James Henry Gillis was an 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 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...

. His active-duty career extended from the 1850s through the 1890s, including service in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

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Biography

Born in Ridgway, Pennsylvania

Ridgway, Pennsylvania

Ridgway is a borough in and the county seat of Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:Ridgway was founded by Philadelphian shipping merchant Jacob Ridgway and James Gillis. Jacob Ridgway earned substantial wealth both in Philadelphia and abroad in London. He constantly sent sums of money...

, Gillis graduated from the 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...

 in 1854. Three years later, while serving in store ship he rescued the crew of a foundered Argentine

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 ship during a violent storm.

During the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 he served with Union Squadrons blockading the Confederacy, and subsequently commanded , , the flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 of the European Squadron

European Squadron

The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil War...

, , , and , the flagship of 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...

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Gillis served on the frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 USS St. Lawrence

USS St. Lawrence (1848)

USS St. Lawrence was a frigate in the United States Navy. She was based on the same plans as .Although St. Lawrence was laid down in 1826 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, she remained uncompleted on the ways until work on her, interrupted by a shortage of funds, was resumed during the Mexican-American War...

 at the beginning of the civil war, he participated in the defeat

Sinking of the Petrel

The Sinking of the Petrel occurred in July of 1861 during the American Civil War. While cruising off the coast of South Carolina the United States Navy warship USS St. Lawrence encountered the Confederate privateer named Petrel. The engagement ended in a Union victory and the survivng rebels were...

 of the rebel privateer

Privateer

A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...

 Petrel on July 28, 1861 off South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

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Appointed Rear Admiral in 1888, he retired on 14 May 1893. Known as the "Sailor with a charmed life" because he never lost a man at sea, Rear Admiral Gillis died at Melbourne Beach, Florida

Melbourne Beach, Florida

Melbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,314. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The Ais Indians resided...

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Namesake

The destroyer was named for him and Commodore John P. Gillis

John P. Gillis

John P. Gillis was an Commodore in the United States Navy, whose service extended from the mid-1820s through the end of the American Civil War.-Biography:...

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