William Reynolds (naval officer)
Encyclopedia
William Reynolds was a rear admiral
in the United States Navy
who served during the American Civil War
. His brother was United States Army
general John F. Reynolds
.
and joined the Navy in 1831. His first assignment was to the , where he toured Africa, Brazil, and the Malay archipelago
. In 1837, he was promoted to passed midshipman
and then to lieutenant
in 1841. From 1838 to 1842, he served with the U.S. Exploring Expedition
, and was among the first to sight the Antarctic mainland. In 1842, he was assigned to the .
In 1862, he was promoted to commander
and given his first ship, the , a receiving ship at Port Royal, South Carolina
. (When that ship was replaced by the , he was transferred to command it.) He was subsequently given command of the depot there.
In 1865, Reynolds was promoted to captain and given command of the screw sloop
after the American Civil War
, assigned to the Pacific. In 1867, he was the officer to formally claim the Midway Atoll
for the United States
, after its discovery by a sealing ship
in 1859. In 1870, he was made a commodore and was made the Chief of the Bureau of Equipment
. In 1873, he was promoted to rear admiral and given command of the Asiatic Squadron
from his flagship, the steam frigate . In 1877, due to failing health, he retired from active service.
Reynolds died in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 1879, and is buried next to his younger brother, John F. Reynolds, in the cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
.
Rear 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 :...
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...
who served during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. His brother was United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
general John F. Reynolds
John F. Reynolds
John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the start of the battle.-Early...
.
Biography
Reynolds was born in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
and joined the Navy in 1831. His first assignment was to the , where he toured Africa, Brazil, and the Malay archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
. In 1837, he was promoted to passed midshipman
Passed midshipman
A Passed Midshipman, sometimes called as Midshipman, Passed, is an unused and historic term which describes a Midshipman who had passed the Lieutenant exam and was eligible for promotion to Lieutenant as soon as there was a vacancy in that grade....
and then to 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...
in 1841. From 1838 to 1842, he served with the U.S. Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
, and was among the first to sight the Antarctic mainland. In 1842, he was assigned to the .
In 1862, he was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and given his first ship, the , a receiving ship at Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
. (When that ship was replaced by the , he was transferred to command it.) He was subsequently given command of the depot there.
In 1865, Reynolds was promoted to captain and given command of the screw sloop
Screw sloop
A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. In the 19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine, ships driven by propellers were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's screws...
after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, assigned to the Pacific. In 1867, he was the officer to formally claim the Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, after its discovery by a sealing ship
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
in 1859. In 1870, he was made a commodore and was made the Chief of the Bureau of Equipment
United States Navy bureau system
The "bureau system" of the United States Navy was the Department of the Navy's material-support organization from 1842 through 1966. The bureau chiefs were largely autonomous, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Navy and managing their respective organizations without the influence of other...
. In 1873, he was promoted to rear admiral and given command of the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
from his flagship, the steam frigate . In 1877, due to failing health, he retired from active service.
Reynolds died in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 1879, and is buried next to his younger brother, John F. Reynolds, in the cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
.
External links
- Reynolds Family Papers Digital Collection : Franklin & Marshall CollegeFranklin & Marshall CollegeFranklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....