John Bernadou
Encyclopedia
John Baptiste Bernadou (November 14, 1858 – October 2, 1908) was an officer in the United States Navy
during the Spanish-American War
. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Bernadou graduated from the Naval Academy
in 1880. He was promoted ten numbers for gallantry in action while commanding at the First
and Second Battle of Cardenas
, Cuba
, from May 8 to May 11, 1898. John Baptiste Bernadou died at the Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on October 2, 1908 and is buried with his wife Florence Whiting in Arlington National Cemetery
Section S. Div Site 2004 W.S
on September 12, 1876 and graduated with the class of 1880. After a short tour of shore duty at Claymont, Delaware
, he served at sea in the screw sloop until 1882. Warranted midshipman on June 2 of that year, he was assigned to the Bureau of Navigation
in Washington, D.C., and was commissioned ensign (junior grade) on March 3, 1883. Between 1883 and 1885, Bernadou served on special duty in Korea. He was one of 18 naval officers serving with the Smithsonian Institution
. His travels to Korea were to investigate that country's economic and strategic potential. On June 26, 1884, he was promoted to ensign
.
(ONI). There, he went to work studying world economic conditions with a particular emphasis on the world's supply of nickel
ore. The importance of that commodity resulted from the Navy's adoption of nickel-processed steel for its new ship construction. He also collected information on foreign seaports, assisting in the writing of a book on international ports and coaling stations. His facility with foreign languages put him in an ideal position to translate articles of value to ONI from French, German, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, and other languages.
Between February 1891 and May 1893, he served in the cruiser . On July 1, 1892, he was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade)
. He took a leave of absence because of illness from May to July 1893 and then returned to sea in (Gunboat No. 4). In that warship, he made a cruise to European and Mediterranean waters, there transferring to the protected cruiser
. In September 1894, Bernadou began three years of service at the Torpedo Station located at Newport, R.I. While in that assignment, he was promoted to lieutenant in June 1896. In December 1897, he went to the Norfolk Navy Yard where he put (Torpedo Boat No. 5) into commission on the 29th as her first commanding officer.
with USS Machias
. That day, Machias left for a patrol leaving only the Winslow for blockading. Three Spanish guboats which were trapped in the port decided to sortie and attempt to lift the blockade, in the ensuing battle, Winslow damaged all three Spanish vessels and sent them back into port. On May 11, he took Winslow to take on coal from one of the larger warships there. Upon reporting to the commanding officer of (Gunboat No. 8), he received orders to take Winslow into the bay at Cardenas and scout for mines. Winslow and the revenue cutter Hudson searched the harbor entrance but found no mines. They rejoined Wilmington about noon to make their report. Wilmington's commanding officer decided to take the three warships into the bay in search of the three Spanish gunboats reported there. Bernadou's command marked shoal water to Wilmington's portside during the entry. Upon reaching a point about 3,000 yards from the city, a lookout spied a small, gray steamer moored alongside the wharf. Bernadou then received orders to move his ship in closer to determine whether or not the ship was an enemy warship.
At around 1335, his warship reached a point about 1,500 yards from the object of his interest when a white puff of smoke announced the opening of an artillery duel that would last an hour and 20 minutes. Bernadou responded with Winslow's 1 pounders, and then enemy batteries ashore joined the deadly contest. Bernadou's little ship bore the brunt of the Spanish fury, and she soon received a number of direct hits. The first shell to strike Winslow destroyed both her steam and manual steering gear. Bernadou's crew tried to rig some type of auxiliary steering gear while he steered her with the propellers in an attempt to keep her bow gun unmasked and to present the enemy with as small a target as possible. All at once, however, Winslow swung broadside to the shore batteries. Quickly, a shot knocked out her port main engine. Bernadou then tried to maneuver his warship with the remaining engine to evade Spanish fire and to keep his guns in action. At some point before that time, a shell burst on the top of the forward conning tower; and a fragment from it struck Bernadou in the thigh.
Almost simultaneously, Wilmington and Hudson brought their larger guns to bear on the Spanish shore batteries. The Spanish gunboat received fatal hits, and her crew abandoned her, while the shore batteries slackened fire. Bernadou requested Hudson to tow his all-but-disabled torpedo boat out of action. A towline was passed between the two ships, but it soon parted. Spanish shore batteries continued their fire, and one shell burst near the after engine room hatch killing four of the crew and Ens. Worth Bagley, the only American naval officer killed by enemy action in the Spanish-American War.
The towline was finally rerigged, and Winslow, badly damaged, was towed clear of the action. Bernadou relinquished command of the ship to Chief Gunner's Mate George P. Brady and went over to Wilmington with the rest of the wounded. For his gallantry at Cardenas, Bernadou received a commendation and advancement (10 numbers) in seniority.
In 1899, he returned to sea in (Battleship No. 1). In 1900, he transferred briefly to newly commissioned (Battleship No. 6) before joining the training ship . He made two cruises to Mediterranean waters and served briefly on the South Atlantic Station. On February 9, 1902, probably while still assigned to Dixie, Bernadou was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
. Later that year, he began another tour of duty with ONI in Washington, D.C. That assignment lasted until 1904 when he returned to sea as executive officer
of Kearsarge (Battleship No. 5). He served in that billet until sometime early in 1906. After a brief tour of duty at the Naval War College
in Newport, Rhode Island, Bernadou went to Europe to serve as naval attaché in Rome and Vienna. On December 11, 1906 while in Europe, Bernadou was promoted to Commander
. He remained on diplomatic duty until sometime in mid 1908 when complications caused by the wound he received at Cardenas forced him to return home. Bernadou died at the Naval Hospital, Brooklyn
, New York
, on October 2, 1908. Three days later, he was buried with full military honors in the National Cemetery at Arlington, Virginia.
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...
. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
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...
, Bernadou 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 1880. He was promoted ten numbers for gallantry in action while commanding at the First
First Battle of Cárdenas
The First Battle of Cardenas was a naval action fought in May 1898 during the Spanish-American war. A force of three Spanish gunboats attempted to lift the blockade of Cardenas, Cuba but were repulsed and sent back into harbor by two United States Navy warships.-Background:During the...
and Second Battle of Cardenas
Battle of Cárdenas
The Second Battle of Cárdenas was a secondary naval engagement of the Spanish–American War fought on 11 May of 1898 in the port of Cárdenas, Cuba, between an American squadron of 5 ships under Captain Chapman C. Todd and 3 small Spanish vessels under Mariano Mateu. The battle resulted in an...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, from May 8 to May 11, 1898. John Baptiste Bernadou died at the Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on October 2, 1908 and is buried with his wife Florence Whiting in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
Section S. Div Site 2004 W.S
Background
John Baptiste Bernadou—born on November 14, 1858 in Philadelphia—was appointed to the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
on September 12, 1876 and graduated with the class of 1880. After a short tour of shore duty at Claymont, Delaware
Claymont, Delaware
Claymont is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 9,220 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, he served at sea in the screw sloop until 1882. Warranted midshipman on June 2 of that year, he was assigned to the Bureau of Navigation
Bureau of Navigation
The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to enforce laws relating to the construction, equipment, operation, inspection, safety, and documentation of merchant vessels. The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to...
in Washington, D.C., and was commissioned ensign (junior grade) on March 3, 1883. Between 1883 and 1885, Bernadou served on special duty in Korea. He was one of 18 naval officers serving with the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. His travels to Korea were to investigate that country's economic and strategic potential. On June 26, 1884, he 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....
.
Pre-Spanish-American War duties
Upon returning to the United States, Bernadou was assigned to the recently revitalized Office of Naval IntelligenceOffice of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
(ONI). There, he went to work studying world economic conditions with a particular emphasis on the world's supply of nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
ore. The importance of that commodity resulted from the Navy's adoption of nickel-processed steel for its new ship construction. He also collected information on foreign seaports, assisting in the writing of a book on international ports and coaling stations. His facility with foreign languages put him in an ideal position to translate articles of value to ONI from French, German, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, and other languages.
Between February 1891 and May 1893, he served in the cruiser . On July 1, 1892, he was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade)
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
. He took a leave of absence because of illness from May to July 1893 and then returned to sea in (Gunboat No. 4). In that warship, he made a cruise to European and Mediterranean waters, there transferring to the 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 September 1894, Bernadou began three years of service at the Torpedo Station located at Newport, R.I. While in that assignment, he was promoted to lieutenant in June 1896. In December 1897, he went to the Norfolk Navy Yard where he put (Torpedo Boat No. 5) into commission on the 29th as her first commanding officer.
Spanish-American War
War with Spain erupted late in April 1898, and Bernadou was soon patrolling the northern coast of Cuba in Winslow. On May 8, Barnadou blockaded the port of CardenasCárdenas, Matanzas, Cuba
Cárdenas is a municipality and city in the Matanzas Province of Cuba, about east of Havana.-Geography:Cárdenas is a maritime port town on the level and somewhat marshy shore of a spacious bay of the northern coast of the island , sheltered by a long promontory...
with USS Machias
USS Machias (PG-5)
The first USS Machias , a schooner-rigged gunboat, was laid down in February 1891 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. She was launched on 8 December 1891. She was sponsored by Miss Ethel Hyde, daughter of President Hyde of Bath Iron Works and commissioned at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 20...
. That day, Machias left for a patrol leaving only the Winslow for blockading. Three Spanish guboats which were trapped in the port decided to sortie and attempt to lift the blockade, in the ensuing battle, Winslow damaged all three Spanish vessels and sent them back into port. On May 11, he took Winslow to take on coal from one of the larger warships there. Upon reporting to the commanding officer of (Gunboat No. 8), he received orders to take Winslow into the bay at Cardenas and scout for mines. Winslow and the revenue cutter Hudson searched the harbor entrance but found no mines. They rejoined Wilmington about noon to make their report. Wilmington's commanding officer decided to take the three warships into the bay in search of the three Spanish gunboats reported there. Bernadou's command marked shoal water to Wilmington's portside during the entry. Upon reaching a point about 3,000 yards from the city, a lookout spied a small, gray steamer moored alongside the wharf. Bernadou then received orders to move his ship in closer to determine whether or not the ship was an enemy warship.
At around 1335, his warship reached a point about 1,500 yards from the object of his interest when a white puff of smoke announced the opening of an artillery duel that would last an hour and 20 minutes. Bernadou responded with Winslow's 1 pounders, and then enemy batteries ashore joined the deadly contest. Bernadou's little ship bore the brunt of the Spanish fury, and she soon received a number of direct hits. The first shell to strike Winslow destroyed both her steam and manual steering gear. Bernadou's crew tried to rig some type of auxiliary steering gear while he steered her with the propellers in an attempt to keep her bow gun unmasked and to present the enemy with as small a target as possible. All at once, however, Winslow swung broadside to the shore batteries. Quickly, a shot knocked out her port main engine. Bernadou then tried to maneuver his warship with the remaining engine to evade Spanish fire and to keep his guns in action. At some point before that time, a shell burst on the top of the forward conning tower; and a fragment from it struck Bernadou in the thigh.
Almost simultaneously, Wilmington and Hudson brought their larger guns to bear on the Spanish shore batteries. The Spanish gunboat received fatal hits, and her crew abandoned her, while the shore batteries slackened fire. Bernadou requested Hudson to tow his all-but-disabled torpedo boat out of action. A towline was passed between the two ships, but it soon parted. Spanish shore batteries continued their fire, and one shell burst near the after engine room hatch killing four of the crew and Ens. Worth Bagley, the only American naval officer killed by enemy action in the Spanish-American War.
The towline was finally rerigged, and Winslow, badly damaged, was towed clear of the action. Bernadou relinquished command of the ship to Chief Gunner's Mate George P. Brady and went over to Wilmington with the rest of the wounded. For his gallantry at Cardenas, Bernadou received a commendation and advancement (10 numbers) in seniority.
Post war
After recovering from his wounds, Bernadou returned to duty at the Bureau of Ordnance where he served from late 1898 until sometime in 1899. No doubt, he resumed the work on perfecting smokeless gunpowder that he had performed previously at Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, 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...
In 1899, he returned to sea in (Battleship No. 1). In 1900, he transferred briefly to newly commissioned (Battleship No. 6) before joining the training ship . He made two cruises to Mediterranean waters and served briefly on the South Atlantic Station. On February 9, 1902, probably while still assigned to Dixie, Bernadou was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
. Later that year, he began another tour of duty with ONI in Washington, D.C. That assignment lasted until 1904 when he returned to sea as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of Kearsarge (Battleship No. 5). He served in that billet until sometime early in 1906. After a brief tour of duty at the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
in Newport, Rhode Island, Bernadou went to Europe to serve as naval attaché in Rome and Vienna. On December 11, 1906 while in Europe, Bernadou was promoted to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. He remained on diplomatic duty until sometime in mid 1908 when complications caused by the wound he received at Cardenas forced him to return home. Bernadou died at the Naval Hospital, 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
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on October 2, 1908. Three days later, he was buried with full military honors in the National Cemetery at Arlington, Virginia.