Henry Minett

Infobox Military Person
name=Henry Minett


caption=Midshipman Minett in 1877
born=birth date|1857|5|7
died=death date and age|1952|12|20|1857|5|7
placeofbirth=Louisville, Kentucky
placeofdeath=Asheville, North Carolina
nickname=
allegiance=United States
branch=United States Navy
serviceyears=1876–1906
rank=Captain
unit=
commands=USS "Viking"
battles=
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Henry Minett (May 7 1857–December 20 1952) was a career officer of the United States Navy who served during the Spanish-American War. Prior to retirement in 1905, he achieved the rank of captain. He is best remembered as one of the first acting-Governor of American Samoa. Minett Islet in Alaska is named for him.

Early career

Henry Minett was born in Louisville, Kentucky and entered the United States Naval Academy shortly after his 16th birthday, on June 8 1872. He graduated as a midshipman four years later, on June 20 1876. In his early naval career, he was assigned first to the USS "Swatara", sailing as part of the North Atlantic Squadron. After being promoted to ensign, he was reassigned to the USS "Jamestown" from 1879 to 1881.cite book |last=Hamersly |first=Lewis Randolph |title=The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=0waiEcVzn9_RgiLXel&id=REQUIE_aDoIC |accessdate=2008-06-16 |edition=6th ed.|year=1898 |publisher=L. R. Hamersly |location=New York |pages=p. 192] The "Jamestown" served as the guard ship for the port of Sitka, Alaska. Although he was only an ensign, a small islet in Sitka harbor, Minett Islet, was named for him.cite book|last=Baker|first=Marcus|title=Geographic Dictionary of Alaska|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=JKoPAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=2008-06-16|edition=2nd ed.|year=1906|publisher=Government Printing Office|location=Washington, DC|pages=p. 439] On his return from Alaska, Minett was assigned to the training ship USS "New Hampshire" in 1882. In the next several years, Minett also served on board the USS "Hartford" and the USS "Lackawanna", before being assigned to the research-oriented Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island and sailed with the USS "Marblehead" for several years around Europe before returning to the United States in 1897. He served on board the USS "Wabash", a receiving ship in Boston Harbor until 1898.

Infobox
name =
title=


caption = Ships

headerstyle = background:#ccf;
labelstyle = background:#ddf;

header1 = Midshipman - June 20 1877
label2 = 1877–1878
data2 = USS "Swatara"
header3 = Ensign - November 1 1880
label4 = 1879–1871
data4 = USS "Jamestown"
label5 = 1882
data5 = USS "New Hampshire"
label6 = 1882–1883
data6 = USS "Hartford"
label7 = 1883–1884
data7 = USS "Lackawanna"
label8 = 1885–1886
data8 = Naval Torpedo Station
header9 = Lieutenant, JG - May 23 1886
label10 = 1886–1887
data10 = USS "Minnesota"
label11 = 1888
data11 = USS "Pensacola"cite news|title=Army and Navy News|date=1888-03-10|work=The New York Times|page=2]
label12 = 1888–1891
data12 = USS "Omaha"
label13 = 1891
data13 = USS "Vermont"
header14 = Lieutenant - December 11 1891
label15 = 1894–1897
data15 = USS "Marblehead"
label16 = 1897–1898
data16 = USS "Wabash"
label17 = 1898
data17 = USS "Viking"
label18 = 1898
data18 = League Island Naval Yard
label19 = 1898
data19 = USS "Yorktown"cite news|title=The United Service|date=1898-10-11|work=The New York Times|page=4]
label20 = 1899–1900
data20 = USS "Adams"cite news|title=The United Service|date=1900-01-13|work=The New York Times|page=5]
header22 = Lieutenant Commander
label23 = 1901–1902
data23 = USS "Concord"cite news|title=Gunboat at Wrong Station|date=1901-07-17|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|page=9]
label24 = 1902–1903
data24 = USS "Wheeling"
label25 = 1903–1905
data25 = USS "Wabash"cite news|title=Orders to Naval Officers|date=1903-08-07|work=The Washington Post|page=7]
label26 = 1905
data26 = Naval War College
header27 = Commander - June 28 1905
header28 = Captain
label29 = 1906–1908?
data29=Norfolk Naval Yard
belowstyle = background:#ddf;
below =On May 23 1886, Minett was promoted to Lieutenant, junior grade. Shortly after, he was transferred to the receiving ship USS "Minnesota" where he served until 1888. After that, he was briefly assigned to the USS "Pensacola" before a longer stint on board the USS "Omaha", sailing to Japan.cite web|title=Omaha |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o2/omaha-i.htm |accessdate=2008-01-16 |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships|author=Department of the Navy|authorlink=Department of the Navy] While in Japan, the "Omaha" assisted in putting out a large fire at Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama. On his return to the United States, Minett served on board the USS "Vermont" in New York Harbor. He was promoted to lieutenant on December 11 1891 and sailed with the USS "Marblehead" for several years around Europe before returning to the United States in 1897. He served on board the USS "Wabash", a receiving ship in Boston Harbor until 1898.

panish-American War

At the beginning of the Spanish-American War, Minett was serving on board the USS "Wabash" off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts. He was transferred to New York and given his first command, the newly-purchased USS "Viking".cite news|title=The United Service|date=1898-05-10|work=The New York Times|page=3] The "Viking" had been a private yacht, but was pressed into service in for the war. For two months, Minett was part of the harbor patrol, stationed off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, defending New York from potential Spanish threats.cite news|title=Patrolling the Harbor|date=1898-05-18|work=The New York Times|page=3] On July 12 1898, after the major fighting in the war had ended, the "Viking" was transferred to Cuba to assist in the naval blockade. Minett's duties in Cuba included transporting passengers, orders, and supplies between the larger ships still a of the blockade. On August 16 1898, four days after the end of hostilities, Minett and the "Viking" were transferred to Norfolk, Virginia where she was decommissioned. In the slightly over one month that Minett served in the Caribbean theater of the war, he saw no combat.cite web|url=http://www.historycentral.com/Navy/yacht/vikingI.html|title=USS Viking I|publisher=MultiEducator, Inc|accessdate=2008-06-04 (from DANFS)]

"Concord" Incident

In July 1901, while serving as the executive officer on board the USS Concord, en route to Alaska, the captain of the ship-- Commander Knox-- became seriously sick. Minett assumed command of the vessel and sailed against orders to Seattle, Washington to get medical treatment for the Commander rather than to seek treatment in Alaska. Minett arrived in Seattle on July 17 1901. Because of the seriousness of the accusations of defying orders, his arrival was well-reported by newspapers nationwide. A brief investigation was held and on July 22 1901, he was cleared of wrongdoing.cite news|title=Commander Very Sick|work=The Duluth News Tribune|date=1901-07-23|page=1]

American Samoa

On January 16 1903, Minett was acting-Governor when the formal reply to the deed of secession arrived from President Theodore Roosevelt. A full military ceremony was held where Minett presented each of the tribal chiefs who had signed the deed with an engraved silver watch and chain. Minett also presented a letter from the president acknowledging his acceptance of the territory. Using Navy officers as a color guard, Minett also formally presented the gift of an American flag to the members of the Fita Fita Guard, the local militia created by Governor Tilley three years earlier.cite news|title=Red-Letter Day for People of Samoa|date=1903-02-10|work=Los Angeles Times|page=10]

While Minett was acting as governor, the territory was visited by German Samoa Governor Wilhelm Heinrich Solf, perhaps the first such visit from a governor's eastern counterpart. In this meeting, the two governors discussed maintaining friendly relations, but also restricting travel between the two territories. Some natives had been ignoring the partition and going on extended "visiting parties" between the zones. Both governors agreed to attempt to curb this practice.cite news|title=Affairs in Tutuila|date=1903-02-18|work=The Washington Post|page=4]

Minett's time as governor was also marked by the improving of roads in the territory and by hunger problems.

Retirement

After retirement, Minett remained at Norfolk Naval Yard on the court-martial board of inquiry. By 1908, he was president of that board.cite news|title=Society|date=1908-08-13|work=The Washington Post|page=E5]

In 1880, an islet was named in his honor: Minett Islet. Minett was serving at Sitka Sound aboard the USS "Jamestown" when the islet was named.

References

s-ttl|title=Naval Governor of American Samoa
years=December 16 1902 - May 5 1903