William Elbridge Sewell
Encyclopedia
William Elbridge Sewell was a United States Navy
Lieutenant Commander
, and the 6th Naval Governor of Guam from February 9, 1903 until his death on March 18, 1904. He was born in Colchester, New York
and appointed to the United States Naval Academy
from that state in 1867. He did not become an Ensign
immediately, but served on numerous ships before achieving the rank. He continued serving on a multitude of ships, eventually executive officer
or commanding officer
at a series of ships and installations. Eventually, he became commanding officer of the Guam
flagship, and soon after, governor. As governor, he initiated a series of tax and legal reforms, including many that restored the rights of the native population to practice their culture more freely. He legalized and taxed alcohol and set up a court system that would last 30 years. In March 1904, he feel ill from intestinal troubles and was transported to California
for treatment, where he died while still in office.
. He married Minnie Moore on October 14, 1890 and had three daughters. His wife died in 1901 when their children were still young. While in Guam
, Sewell became seriously ill with an intestinal disorder, and was brought to San Francisco, California
for treatment aboard the USS Supply
. He arrived in California
on March 1, 1904 and died shortly after on March 18. His daughter Helen Sewell
later became a famous children's book illustrator. Another of his daughters, Marjorie Sewell Cautley
, became an acclaimed landscape architect
.
in 1867 by Congressman
William C. Fields
. He graduated the academy in 1871. His first post after graduation was aboard the USS Congress
, where served on a mission to deliver supplies to the Polaris expedition
and then to receive a visiting Russia
n fleet. He then participated in the escort of the Hornet
, a filibuster
vessel, out of a Spanish blockade in Port-au-Prince
that aimed to capture it. The Congress joined the European Squadron
, and Sewell was transferred to the USS Plymouth, where he served for seven months before being transferred once again to the USS Wabash
. He remained there thirteen months before being reposted back to the Congress.
Following the Virginius Affair
, the Congress sailed to Key West
, where Sewell took part in several drills and exercises on the Florida Bay
before returning to Norfolk, Virginia
aboard the USS Ticonderoga. There he became an Ensign
and began assisting in deep-sea exploration and sounding
of the Gulf Of Mexico
and Gulf of Maine
. In 1878, he was ordered shortly to the USS Passaic
and subsequently the USS Alaska
, where he cruised the Pacific Ocean
for three years. In 1881 he became executive officer
of the USS Alarm
, and in 1882 became commanding officer
of the vessel, his first command.
In 1882 and 1883, he served at the United States Naval Observatory
. From there he was ordered to the USS Ossipee
during its tour of Asian ports. For his services aboard this ship he received a commendatory letter from the Secretary of the Navy. In April 1891, he relinquished command of the Mare Island
Observatory and reported for a tour of China
aboard the USS Lancaster
. From July 1894 to May 1897 he once again commanded the Mare Island Observatory, where he was placed in charge of accurate time keeping for the West Coast of the United States
and distribution of marine chronometer
s to ships in the Pacific Fleet. On June 1, 1897, he became navigator
for the USS Montgomery
, serving only until July 12 of the same year before becoming executive officer of the USS Vesuvius
and then executive officer of the USS Topeka
until March 1899. He participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
, for which he received commendation from commanding Admiral William T. Sampson
.
From March 1899 to June 1900 he served as executive officer of the USS Abarenda
, on which he sailed to American Samoa
. He was in Pago Pago when the United States assumed control of the island chain. In 1900, he served in equipment department of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
and then equipment officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
. He later became commanding officer of the USS Supply, which became the flagship for Guam when he became governor.
, and prison system. He also repealed a number of laws limiting the practice of native Guamanian culture, including once again allowing United States military personnel to live among the Chamorro people and allowing the Caroline Islands
to wear native clothing and participate in cockfight
s. At first, he raised the property taxes, which had only been one percent under Spanish rule, which caused many natives to default and lose their land. After a series of crop failures caused economic hardship on the island, he reduced property tax
es by fifty percent.
He also issued a number of corporate reforms. He legalized alcohol
, allowing its manufacture and sale given the government issue of a special license to do so. He continued the unpopular policy of keeping those with leprosy
separate from the general populace and improved the judicial laws of the island with General Order 69 on November 30, 1903. The court system he set up lasted until the 1930s. Under his administration, the first telegraph cable reached the island. On March 18, 1904, Sewell died while in office.
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...
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...
, and the 6th Naval Governor of Guam from February 9, 1903 until his death on March 18, 1904. He was born in Colchester, New York
Colchester, New York
Colchester is a town in Delaware County, New York, USA. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census.The Town of Colchester is in the southwest part of the county.- History :Colchester was formed from part of the Town of Middletown in 1792....
and appointed to 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...
from that state in 1867. He did not become an 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....
immediately, but served on numerous ships before achieving the rank. He continued serving on a multitude of ships, eventually 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:...
or commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
at a series of ships and installations. Eventually, he became commanding officer of the Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
flagship, and soon after, governor. As governor, he initiated a series of tax and legal reforms, including many that restored the rights of the native population to practice their culture more freely. He legalized and taxed alcohol and set up a court system that would last 30 years. In March 1904, he feel ill from intestinal troubles and was transported to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for treatment, where he died while still in office.
Life
Sewell was born on November 16, 1851 in Colchester, New YorkColchester, New York
Colchester is a town in Delaware County, New York, USA. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census.The Town of Colchester is in the southwest part of the county.- History :Colchester was formed from part of the Town of Middletown in 1792....
. He married Minnie Moore on October 14, 1890 and had three daughters. His wife died in 1901 when their children were still young. While in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Sewell became seriously ill with an intestinal disorder, and was brought to 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...
for treatment aboard the USS Supply
USS Supply (1873)
USS Supply, ex-Illinois, was a schooner-rigged iron steamer built in 1873 by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Illinois was purchased by the Navy Department from the International Navigation Company on 30 April 1898 for $325,000.00 and commissioned as Supply, Lt. Comdr. R. R...
. He arrived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on March 1, 1904 and died shortly after on March 18. His daughter Helen Sewell
Helen Sewell
Helen Sewell was a children's book illustrator and author. She won a 1955 Caldecott Honor for The Thanksgiving Story and illustrated several Newbery Honor novels.Some of her papers were donated to the University of Minnesota.-Life:...
later became a famous children's book illustrator. Another of his daughters, Marjorie Sewell Cautley
Marjorie Sewell Cautley
Marjorie Sewell Cautley was an American landscape architect who played an influential yet often overlooked part in the conception and development of some early, visionary twentieth-century American communities. Her father was William Elbridge Sewell, who later became Governor of Guam...
, became an acclaimed landscape architect
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
.
Naval career
Sewell 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...
in 1867 by Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
William C. Fields
William C. Fields
William Craig Fields was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in New York City, Fields attended the common schools....
. He graduated the academy in 1871. His first post after graduation was aboard the USS Congress
USS Congress (1868)
The fifth USS Congress was a screw sloop in the United States Navy.Congress was launched by the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 17 July 1868, sponsored by Miss P. Drake, daughter of Senator Charles D. Drake of Missouri; and commissioned 4 March 1870, Captain N. Harrison in command...
, where served on a mission to deliver supplies to the Polaris expedition
Polaris expedition
The Polaris expedition was led by the American Charles Francis Hall, who intended it to be the first expedition to reach the North Pole. Sponsored by the United States government, it was one of the first serious attempts at the Pole, after that of British naval officer William Edward Parry, who in...
and then to receive a visiting Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n fleet. He then participated in the escort of the Hornet
USS Hornet (1865)
The USS Hornet was the fifth United States Navy ship to bear the name Hornet. She was originally the Confederate blockade runner CSS Lady Stirling, built by James Ash at Cubitt Town, London in 1864...
, a filibuster
Filibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...
vessel, out of a Spanish blockade in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
that aimed to capture it. The Congress joined 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 Sewell was transferred to the USS Plymouth, where he served for seven months before being transferred once again to the USS Wabash
USS Wabash (1855)
USS Wabash was a steam screw frigate of the United States Navy that served during the American Civil War. She was based on the same plans as . Post-war she continued to serve her country in European operations and eventually served as a barracks ship in Boston, Massachusetts, and was sold in...
. He remained there thirteen months before being reposted back to the Congress.
Following the Virginius Affair
Virginius Affair
The Virginius Affair was a diplomatic dispute that occurred in the 1870s between the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain, then in control of Cuba, during the Ten Years' War....
, the Congress sailed to Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, where Sewell took part in several drills and exercises on the Florida Bay
Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland and the Florida Keys. Its area is variously stated to be , or , or . Nearly all of Florida Bay is included in Everglades National Park. The southern edge, along the Florida Keys is in the Florida Keys National Marine...
before returning to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
aboard the USS Ticonderoga. There he became an 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....
and began assisting in deep-sea exploration and sounding
Sounding
Sounding generally refers to a mechanism of probing the environment by sending out some kind of stimulus. The term derives from the ancient practice of determining the depth of water by feeding out a line with a weight at the end....
of the Gulf Of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
. In 1878, he was ordered shortly to the USS Passaic
USS Passaic (1862)
- External links :***...
and subsequently the USS Alaska
USS Alaska (1868)
The first USS Alaska was a wooden-hulled screw sloop of war, built at the Boston Navy Yard. The ship was launched on 31 October 1868 and sponsored by Miss Grace Hull, the daughter of Mayor Hull of Boston. Alaska was commissioned on 8 December 1869, with Commander Homer C...
, where he cruised the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
for three years. In 1881 he became 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 the USS Alarm
USS Alarm (1873)
Alarm—an experimental torpedo boat constructed at the New York Navy Yard—was launched on 13 November 1873 and commissioned in 1874.Designed and constructed specifically for the experimental work of the Bureau of Ordnance, Alarm served that purpose at Washington, D.C., until 1877 when she moved...
, and in 1882 became commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the vessel, his first command.
In 1882 and 1883, he served at the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
. From there he was ordered to the USS Ossipee
USS Ossipee (1861)
|-External links:* Alaska's Digital Archives. Includes transfer ceremony of Alaska from Russia to the United States on October 18, 1867....
during its tour of Asian ports. For his services aboard this ship he received a commendatory letter from the Secretary of the Navy. In April 1891, he relinquished command of the Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
Observatory and reported for a tour of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
aboard the USS Lancaster
USS Lancaster (1858)
The first USS Lancaster was a screw sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War through the Spanish-American War....
. From July 1894 to May 1897 he once again commanded the Mare Island Observatory, where he was placed in charge of accurate time keeping for the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
and distribution of marine chronometer
Marine chronometer
A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...
s to ships in the Pacific Fleet. On June 1, 1897, he became navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
for the USS Montgomery
USS Montgomery (C-9)
The fourth USS Montgomery was a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War. She was named for Montgomery, Alabama....
, serving only until July 12 of the same year before becoming executive officer of the USS Vesuvius
USS Vesuvius (1888)
USS Vesuvius, the third ship of the United States Navy named for the Italian volcano, was a unique vessel in the Navy inventory which marked a departure from more conventional forms of main battery armament...
and then executive officer of the USS Topeka
USS Topeka (PG-35)
USS Topeka was a gunboat of the United States Navy.The ship was built in 1881 as the steamer Diogenes by the Howaldtswerke at Kiel, Germany. Acquired by the Navy from the Thames Iron Works, London, England, on 2 April 1898, she was renamed Topeka, and placed in commission the same day, Lieutenant...
until March 1899. He participated in 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:...
, for which he received commendation from commanding Admiral William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
.
From March 1899 to June 1900 he served as executive officer of the USS Abarenda
USS Abarenda (AC-13)
The first USS Abarenda was a collier in the service of the United States Navy during World War I.She was originally a merchant ship built in 1892 at Newcastle, England by the Edwards Shipbuilding Company and was acquired by the Navy on 5 May 1898. She was fitted out as Collier No...
, on which he sailed to American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. He was in Pago Pago when the United States assumed control of the island chain. In 1900, he served in equipment department of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
and then equipment officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
. He later became commanding officer of the USS Supply, which became the flagship for Guam when he became governor.
Governorship
During his term as governor, Sewell issued twenty-four orders, most of them concerned with taxes. He conducted major overhauls of the taxation, criminal codeCriminal Code
A criminal code is a document which compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law...
, and prison system. He also repealed a number of laws limiting the practice of native Guamanian culture, including once again allowing United States military personnel to live among the Chamorro people and allowing the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
to wear native clothing and participate in cockfight
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....
s. At first, he raised the property taxes, which had only been one percent under Spanish rule, which caused many natives to default and lose their land. After a series of crop failures caused economic hardship on the island, he reduced property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es by fifty percent.
He also issued a number of corporate reforms. He legalized alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, allowing its manufacture and sale given the government issue of a special license to do so. He continued the unpopular policy of keeping those with leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
separate from the general populace and improved the judicial laws of the island with General Order 69 on November 30, 1903. The court system he set up lasted until the 1930s. Under his administration, the first telegraph cable reached the island. On March 18, 1904, Sewell died while in office.