Clark Henry Wells (September 22, 1822 – January 28, 1888) was a career officer 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 ...

. He served in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, as well as for two subsequent decades before retiring as a

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Early life and career

Wells was born in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

, and attended school there. He was appointed as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

in the Navy on September 25, 1840, and spent a year at the Mediterranean Station before serving at the Home Station from 1842 to 1843. For the next two years, Wells served in the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval s ...

. He attended the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. See also * Military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, in 1846 and graduated from its Naval School. He became a Passed Midshipman on July 11, 1846. Wells was assigned to duty during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

blockading

Vera Cruz Veracruz is a state in Mexico. Veracruz or Vera Cruz (literally "True Cross") may also refer to: People * María González Veracruz (born 1979), Spanish politician * Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994), Filipino American labor leader * Tomé Vera Cruz ...

. He sailed around the world from 1848 until 1851. Returning to the United States, he married Mary S. Walsh on September 11, 1851. Wells received a promotion to Master Commandant in 1855, then was commissioned

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in September of that year. In 1857, served on and was part of the first expedition to lay a

transatlantic telegraph cable Transatlantic telegraph cables were undersea cables running under the Atlantic Ocean for telegraph communications. Telegraphy is now an obsolete form of communication, and the cables have long since been decommissioned, but telephone and data a ...

Civil War

At the start of the

, Wells was suffering from exhaustion and exposure from this travels, coupled with depression from the recent death of his beloved brother-in-law, with whom he had sailed for twelve years. Consequently, he spent three months in the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

where he was diagnosed as having

Melancholia Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly dep ...

, being released on October 11, 1861, to return to active duty. He was appointed

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of the and took part in the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861.Wells, 12. He then served on the sloop-of-war before commanding the sloop-of-war . He was promoted to

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

on July 16, 1862, then became the executive officer of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in early 1863. During this time he sent a letter to the

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Se ...

Edwin M. Stanton Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's management helped organize t ...

, that accused Maj.

Granville O. Haller Granville Owen Haller (January 31, 1819 – May 2, 1897) was a noted Indian fighter, United States Army officer, and wealthy postbellum businessman who settled in northwest Washington state. During the American Civil War, he was charged with the d ...

, former commander of George B. McClellan's headquarters guard, of sentiments disloyal to the Union. Haller spent years fighting the unwarranted charge, and was eventually reinstated. After his tour of duty at Philadelphia, Wells obtained command of the in 1864 and joined the

West Gulf Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

. He participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay under

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

David G. Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. ...

. Later that year, he was transferred to the East Gulf Squadron and served the rest of the war under

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...

on the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

Post-bellum career

Following the war, Wells commanded the gunboat with the South Atlantic Squadron, until 1866. He was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on July 25, 1866. Wells commanded the screw sloop from 1870 to 1874. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on June 19, 1871. Wells served as executive officer at the Boston Navy Yard in 1874, captain of the yard at the old Philadelphia Navy Yard from 1874 to 1876 and commandant of the new League Island Navy Yard from 1876 to 1877. He was Chief Signal Officer of the Navy in 1879–80. Wells received a promotion to commodore on January 22, 1880, and to

on August 1, 1884. He was placed on the retired list September 22, 1884. Wells died at his residence 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, ...

, from heart disease, and was buried in Philadelphia's

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

, Section M, Lot 22.

References

* Hamersly, Lewis R., ''The Records of Living Officers of the US Navy and Marine Corps'' (Philadelphia, Pa.: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1878). *''The Dismissal of Major Granville O. Haller of the Regular Army of the United States by Order of the Secretary of War in Special Orders, No. 331, of July 25, 1863'' * Wells, Clark H., ''The Reply to a Pamphlet Recently Published by G. O. Haller, Late a U.S. Major U.S.A…'' (York, Pa.: H. Young, 1865).

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Clark Henry 1822 births 1888 deaths People from Reading, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy admirals Military personnel from Washington, D.C. Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)