USS Galveston

Cruiser No. 17, "Peace Cruiser"

The first Galveston was laid down 19 January 1901 by William R. Trigg Co., Richmond, Va. and launched 23 July 1903. Galveston was sponsored by Miss Ella Sealy of Galveston, Texas. USS Galveston was commissioned into the navy at Norfolk, Va., 15 February 1905 with Comdr. W. G. Cutler in command.

Galveston departed Norfolk on 10 April 1905 for Galveston, Tex., where, on 19 April, she was presented a silver service by citizens of her namesake city. Returning to the East Coast 3 May, she departed New York, 18 June, for Cherbourg, France, where she arrived 30 June and took part in the ceremonies commemorating the return of the remains of John Paul Jones to the U.S. Naval Academy. She reached Annapolis, Maryland on 22 July. She next joined despatch vessel Dolphin and Presidential Yacht Mayflower as one of the host ships for the Russo-Japanese Peace Conference (4-8 August 1905) serving at Oyster Bay, N.Y.; Newport, R.I.; and Portsmouth, N.H. During 13 August to 11 September 1905, the cruiser had special duty with Minister Plenipotentiary Hollander's State Department cruise from Norfolk to the West Indies ports of Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince, followed by preparations for foreign service at Norfolk and New York.

Galveston departed Tompkinsville, N.Y., on 28 December 1905 for service in the Mediterranean with the European Squadron until 28 March 1906 when she set course from Port Said to join the fleet at Cavite, P.I., for service on the Asiatic Station. She was part of the fleet reception for Secretary of Navy William H. Taft at Manila on 13 October 1906, served in his honor escort to Vladivostock, Siberia, the next month; and spent the following years in cruises among ports of the Philippines, China and Japan. She arrived in San Francisco, California from the Philippines on 17 February 1910 and was decommissioned in the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 21 February 1910. She was recommissioned there on 29 June 1912 for service that included a training cruise to Alaska. She departed the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 19 September 1913, touching San Francisco, Hawaii and Guam on her way to Cavite P.I., where she joined the Asiatic Fleet on 2 November 1913.

Galveston sometime between 1913-1915. Photo, Trophy Day Program and information on Richard G. Fare courtesy of Eleanor
Rose (Killen) Piperata and was shared with me by her daughter Linda. Eleanor relates that Richard left for the Navy on the Galveston when her mother was about 8 years old and never saw him again.

When the Galveston arrived in Cavite, Philippines Island for duty with the Asatic Fleet, Ships Plumber and Fitter Richard G. Fare was among her crew. Among his belongings that Linda shared with me was a Trophy Day Program and Menu from the USS Galveston dated 28 January 1915. On board the Galveston that day an awards banquet of sorts was held for the crew for the excellent work that her gun crews preformed. On 3-13 January, 1915 the Galveston was at the Target Range near Cavite, P.I., as were other ships of the Asiatic Fleet. The Galveston had very high marks for her gun crews with of the nine highest 5-inch gun scores, eight were from the Galveston with one gun crew No. 2, earning a Navy "E" award. Her 6-pdr. gun crews also were very accurate as of the 5 highest scores 4 were from the Galveston with gun crew No. 8 earning the Navy "E" award. For their efforts each man in the winning crews was paid $20 prize money. The winning 5-inch gun crew No. 2 had a score of 10.67 hits per min. with 8 shots and 8 hits. The winning 6-pdr. gun crew No. 8 had a score of 14 hits per min. with 8 shots and 7 hits.

After leaving the Target range she steamed on the Shanghai, China where on 28 January 1915 the Trophy Day Banquet was held on board ship. The crew was given a meal in honor of this event and the menu was Sweet Pickles, Oyster Soup, Roast Capon, Masted Potatoes, Cold ham, Layer Cake, Fresh Fruit, Shrimp Salad, Soda, Crackers, Oyster Dressing, Mince Pie, Mixed cake, Nuts, Raisins, Cocoa and Coffee. No doubt a meal fit for Kings or at least special occasions. You can view the entire program by clicking this link to the Trophy Day Menu on the right. This Throphy Day Menu was Ships Plumber and Fitter Richard G. Fare.

On the left is a photo of Ships Plumber and Fitter Richard G. Fare in uniform during his time on the Galveston. He has addressed it to his mother, Emma Coverdale "Truly Yours, R. G. Fare". And on the right is Richard G. Fare in an undated photo in civilian clothes.

The Port of Call log of the Galveston During her time with the Asiatic Fleet September 1913-January 1915

Crew Roster on 28 January 1915

Galveston's tour on the Asiatic Station was largely taken up with convoy service for supply ships and troop transports shuttling Marines and other garrison forces and stores between the Philippines and ports of Japan and China for the protection of American lives, property, and interests with brief intervals of Yangtze River Patrol for the same purpose. It was reported in the 18 December 1915 edition of the Washington Post under the "Movements of Vessels" section that the Gavleston and Cincinnati sailed from Shanghai to Manila. She also made one convoy trip from the Philippines to British North Borneo and two trips to Guam in the Marianas. She arrived in San Diego from the Asiatic Station on 10 January 1918 and transited the Panama Canal on the 23rd, convoying British troopship Athentic from Cristobal, C.Z., to Norfolk, and then on to New York, arriving on 11 February 1918.

During WWI Galveston was commanded by Captain Francis L. Chadwick. He was awarded the Navy Cross as commander of the Galveston. His citation reads: "The Navy Cross is awarded to Captain Francis L. Chadwick, U.S. Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Galveston, engaged on patrol against raiders in the waters of the Asiatic Station, and later on convoy duty in the Atlantic, escorting troop and cargo ships to European waters through the zone infested by enemy submarines and mines."

Galveston was assigned to Squadron 2 of the Atlantic Fleet Cruiser Force for convoy escort duties concurrent with the training of Armed Guard crews. After one convoy run through heavy weather from Tompkinsville to Halifax, Nova Scotia, she was largely employed in repeated convoy escort voyages between New York and Norfolk until 22 September 1918 when she departed Tompkinsville with a 19-ship convoy bound for Ponta Delgada, Azores. On the morning of 30 September, the convoy was attacked by German submarine U-152. Alerted by the flashing explosion to starboard, Galveston headed for the scene of attack and opened fire on the U-boat. Cargo ship Ticonderoga was shelled and sunk in the 2 hour battle with a loss of 213 lives, but the remaining ships of the convoy were brought safely into Ponta Delgada on 4 October 1918.

Galveston returned to Norfolk on 20 October 1918 to resume her coastal convoy escort work until the Armistice. She arrived in Plymouth, England, 26 March 1919 to transport a contingent of British-American troops from Harwich to Murmansk, U.S.S.R., then served as flagship of Squadron 3, Patrol Force, in Western European waters. She was largely concerned with the movement of prize crews and repatriation of crews of German ships until 22 June 1919 when she got underway to serve as station and flagship at Constantinople, Turkey. She arrived on station 14 July 1919 and broke the flag of Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol. She transported refugees and American Red Cross officials to Constantinople from the Russian ports of Novorossisk and Theodosia and carried Rear Admiral N. A. McCully from Theodosia to Yalta. She was relieved as station ship at Constantinople on 15 July 1920 by cruiser Chattanooga (C-16). With the initial assignment of hull classification symbols and numbers to U.S. Navy ships in 1920, Galveston was classified as PG-31. She then returned home by way of the Suez Canal and Mediterranean ports, reached Boston 17 September 1920, and became a unit of the Special Service Squadron watching over American interests in waters ranging to the Panama Canal and down the West Coast of the Central American States to Corinto, Nicaragua. During this time she was commanded by Captain Clarence S. Kempff, who at the height of his naval career would become a Vice-Admiral of the Navy.

On 8 August 1921, she was reclassified CL-19. She also intermittently patrolled in the Gulf of Mexico with periodic calls at ports of Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. On January 25, 1922 Galveston landed her marine detachment at Corinto, Nicaragua, to reinforce the Managua legation guard during a period of political tension. The end of this service was climaxed by a visit to her namesake city in Texas, where she arrived from Panama 26 August 1923 to represent the Navy at the American Legion convention. She then steamed to the Charleston Navy Yard and decommissioned 30 November 1923. During this last cruise she was commanded by Captain R. E. Pope.

Galveston was recommissioned 5 February 1924, for duty with the Special Service Squadron. She based most of her operations out of Christobal and Balboa, Panama, in a series of patrols that took her off the coast of Honduras, Cuba, and Nicaragua. On August 27, 1926 a flare-up of fighting in Nicaragua led to the landing of 200 seamen and marines under command of Lt. Commander W. W. Richardson, Jr., USN, from the cruiser USS Galveston at the request of the American Consul, to maintain a neutral zone around Bluefields, Nicaragua. The Galveston force was subsequently relieved by detachments from the cruiser USS Rochester (ACR 2), on October 31 and USS Denver (C 14) on November 30, 1926. By November 1, 1926 the Galveston's landing force was recalled to the ship. Thereafter much of her time was spent cruising between Bluefields, Nicaraguat and Balboa to cooperate with the State Department in the restoration and preservation of order, and to insure the protection of American lives and property in Central America.

On January 6, 1927 a marine detachment landed in Corinto, Nicaragua from the Galveston, consisting of 8 officers, 106 bluejackets and 54 marines, under the command of Lt. Comdr. W.M. Richardson, Jr., USN, to reestablished the U.S. Legation Guard at Managua, Nicaragua. This force returned on board ship some time prior to February 20, 1927. On February 9, 1927 Rear Admiral Julian L. Latimer, commander of the Special Service Squadron operating off the coast of Nicaragua, ordered his forces to take control of the Corinto-Managua railway to prevent it from being disrupted by the civil war. Again on February 20 a detachment of marines from the Galveston landed in conjunction with the landing forces of the Milwaukee and Raleigh, under command of Captain C.H. Woodward, USN. The landing force of the Galveston returned aboard ship on June 16, 1927.

Galveston again as they had the previous year, on January 9, 1928, landed a marine detachment, under the command of Second Lieutenant K. B. Chappell, USMC, at Corinto, Nicaragua for temporary duty ashore. Portions of that detachment returned aboard ship on January 21 and 22, 1928, and the balance on January 23, 1928. Also that same day, January 9, 1928, a second landing force of 18 bluejackets under command of Ensign E. L. Schleif, USN, was landed in Corinto, for duty at Ameya, Nicaragua. And a third landing force of 17 bluejackets under command of Ensign V. Havard, USN, was landed for duty at Paso Cabello., Nicaragua. Both detachments returned aboard the Galveston on 21 January, 1928.

On April 6, 1928, the marine detachment of the USS Denver, then on duty at Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, reported on board Galveston for transportation to Cape Gracios A. Dios, Nicaragua, where the detachment disembarked on April 7, 1928, under the command of Captain M. A. Edson, USMC. Later on April 30, 1928, the marine detachment of the Galveston, under command of First Lieutenant D. M. Taft, USMC, disembarked at Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, for expeditionary duty ashore. And again on November 15, 1928, seven Ensigns reported aboard the Galveston at Bluefields, Nicaragua, for transportation to the Canal Zone, having been relieved from duty at that place in connection with the national elections of Nicaragua.

After a voyage north in the fall of 1929 for overhaul in the Boston Navy Yard, Galveston revisited her namesake 26 to 29 October for the Navy Day celebrations, then touched Cuba on her way to Haiti, where she embarked Marines for transport to the Panama Canal. She resumed her watchful cruises between Balboa and Corinto until 19 May 1930 when she transited the Panama Canal for a last courtesy visit to Galveston (24-31 May) before inactivation overhaul in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 2 September 1930 and struck from the Navy List 1 November 1930, and sold for scrapping 13 September 1933 to the Northern Metal Co. of Philadelphia, Pa.

USS Galveston Ships Muster

Below are profiles of those who have served on the Galveston. If you know of someone who has served on this ship and want to add their story please contact me.

Ella Sealy Sponsor of the USS Galveston (Cruiser No. 17)

Miss Ella Sealy was the daughter of George Sealy who was a Galveston Banker and prominent Galveston citizen. When the USS Galveston was going to be launched she needed a sponsor for her christening and Miss Sealy was selected because of her family prominence in Galveston, Texas.

Miss Sealy was born in Galveston, Texas in December of 1878 to George and Magnolina Willis Sealy. George her father was born in January of 1835 in Pennsylvania of Irish parents and had moved west and settled in Galveston where he was a very successful banker. George and his wife Magnolina would later have seven children, four daughters and 3 sons, Ella being the second eldest child.

Ella Sealy was married on November 24, 1907 to Emerson Root Newell and was a member of the daughters of the American Revolution. She is the Gr-gr-gr-grandaughter of Jesse Womack (1739-1815). He was a Lieutenant in the Continental Army serving under General John Twiggs, for which service he received a land grant. Jesse Womack was born in Virginia in Madison County, Georgia.

Chief Carpenter Clarence Le Roy Bennett

Clarence Le Roy Bennett was born on January 12, 1869 in New York. His father was from Vermont and his mother was from Virginia. Bennett joined the navy on May 24, 1898 and was in 1900 serving as a carpenter aboard the USS Chicago. His home was listed as 241 Nyona St. in Brooklyn, New York and was single at the time. By 1910 Bennett was now a Chief Carpenter serving on the battleship USS Rhode Island. In 1912 he was 20th in rank of all Chief Carpenters in the navy, and was then serving at the New York Navy Yard, having spent at that time a total of 7-years and 5-months at sea. By 1915 he was now serving on the USS Galveston. On October 1, 1915 Chief Carpenter Bennett passed away.

Seaman Second Class William Arthur McClintock

William Arthur McClintock, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 31 January 1895.  He was the son of David Lewis McClintock and Anne Irene (nee Fennel).  He served in the US Navy from 1914-1919. The paragraph headings are taken from his official records and indicate changes in duty status and date.

6 November 1914
Enlisted at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and transferred to Recruit Training at New Port, Rhode Island. Enlisted Rank: Able Seaman, with starting pay rated at $17.50 per month. William was 18-years old when he enlisted.

8 May 1915: Naval Recruit Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island
William attended Naval Recruit training at Newport Rhode Island Naval Training Station from November 1914 through June 1915, after which he was assigned to the USS Brooklyn.  He was promoted on 11 March 1915 to the rank or rating of Ordinary Seaman. Ordinary Seaman duties included the following:  Standing deck department watches and performing a variety of duties to preserve painted surfaces of the ship and to maintain lines, running gear, and cargo-handling gear in a safe operating condition: Watches from the bow of the ship or wing of the bridge for obstructions in the path of ship. Performs duty turning the ship’s wheel while observing a compass to steer and maintain the ship on course. Mops or washes down decks, using a hose, to remove oil, dirt, and debris. Chips and cleans rust spots from deck, superstructure, and sides of ship, using hand or air chipping hammer and or a wire brush. Paints chipped area. In addition the Ordinary Seaman splices wire and rope, using a marlinespike, wire cutters, and twine.

30 June 1915: USS Brooklyn, Rank Ordinary Seaman
After completing Recruit Training William reported to the USS Brooklyn an Armored Cruiser stationed in the Philippine Islands and pulling duty in the South Western Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and China. The USS Brooklyn was commissioned in ordinary 2 March 1914. She was placed in full commission at Philadelphia 9 May 1915 and served on Neutrality Patrol around Boston harbor until November, when she sailed to the Asiatic station where she served as flagship for the Commander-in-Chief. She attended to regular military and diplomatic duties in China, Japan, and Russia until September 1919. The USS Brooklyn was the flagship for the Commander of Division 1, Asian Fleet, and later of the Commander of the Destroyer Squadron.

30 July 1915: Naval Hospital No. 5 
Due to lack of records it isn’t known what particular ailment afflicted William during his repeated stays in hospital.  The 1915 Surgeon’s Report for the Philippines however lists the number of cases treated during that year and lists by proportion the cases.  The following diseases and inherent tropical illnesses were typical and listed in order of cases treated, various Venereal Diseases, Dysentery, Malarial fevers, Dengue, and Bronchitis.  It is probable that one or more of these during his five-years in the South Pacific afflicted William.  After William’s recovery from sickness he was reassigned from the USS Brooklyn to the USS Galveston.

23 Dec 1915: USS Galveston, Rank Ordinary Seaman
Galveston's tour on the Asiatic Station was largely taken up with convoy service for supply ships and troop transports shuttling Marines and other garrison forces and stores between the Philippines and ports of Japan and China for the protection of American lives, property, and interests with brief intervals of Yangtze River Patrol for the same purpose. It was reported in the 18 December 1915 edition of the Washington Post under the "Movements of Vessels" section that the Galveston and Cincinnati sailed from Shanghai to Manila. She also made one convoy trip from the Philippines to British North Borneo and two trips to Guam in the Marianas. William Arthur McClintock was stationed on the USS Galveston on 23 December 1915.  He was stationed on this ship through October 1916.

30 Sep 1916: USS [unknown]
This change in status or duty station is unknown due to original record copy being illegible.  It is likely that since he was on the USS Cincinnati 25 days after this posting that it would have been the same ship.

26 Oct 1916: USS Cin [unreadable] probably USS Cincinnati
USS Cincinnati, in reserve 8 March 1911, the Cincinnati was in full commission from 11 October 1911, and two months later returned to the Asiatic Station for a 6-year tour of duty similar to her earlier employment there. This would coincide with the time that William Arthur was assigned to duty on this ship. William Arthur McClintock was stationed on the USS Cincinnati from October 1916 through December 1917, after which he is listed at the Naval Hospital Olongapo.

Oct 1916: Naval Hospital, Olongapo, Philippine Islands
The USS Relief was used to supplement the small naval hospital on shore. By the time William Arthur McClintock was there in October 1916 this ship was the main hospital. Originally the ship was part of the Navy’s 1908 Grand Fleet sailing around the world but was left at the Naval Station in Olongapo and utilized as the hospital from 1909.  By 1916 the Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy reported it also was in need of repairs, with woodwork rotting and two wards unusable during the rainy season.  

26 Dec 1916: Naval Hospital, Olongapo, Philippine Islands

24 Mar 1917: USS Cincinnati, Rank Seaman 2nd Class
Family tradition records that William during this time was involved in an altercation, which resulted in his desertion from the ship.  Without confirmation from official records the story as told by William’s brother David Lewis McClintock was that William had returned to his ship late in the evening and had missed the evening meal.  Being hungry he went to the ship’s galley and took a pie, which he tried to hide.  Upon reaching the main deck he hid the pie beneath his jacket and when approached by a senior refused to acknowledge the presence of anything unauthorized despite the obvious bulge beneath his jacket.  After William’s denial the senior enlisted man stated, “I know what is there and smashed the pie beneath William’s jacket producing not only a mess but an angry subject.  William reportedly “punched’ the other sailor and ‘jumped’ ship. Desert for Dessert!  Family tradition relates this happened in China.

The exact time frame cannot be ascertained without referral to the Navy Court Martial records.  Family tradition further relates that William operated a hotel during his stay while on shore and wrote letters home under the pseudonym William Harris.  William later turned himself in to Navy authorities.

During this time he sent his mother a gold dragon ring sporting ruby eyes.  The ring is unaccounted for within the family.  His mother and family resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  They received another souvenir of the Far East in the form of a carved, dragon handled knife and fork. These were considered “western” souvenirs, as the locals would have eaten with chopsticks. The souvenirs passed into the possession of William’s brother David L. McClintock, and then to his daughter Emma who in turn presented them to William Lloyd Harris. (Wm. Lloyd was named for his uncle William Arthur McClintock, born 1931 who was in turn named for his uncle William Arthur the subject).

Souvenir of the Far East in the form of a carved, dragon handled knife and fork.

6 April 1917: United States enters World War I

11 Nov 1918: Armistice Day, Peace declared ending World War I

12 Dec 1918: R.S. Cavite, Philippine Islands   
William is reported, as being delivered to a Receiving Ship on 12 Dec 1918 this was just one month after the termination of the First World War. The ship is stationed at Cavite Naval Base

31 Dec 1918: Cavite, Philippine Islands
Cavite Naval Base also known as Sangley Naval Base, Cavite or Cavite Naval Base. Canacao Point is the name of the area and was part of the Cavite Naval Reservoir. The name "Sangley" was a local or colloquial term coined by Filipinos to Chinese merchants (xiang-li) who used the area since early history. After the Spanish-American war, the US Navy developed this area into a Navy yard, airfield, seaplane base, hospital, and support facilities. This station was headquarters of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet.

21 Feb 1919: Cavite, Philippine Islands. Rank Seaman 2nd Class
William after having been absent without official leave subsequently turned himself in and served his time to discharge in 1919.  The US Naval Court at the time stipulated that a sailor absent with out official leave or under consideration termed a deserter who voluntarily surrendered and had 12 months or less remaining on his enlistment was to be punished under a General Court Martial and receive imprisonment.  If the sailor’s time had been good prior to the infraction he could be sentenced to 1 year or less or until his remaining time in service was served. 

It seems that William was incarcerated for at least 5-6 months at the US Naval Prison at Cavite, Philippine Islands. Referring to his naval record and as yet researching abbreviations it is presumed that he surrendered between 12 December 1918 and or 21 February 1919 and was in prison through 10 July 1919.  It is not known at what time he actually deserted his ship and the light term may indicate that he was actually absent prior to the entry of the nation into World War I as desertion during wartime carried the death penalty.  Continuing research and procurement of further records whether the actual Court Martial or Ship’s Logbooks may shed further light on William’s time in service.

21 Feb 1919: Joined
The term (joined) in his record might indicate the date of the recommencement of the remainder of his enlistment time.

Mar 1919: (T) US Naval Prison
The (T) designation found in his record indicates Temporary Duty.

27 Jun 1919: (T) US Naval Prison

30 Jun 1919: (T) Cavite, Philippine Islands

2 Sep 1919: Navy Demobilization Station, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Referring to his naval record it seems that William turned himself in on or around 21 February 1919 and was incarcerated through 10 July 1919 after which he returned to the United States and was discharged at the Navy Demobilization Station located at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After World War I many communities sought to honor their veterans both living and dead.  William Arthur McClintock’s service in the war was commended by having his name included on one of several bronze tablets as part of the Homewood-Pittsburgh Carnegie Library’s Memorial.   The memorial honors men of Pittsburgh’s 13th Ward.  

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This page was created on 18 April, 2004 and last modified on: 3/8/11

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