Cameron McRae Winslow (July 29, 1854 – January 2, 1932) served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. A son of Commander Francis Winslow (I) (1818–1862), (Cameron's father, who also fought in the Civil War, and died of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

in 1862 while in command of , was a first cousin of John A. Winslow.) He was a first cousin once removed of Rear Admiral John A. Winslow, who served in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

and is best known as the commanding officer of which defeated .

Early life

Cameron McRae Winslow was born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He was the son of Francis Winslow (1819–1862) and Mary Sophia ( née Nelson) Winslow (1828–1903). His older brother was Lieutenant Francis Winslow (II) USN; his younger brother, Arthur Winslow, was the grandfather of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Lowell. He graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1874, after which followed years of extensive sea duty. Winslow was the great great great grandson of Major General

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Batt ...

, a distinguished soldier from

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. In 1915 he joined the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati with General Stark as his

propositus In medical genetics and other medical fields, a proband, proposito (male proband), or proposita (female proband)Bennett, RL. The Language of the Pedigree. In: ''The Practical Guide to the Genetic Family History''. Wiley-Liss. is a particular subjec ...

Naval career

During the 1898 war with Spain, then Lieutenant Winslow served on board the gunboat . He was commended for extraordinary heroism when, on May 11, 1898, he commanded a boat expedition from ''Nashville'' and which succeeded in cutting two

submarine cable Submarine cable is any electrical cable that is laid on the seabed, although the term is often extended to encompass cables laid on the bottom of large freshwater bodies of water. Examples include: *Submarine communications cable *Submarine power ...

s off

Cienfuegos, Cuba Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...

, which linked

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

with Europe. Despite enemy fire from point-blank range, which resulted in a bullet wound to his hand, Winslow retained command throughout the engagement. At that time, regulations did not allow Navy officers to receive the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

. However, all the enlisted sailors involved in the cable cutting operation did receive the Medal of Honor. Winslow commanded from 1905 to 1907 and battleship from 1908 to 1909. Winslow did not sail on the around-the-world cruise of the Great White Fleet. When the fleet returned to the US in 1909, Winslow and ''New Hampshire'' joined the fleet for its formal military review before President Roosevelt. Promoted to rear admiral on September 14, 1911, Winslow was Commander in Chief,

United States Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor� ...

, from September 13, 1915 until July 29, 1916 when he was retired due to reaching the statutory age limit of 62. (While in command of the Pacific Fleet, he held four-star Admiral rank pursuant to a 1915 law that designated holders of certain commands to temporary 4-star rank; see

List of United States Navy four-star admirals This is a complete list of four-star admirals in the United States Navy. The rank of Admiral (United States), admiral (or ''full admiral'', or ''four-star admiral'') is the highest rank normally achievable in the U.S. Navy. It ranks above Vice ad ...

.) Winslow was recalled to active duty in World War I with the rank of rear admiral. He served as Inspector of Naval Districts on the Atlantic coast until again retiring on November 11, 1919. While in this assignment, Winslow's flagship was , a private sailing yacht acquired by the Navy for use during the war.

Retirement

Following the 1908 death of his oldest brother, Lt. Francis Winslow (II) USN, Rear Admiral Winslow became a member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, representing his direct ancestor Major General

. The admiral's younger brother, Arthur Winslow, also joined the Society, representing the General's oldest son, Major

Caleb Stark Caleb Stark (December 3, 1759 – August 28, 1838) was an American state senator. He was the eldest son of General John Stark and his wife Molly Stark. Biography He was born December 3, 1759, at Dunbarton, New Hampshire. During the American Revo ...

. Winslow was also a member of the

Military Order of Foreign Wars The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (MOFW) is one of the oldest veterans' and hereditary associations in the nation with a membership that includes officers and their hereditary descendants from all of the Armed Services. Memb ...

and the Naval Order of the United States.

Personal life

He was married to Theodora Havemeyer (1878–1945), one of nine children born to sugar baron Theodore A. Havemeyer and Emilie (née de Loosey) Havemeyer. Theodora was the sister of Charles Frederick Havemeyer. Together, they were the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters, including: * Cameron McRae Winslow, Jr. (1901–1981), who graduated from the

in 1924. Winslow, Jr. received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for heroism while in command of the armed guard on board the S.S. ''Chi Ping'' from March 12 to March 14, 1930, on the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

, near Ichang, China. While moving on the river, the vessel was taken under heavy fire on several occasions from Chinese soldiers. Winslow returned fire promptly so that in each instance the attack was repulsed and the vessel permitted to continue its voyage. During an attack on 14 March, Winslow was struck in the thigh by a rifle bullet. He did not give up command of his detachment but continued firing a machine gun. In 1932 he succeeded his father as a hereditary member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati. He served in the early years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was retired from the Navy for medical reasons on April 1, 1943 with the rank of lieutenant commander. In retirement he lived in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

. * Theodora Marie Winslow (1903–2007), who married Auguste Louis Noel (1884–1964), a Beaux-Arts architect. Their daughter, Carlotta Marie Noel, was married to Peter Van Courtlandt Morris (b. 1931), the son of

Newbold Morris Augustus Newbold Morris or Newbold Morris (February 2, 1902 – March 30, 1966) was an American politician, lawyer, president of the New York City Council, and two-time candidate for mayor of New York City. Early life Morris, who never used ...

, president of the New York City Council. * Arthur Winslow (1913–1987), who married Jean Douglas (1921–1951) in 1948. Admiral Winslow died at his home, 205 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1932.

Legacy

The first two ships named honored his cousin, Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow, and honored Rear Admiral Cameron McRae Winslow as well. Admiral Winslow's full dress uniform is on display at the

Artillery Company of Newport The Newport Artillery Company of Newport, Rhode Island was chartered in 1741 by the Rhode Island General Assembly during the reign of King George II of Great Britain. It is the oldest military unit in the United States operating under its origina ...

armory and museum in Newport, Rhode Island.

Awards

Sampson Medal The Sampson Medal was a U.S. Navy campaign medal. The medal was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1901. The medal was awarded to those personnel who served on ships in the fleet of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson during combat operations in ...

Spanish Campaign Medal The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...

Mexican Service Medal The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military for service in Mexico from 1911 to 1919. History The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December ...

* World War I Victory Medal

Dates of rank

* Midshipman – 29 September 1870 * Passed Midshipman – 21 June 1875 * Ensign – 18 July 1876 * Master – 21 December 1881 * Lieutenant, Junior Grade – 3 March 1883 * Lieutenant – 1 July 1888 * Lieutenant Commander – 3 March 1899 * Commander – 11 October 1903 * Captain – 28 January 1908 * Rear Admiral – 14 September 1911 * Admiral – 13 September 1915 * Retired – 29 July 1916

References

: *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Winslow, Cameron Mcrae 1854 births 1932 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy admirals People from Washington, D.C.