885. From 1885 to 1888 he was stationed in the sloops and on the Pacific Station
Pacific 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...
. Between 1889 and 1894, Ward served as naval attaché in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. He sailed with armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
in the West Indies and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
until 1894, and in protected cruiser
Protected 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...
in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
through 1896.
During the Spanish-American War, Ward commanded the armed yacht . Commended for gallantry, he was advanced to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
on March 3, 1899, for conspicuous service at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
. He then commanded the auxiliary cruiser for a year in the West Indies, followed by service as chief of staff to 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...
commander. From 1901 to 1908, Ward commanded the gunboats and , and then the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
, successively. He served for one year as supervisor of the harbor at New York before becoming an aide to the Secretary of the Navy in 1909. In 1910 Ward was promoted to rear admiral
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 1911 he became second in command of the Atlantic Fleet. Rear Admiral Ward retired on October 10, 1913.
He died on July 5, 1918, and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.