Samuel Greene

Samuel Dana Greene (11 February 1839 – 11 December 1884) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

Contents

Biography

Greene was born in Cumberland, Maryland, son of future U.S. Army General George S. Greene. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1859 and became a lieutenant two years later. He was executive officer in USS Monitor during its historic five-hour battle with ironclad CSS Virginia 9 March 1862[1] and assumed command after Captain John Lorimer Worden was wounded.[2] He served as executive officer on the USS Monitor in the engagements on the James River, Virginia, April to May 1862, and when the ship foundered in a gale on November 30–December 1, 1862, which Greene survived after being pulled into a lifeboat by the ship's surgeon, Dr. Grenville M. Weeks.[3] He served with distinction throughout the Civil War. Later, he was professor of mathematics at the Naval Academy from 1866 to 1868 and of astronomy from 1871 to 1875, was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1872, and acted as assistant superintendent of the institution from 1878 to 1882.

Commander Greene committed suicide[4] on 11 December 1884 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was buried in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Namesake

USS Greene (DD-266) was named for him.

Notes

  1. ^ Davis, William C. Duel Between the First Ironclads. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1981. First Published New York: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1975. ISBN 0-8071-0868-5. p. 48
  2. ^ Davis, 1981, pp. 132-133
  3. ^ Davis, 1981, pp. 160-164
  4. ^ Davis, 1981, p. 168

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

External links