James Augustin Greer
{{short description|United States Navy admiral (1833–1904)}}
{{About||the fictional naval officer|Ryanverse#Main|persons of a similar name|James Greer (disambiguation){{!}}James Greer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = James Augustin Greer
| image = James A. Greer.png
| caption = Admiral Greer in 1892
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1833|2|28}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1904|6|17|1833|2|28}}
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| allegiance = United States of America
| branch = {{Naval|United States|1864}}
| serviceyears = 1848–1895
| rank = Rear admiral
| unit =
| commands = {{USS|Carondelet|1861|6}}
{{USS|Benton|1861|6}}
{{USS|Black Hawk|1848|6}}
{{USS|Mohongo|1864|6}}
{{USS|Tuscarora|1861|6}}
{{USS|Tigress|1871|6}}
{{USS|Constitution||6}}
{{USS|Constellation|1854|6}}
{{USS|Hartford|1858|6}}
European Squadron
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards =
| relations =
| laterwork =
| signature = Signature of James Agustin Greer (1833–1904).png
}}
James Augustin Greer{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyThbyYKo9IC&pg=PA919 |title=Official Register of the United States |date=July 1, 1903 |page=919 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=15 August 2023}} (February 28, 1833 – June 17, 1904) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the Civil War.
Early years
Greer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/greer.html |title=USS Greer |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |year=2004 |access-date=26 December 2022}} He enlisted into the Navy on January 10, 1848, shortly before his 15th birthday, joining the sloop {{USS|Saratoga|1842|2}} as a midshipman.{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/02/28/102449715.pdf |title=After Valuable Service Rear Admiral Greer to be Placed on the Retired List |newspaper=The New York Times |page=3 |date=28 February 1895 |location=New York |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=30 March 2022}} He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1853, and graduated as a passed midshipman the following year. After participating in the Paraguay Expedition, he cruised the west African coast until the outbreak of the Civil War.
Civil War
Greer was serving as a lieutenant on board the {{USS|San Jacinto|1850|2}} on November 7, 1861, when she stopped the British steamer Trent and removed the Confederate diplomatic commissioners on their way to Britain, thereby nearly drawing Great Britain into the war on the Confederate side. This incident became celebrated as the Trent Affair.
Greer was promoted to lieutenant commander and served on the {{USS|St. Louis|1828|2}} from 1862 to 1863, and then was attached to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter's Mississippi Squadron. While in command of the ironclads {{USS|Carondelet|1861|2}} and {{USS|Benton|1861|2}}, he participated in the Vicksburg campaign and the shelling of Grand Gulf as well as the abortive Union Red River expedition in early 1864.
After commanding the Naval Station at Mound City, Illinois, he assumed command of the {{USS|Black Hawk|1848|2}}, flagship of the Mississippi River Squadron under Samuel Phillips Lee, and was then in charge of conveying Army transports up the Tennessee River.
In 1866 he was elected a companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). He was assigned MOLLUS insignia number 160.
Post-war service
A tour of duty as assistant to the Commandant at Annapolis after the war was followed by promotion to commander on July 25, 1866 and appointment to command of {{USS|Mohongo|1864|2}} with the Pacific Squadron, where Greer was commended for "defending American interests" in Mexico. He then commanded the {{USS|Tuscarora|1861|2}}. After a tour of duty at the Naval Academy between 1869 and 1873, Greer returned to the Pacific Station. In 1873, he commanded the {{USS|Tigress|1871|2}} when that ship was sent to find and aid the ship Polaris. The Polaris was wrecked on an Arctic expedition which had been led by Charles Francis Hall.
Greer was promoted to captain in 1876. After special service in {{USS|Constitution||2}} during the 1878 Paris Exposition, Greer commanded the ships {{USS|Constellation|1854|2}} and {{USS|Hartford|1858|2}}.
He held a variety of shore posts and was promoted to commodore in 1886 before serving as commander of the European Squadron from 1887 to 1889.
Greer served as president of the "Board of Organization, Tactics, and Drill", and of the "Examination and Retiring Board".
He was promoted to rear admiral in 1892, and retired on February 28, 1895. Admiral Greer died in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1904,{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/144466907 |title=Rear Admiral Greer Dead: One of the Distinguished Naval Fighters of the Civil War |date=June 18, 1904 |page=2 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=15 August 2023}} and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery two days later.{{Cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVncmVlchIFamFtZXMaAWE-/ |title=Burial Detail: Greer, James A |work=ANC Explorer |accessdate=13 December 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/144523817 |title=Funeral of Admiral Greer.: Military Escort of Honor Follows Body to Arlington Cemetery. |date=June 20, 1904 |page=7 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=15 August 2023}}
Namesakes
- The destroyer {{USS|Greer|DD-145}} was named for him.
- Several Tom Clancy novels feature a Vice Admiral James Greer, who is the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence.
References
{{reflist}}
- {{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/greer.html}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, James A.}}
Category:Military personnel from Cincinnati
Category:United States Naval Academy alumni
Category:People of Ohio in the American Civil War