George Henry Ellis
Encyclopedia
George Henry Ellis was a sailor in the United States Navy
during the Spanish-American War
.
Ellis was born in Peoria, Illinois
. At an early age he accompanied his mother when she moved to New York City, and later to Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the Navy February 26, 1892 at age 16 as apprentice, third class. He married Sadie M. Simonson. He was honorably discharged October 25, 1896, with a rank of apprentice, first class. He reenlisted May 3, 1897 as seaman, and rose to the rank of chief yeoman on February 1, 1898.
during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
. During the battle, he was reporting ranges to enemy vessels which he read from the stadimeter, a rangefinding device, while observing from an exposed position, while the Brooklyn was under fire from as many as four Spanish ships. Yeoman Ellis was considered an expert with the stadimeter. While the Brooklyn was pursuing fleeing Spanish armored cruisers Vizcaya
and Cristobal Colin
, Ellis took a position about three feet in front of the forward turret. He was "singing out" the ranges to a messenger, who passed them to the guncrews inside the turrets. He was decapitated when a large shell fired from a Spanish ship struck him in the face. His brain and blood were thrown over a number of people.When an ensign and the ship's doctor started to pick up Ellis's body to throw it over the side, as was a common practice in naval battles, they were stopped by Commodore Schley
, who said "No! Do not throw that body overboard! One who has fought so gallantly deserves the honor of a Christian burial." Ellis was buried with military honors in Guantanamo, Cuba at Camp McCalla, and later re-buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, on November 28, 1898. The funeral at Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Brooklyn had a capacity crowd of 2,000 mourners, with thousands more turned away. Soon after the battle, the officers and men of the Brooklyn took up a collection to benefit Ellis's widow, some contributing over a month's pay, to reach a total of over $1,000. Additional donations raised the total to$2,000 by September 1898. Besides his 25 year old widow, Ellis was survived by a seven month old infant.
was named after him.It was launched November 30, 1918.
In 1908. the death of Ellis and the destruction of his stadimeter were cited in an article in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings as to the impracticality of using observers aloft or in an exposed position on deck to determine range to targets during an actual battle, as opposed to gunnery practice. The proposed improvement was to install a range-finder in an armored installation on each gun turret.
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...
.
Ellis was born in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. At an early age he accompanied his mother when she moved to New York City, and later to Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the Navy February 26, 1892 at age 16 as apprentice, third class. He married Sadie M. Simonson. He was honorably discharged October 25, 1896, with a rank of apprentice, first class. He reenlisted May 3, 1897 as seaman, and rose to the rank of chief yeoman on February 1, 1898.
Battle of Santiago
Chief Yeoman Ellis was killed 3 July 1898 while serving on the USS BrooklynUSS Brooklyn (CA-3)
The second USS Brooklyn was a United States Navy armored cruiser.She was launched on 2 October 1895 by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; sponsored by Miss Ida May Schieren; and commissioned on 1 December 1896, Captain Francis Augustus Cook in...
during 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:...
. During the battle, he was reporting ranges to enemy vessels which he read from the stadimeter, a rangefinding device, while observing from an exposed position, while the Brooklyn was under fire from as many as four Spanish ships. Yeoman Ellis was considered an expert with the stadimeter. While the Brooklyn was pursuing fleeing Spanish armored cruisers Vizcaya
Spanish cruiser Vizcaya
Vizcaya, was an Infanta Maria Teresa-class armored cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Technical characteristics:...
and Cristobal Colin
Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon
Cristóbal Colón was a Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Technical Characteristics:...
, Ellis took a position about three feet in front of the forward turret. He was "singing out" the ranges to a messenger, who passed them to the guncrews inside the turrets. He was decapitated when a large shell fired from a Spanish ship struck him in the face. His brain and blood were thrown over a number of people.When an ensign and the ship's doctor started to pick up Ellis's body to throw it over the side, as was a common practice in naval battles, they were stopped by Commodore Schley
Winfield Scott Schley
Winfield Scott Schley was a rear admiral in the United States Navy and the hero of the Battle of Santiago Bay during the Spanish-American War.-Civil War:...
, who said "No! Do not throw that body overboard! One who has fought so gallantly deserves the honor of a Christian burial." Ellis was buried with military honors in Guantanamo, Cuba at Camp McCalla, and later re-buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, on November 28, 1898. The funeral at Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Brooklyn had a capacity crowd of 2,000 mourners, with thousands more turned away. Soon after the battle, the officers and men of the Brooklyn took up a collection to benefit Ellis's widow, some contributing over a month's pay, to reach a total of over $1,000. Additional donations raised the total to$2,000 by September 1898. Besides his 25 year old widow, Ellis was survived by a seven month old infant.
Namesake
USS Ellis (DD-154)USS Ellis (DD-154)
USS Ellis was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War II. She was reclassified AG-115 on 30 June 1945. She was the second ship named for Chief Yeoman George Henry Ellis....
was named after him.It was launched November 30, 1918.
Legacy
George Ellis was a prominent character in a fictionalized account of the battle published in 1899, "Fighting in Cuban waters, or under Schley on the Brooklyn," by Edward Stratemeyer.In 1908. the death of Ellis and the destruction of his stadimeter were cited in an article in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings as to the impracticality of using observers aloft or in an exposed position on deck to determine range to targets during an actual battle, as opposed to gunnery practice. The proposed improvement was to install a range-finder in an armored installation on each gun turret.