William Swift
Encyclopedia
William Swift was a rear admiral
in the United States Navy
, and briefly the Naval Governor of Guam in 1901. He was court-martialed in 1907 for the grounding of the battleship , and briefly suspended from duty. In 1910, he headed the aptly named Swift Board which reorganized the Department of the Navy prior to World War I
.
, and entered the Navy with the rank of midshipman
on 25 September 1863, graduating from the United States Naval Academy
in June 1867. He was promoted to ensign
on 18 December 1868, then to master
on 21 March 1870, lieutenant
on 21 March 1871, lieutenant commander
on 24 October 1889, and commander
on 6 April 1897.
Swift served as Executive Officer aboard the battleship in 1896 under Robley "Fighting Bob" Evans
.
During the Spanish-American War
, he was the Inspector of Ordnance in the New York Naval Yard, with a rank of commander
. On May 28, 1900, he was given command of the auxiliary cruiser . On April 6, he was transferred to command of the gunboat . In May 1901, he was transferred again, this time to the gunboat , then transferred to command of in June. While commanding Yorktown in the Pacific, he was briefly appointed as Governor of Guam to allow then-Governor Seaton Schroeder
to return to Washington, D.C.
to testify in the Schley Inquiry. Swift served in this capacity from early August to early October 1901, before resuming command of Yorktown.
On June 25, 1902, Swift was promoted to captain and subsequently assigned to the General Board of the Navy
. In that role, he was responsible for inspecting naval yards and shipbuilding efforts on the Atlantic coast. He was also chairman of the Board's Committee on the Fleet. He subsequently was appointed to the Joint Board of the Army and Navy.
. The ship sailed on its first mission to Cuba in January 1907, but was immediately recalled to New York after an outbreak of typhoid fever
among the crew. Immediately after setting out again, the Connecticut ran aground at Culebra, Puerto Rico
.
According to the Washington Post, Swift acted against the advice of his navigator and ordered the ship to pass on the wrong side of a navigational buoy
and caused it to strike a shoal. (Also according to the Post, he claimed that the "sun was in his eyes".) He was court martialed on March 26, 1907, and found guilty of dereliction of duty. He was suspended from duty for a year, later remitted to nine months, but was allowed to return to shore duty after six months. He was subsequently appointed as Commandant
of the Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston, Massachusetts on November 8, 1907.
on January 30, 1908. Swift retired on March 17, 1908, but acted as an adviser to the Secretary on navy yard and industrial affairs. In December 1909, he was assigned to the Naval Bureau of Materials and was appointed by Secretary of the Navy George von Lengerke Meyer
to head the so-called "Swift Board" to reorganize the Department of the Navy.
Admiral Swift died at the Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island
on June 30, 1919, and was buried in his home town of Richfield Springs, New York
.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
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...
, and briefly the Naval Governor of Guam in 1901. He was court-martialed in 1907 for the grounding of the battleship , and briefly suspended from duty. In 1910, he headed the aptly named Swift Board which reorganized the Department of the Navy prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Early life and career
Swift was born in Windham, ConnecticutWindham, Connecticut
Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
, and entered the Navy with the rank of midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on 25 September 1863, graduating from 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...
in June 1867. 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....
on 18 December 1868, then to 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 21 March 1870, 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 21 March 1871, 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...
on 24 October 1889, and commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
on 6 April 1897.
Swift served as Executive Officer aboard the battleship in 1896 under Robley "Fighting Bob" Evans
Robley Dunglison Evans
Robley Dunglison Evans was born in Floyd County, Virginia served in the United States Navy from the American Civil War to the Spanish-American War, attaining the rank of rear admiral...
.
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...
, he was the Inspector of Ordnance in the New York Naval Yard, with a rank of commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
. On May 28, 1900, he was given command of the auxiliary cruiser . On April 6, he was transferred to command of the gunboat . In May 1901, he was transferred again, this time to the gunboat , then transferred to command of in June. While commanding Yorktown in the Pacific, he was briefly appointed as Governor of Guam to allow then-Governor Seaton Schroeder
Seaton Schroeder
Seaton Schroeder was an admiral of the United States Navy.-Biography:Schroeder was born in Washington, D.C., on 17 August 1849 the son of Frances Schroeder, who was the United States Ambassador to Sweden...
to return to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to testify in the Schley Inquiry. Swift served in this capacity from early August to early October 1901, before resuming command of Yorktown.
On June 25, 1902, Swift was promoted to captain and subsequently assigned to the General Board of the Navy
General Board of the United States Navy
The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, effectively a naval general staff. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by John Davis Long. The order was officially recognized by Congress in 1916...
. In that role, he was responsible for inspecting naval yards and shipbuilding efforts on the Atlantic coast. He was also chairman of the Board's Committee on the Fleet. He subsequently was appointed to the Joint Board of the Army and Navy.
Grounding of USS Connecticut
On September 30, 1906, Swift was given command of the battleship , then the largest warship in the fleet, on her maiden voyageMaiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
. The ship sailed on its first mission to Cuba in January 1907, but was immediately recalled to New York after an outbreak of typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
among the crew. Immediately after setting out again, the Connecticut ran aground at Culebra, Puerto Rico
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
.
According to the Washington Post, Swift acted against the advice of his navigator and ordered the ship to pass on the wrong side of a navigational buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
and caused it to strike a shoal. (Also according to the Post, he claimed that the "sun was in his eyes".) He was court martialed on March 26, 1907, and found guilty of dereliction of duty. He was suspended from duty for a year, later remitted to nine months, but was allowed to return to shore duty after six months. He was subsequently appointed as Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston, Massachusetts on November 8, 1907.
Later career
Despite his court martial, Swift was promoted to rear admiralRear 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 :...
on January 30, 1908. Swift retired on March 17, 1908, but acted as an adviser to the Secretary on navy yard and industrial affairs. In December 1909, he was assigned to the Naval Bureau of Materials and was appointed by Secretary of the Navy George von Lengerke Meyer
George von Lengerke Meyer
George von Lengerke Meyer was a Massachusetts businessman and politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, as United States ambassador to Italy and Russia, as United States Postmaster General from 1907 to 1909 during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt and...
to head the so-called "Swift Board" to reorganize the Department of the Navy.
Admiral Swift died at the Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, 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...
on June 30, 1919, and was buried in his home town of Richfield Springs, New York
Richfield Springs, New York
Richfield Springs is a village located in the Town of Richfield, on the north-central border of Otsego County, New York. The population was 1,255 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from some local sulfur springs....
.