Theodore Phinney Greene (July 4, 1809 – August 30, 1887), was 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 ...

of 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 ...

, who fought on the side of the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

during 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 ...

Early life

Greene was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the son of Eli and Patience "Phinney" Green. According to information from the family, his father died when Theodore was quite young. He then lived with and was raised by his uncle, Asa Greene, in Brattleboro, Vermont. He was appointed midshipman from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

on November 6, 1826. He served on the frigate in the Mediterranean in 1832, the sloop 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 ...

, and participated in a circumnavigation of the world between 1834 and 1836. He served on the

razee A razee or razée is a sailing ship that has been cut down (''razeed'') to reduce the number of decks. The word is derived from the French ''vaisseau rasé'', meaning a razed (in the sense of shaved down) ship. Seventeenth century During the ...

in the Brazil Squadron from 1837 to 1838, where he was promoted to lieutenant on March 31, 1838. 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 ...

, he served on in the Pacific Squadron and spent nine months in command of land forces at

Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding ''municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of ...

. He married Mary Minot, the daughter of William and Mary Morse Ainsworth of New Ipswich, New Hampshire on October 17, 1849, Greene later served on , and from 1854 to 1856 was stationed at the Boston Navy Yard. Promoted to commander on September 14, 1855, he served as lighthouse inspector of the First District from November 1857 until 1860, when he assumed command of the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

, near San Francisco, California.

American Civil War

He was promoted to captain on July 16, 1862, and commanded , and later , in the East Gulf Squadron. He was briefly commander ''pro tempore'' of the squadron from August to October 1864, during which time he suffered an attack 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 ...

. On January 25, 1865, he relieved Captain Thornton Jenkins as commander of , attached to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. He participated in the capture of

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

in March and April, returning to the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

area at the end of April. On April 24, ''Richmond'' participated in the capture of the Confederate ram ''

William H. Webb William Henry Webb (June 19, 1816 – October 30, 1899) was a 19th-century New York City shipbuilder and philanthropist, who has been called America's first true naval architect. Early life William Henry Webb was born in New York on June 1 ...

'', commanded by Confederate raider Charles Read.

Postwar career

After the war, Greene served on ordnance duty in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

, and, in 1867, was ordered to command , in the Pacific Squadron. On July 24, 1867, he was promoted to Commodore, was appointed a member of the Board of Visitors at 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 ...

on May 4, 1868. He assumed command of the

Pensacola Navy Yard Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

on October 15, 1868, where he remained until March 1872, when he was retired. On July 5, 1876, he was placed on the retired list with the rank of rear admiral effective by March 24, 1872. Rear Admiral Greene died in

Jaffrey, New Hampshire Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2020 census. The main village in town, where 3,058 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Jaffrey census-designated place (CDP) a ...

, on August 30, 1887. His papers, 1863–1866, are located at the

New York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

in New York City.

References

* Cabot, Mary, ''Annals of Brattleboro, 1681–1895'', Brattleboro, Vt.: Press of E.L. Hildreth & Co., 1922, vol. 2, pp. 821–822 * Peck, Theodore S., compiler, ''Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers and lists of Vermonters Who Served in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion, 1861–66''. Montpelier, VT.: Press of the Watchman Publishing Co., 1892, p. 692.

External links

Commanders of East Gulf Squadron
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Theodore P. 1809 births 1887 deaths People from Mount Pleasant, Texas United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War United States Navy rear admirals Union Navy officers People of Vermont in the American Civil War People from Brattleboro, Vermont Military personnel from Texas