Oscar Farenholt
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Oscar Walter Farenholt (May 2, 1845 – Jun 30, 1920) was an officer in the United States Navy
during the American Civil War
, the Spanish-American War
and is the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank
.
, who had settled on a ranch on the Salado River
1842, not far from the famous Alamo Mission. Speaking only German until the age of eight, he was sent to New Orleans to a French school where he learned English for the first time. He continued his schooling until twelve years of age, entering a preparatory school, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. Farenholt eventually broke off his studies believing dismissal from this institution to be in short order due to a boyish scrape, traveled to New Orleans, and shipped out to New York
aboard the American sailing ship Saint Charles
. He continued sailing as a merchant sailor until the outbreak of the American Civil War
.
as a seaman
April 24, 1861, after 3 years in the merchant service. He participated in engagements and battles at Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
, Battle of Port Royal
, Battle of Fort Pulaski
, and numerous others. On Oct 22, 1862 while serving as a member of the howitzer gun crew aboard the , ordinary seaman Farenholt was severely wounded at the battle of Pocotaligo, South Carolina
and was discharged from the Navy. He reentered the U.S. Navy in February, 1863 after recovering and was assigned to the monitor participating in almost daily engagements with defenses of Charleston, South Carolina
from April 1863 to April 1864. He participated in the unsuccessful storming party of Fort Sumter
in September, 1863. Distinguished service led to his appointment as Acting Ensign
on August 19, 1864 and he was in command of the mortar schooner USS Henry James attached to the squadron in the Sounds of North Carolina later that year. He also participated in the recapture of Plymouth, North Carolina
, and several engagements on the Roanoke
, Chowan
, and Blackwater rivers as well as the capture of Fort Fisher
, North Carolina
.
on March 12, 1868, Master
on December 18, 1868, Lieutenant
on March 21, 1870, Lieutenant Commander
on May 11, 1882, and Commander
on June 19, 1892. In 1890 he was on sea duty attached to the which was in port in Sitka Borough, Alaska.
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During the Spanish-American War
, Farenholt was put in command of the . The ship was an old vessel with about 50 crew members. The Monocacy was once said to be "only fit for a museum shelf." His ship was used as base of procurement at Shanghai
for Dewey
's fleet. Farenholt spent no time in the Caribbean
during the war, even though that was where the majority of the fighting took place. He was given the task of obtaining a source for coal and supplies for the Asiatic Squadron
through a Chinese intermediary. The efforts were kept secret, because this was against the neutrality laws.
He served at the Boston Navy Yard
and at the Naval War College
in February, 1899. He was promoted Captain in September, 1900, served as Commandant of the Navy Yard at Cavite
in the Philippine Islands in 1901, was Commander of the monitor in the Asiatic station during 1901, and was promoted Rear Admiral
September 1, 1901. He was the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank, and voluntarily retired after giving 40 years of active service.
Oscar married Miss Ella Mortimer Ames (born 1848 in Massachusetts). Rear Admiral Farenholt retired September 1, 1901 and died June 30, 1920 at Mare Island, California. Ella died March 21, 1925 in California and both are buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery
in San Francisco, California
. Two ships have been named for Farenholt, and .
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 :...
Oscar Walter Farenholt (May 2, 1845 – Jun 30, 1920) 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 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...
, 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...
and is the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
.
Early life
Farenholt was born to German immigrants in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, who had settled on a ranch on the Salado River
Salado River
The Salado River is a river that crosses several provinces of Argentina, flowing from its source in the Salta Province to end in the Paraná River, in the Santa Fe Province. Because its origin, its flow varies widely within the year, and it can dry out in some parts of its path during the winter...
1842, not far from the famous Alamo Mission. Speaking only German until the age of eight, he was sent to New Orleans to a French school where he learned English for the first time. He continued his schooling until twelve years of age, entering a preparatory school, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. Farenholt eventually broke off his studies believing dismissal from this institution to be in short order due to a boyish scrape, traveled to New Orleans, and shipped out to 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...
aboard the American sailing ship Saint Charles
Saint Charles
-People:*Charles, Duke of Brittany , Blessed Charles of Blois*Saint Charles Borromeo , Italian saint and cardinal*Saint Charles Garnier , French Jesuit missionary and martyr...
. He continued sailing as a merchant sailor until the outbreak of 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...
.
American Civil War
Farenholt entered the NavyNavy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
as a seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
April 24, 1861, after 3 years in the merchant service. He participated in engagements and battles at Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
The Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, sometimes known as the Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark, was a small but significant engagement in the early days of the American Civil War. Two Confederate forts on the North Carolina Outer Banks were subjected to an amphibious assault by Union forces that...
, Battle of Port Royal
Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861...
, Battle of Fort Pulaski
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete....
, and numerous others. On Oct 22, 1862 while serving as a member of the howitzer gun crew aboard the , ordinary seaman Farenholt was severely wounded at the battle of Pocotaligo, 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...
and was discharged from the Navy. He reentered the U.S. Navy in February, 1863 after recovering and was assigned to the monitor participating in almost daily engagements with defenses of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
from April 1863 to April 1864. He participated in the unsuccessful storming party of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in September, 1863. Distinguished service led to his appointment as Acting Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
on August 19, 1864 and he was in command of the mortar schooner USS Henry James attached to the squadron in the Sounds of North Carolina later that year. He also participated in the recapture of Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, and several engagements on the Roanoke
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
, Chowan
Chowan River
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. According to the USGS a variant name is Choan River....
, and Blackwater rivers as well as the capture of Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Post Civil War
Farenholt was assigned various duties and was promoted to EnsignEnsign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
on March 12, 1868, 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 December 18, 1868, 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 March 21, 1870, 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...
on May 11, 1882, and 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...
on June 19, 1892. In 1890 he was on sea duty attached to the which was in port in Sitka Borough, Alaska.
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...
, Farenholt was put in command of the . The ship was an old vessel with about 50 crew members. The Monocacy was once said to be "only fit for a museum shelf." His ship was used as base of procurement at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
for Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
's fleet. Farenholt spent no time in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
during the war, even though that was where the majority of the fighting took place. He was given the task of obtaining a source for coal and supplies for 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...
through a Chinese intermediary. The efforts were kept secret, because this was against the neutrality laws.
Post Spanish-American War
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
and 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 February, 1899. He was promoted Captain in September, 1900, served as Commandant of the Navy Yard at Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
in the Philippine Islands in 1901, was Commander of the monitor in the Asiatic station during 1901, and was promoted 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 :...
September 1, 1901. He was the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank, and voluntarily retired after giving 40 years of active service.
Oscar married Miss Ella Mortimer Ames (born 1848 in Massachusetts). Rear Admiral Farenholt retired September 1, 1901 and died June 30, 1920 at Mare Island, California. Ella died March 21, 1925 in California and both are buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the city....
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Two ships have been named for Farenholt, and .