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 ...

Warner Baldwin Bayley (9 September 1845 – 22 April 1928) was a

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 ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

. His career specialized in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

and included service in 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 = (clock ...

and the investigation of the sinking of the

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

Naval career

Bayley was born in

Baldwinsville Baldwinsville is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,898 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area. Baldwinsville (the village itself) is located in the towns of Lysand ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, on 9 September 1845. He was appointed to U.S. Navy service as an acting

third assistant engineer A fourth engineer or third assistant engineer is a rank of engine officer who is part of the engine department on a merchant vessel. Summary A third assistant engineer’s license is earned through the U.S.C.G or other regulatory body (such as ...

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 ...

on 4 August 1864. He mustered out of the Navy on 28 April 1869, but apparently returned to Navy service soon thereafter, being promoted to

second assistant engineer A third engineer or second assistant engineer is a rank of engine officer who is part of the engine department on a ship. The third engineer is usually in charge of boilers, auxiliary engines, condensate and feed systems, record keeping of chemi ...

on 2 September 1870. He served aboard the

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...

sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...

in the

North Atlantic Squadron The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...

from 1873 to 1874, then had a tour of shore duty at the Navy's

Bureau of Steam Engineering The Bureau of Steam Engineering was a bureau of the United States Navy, created by the act of 5 July 1862, receiving some of the duties of the former Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repair. It became, by the Naval Appropriation Act of 4 June ...

from 1875 to 1877 and was promoted to

first assistant engineer A second engineer or first assistant engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. This title is used for the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine depar ...

on 21 September 1877. He then returned to sea in the

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. Vessels of the squadron were primarily invo ...

, first aboard the

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

from 1877 to 1878, then aboard the

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

from 1878 to 1880.Hamersly, p. 186.Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775–1900.Archived copy
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

(October 5, 2012). After another tour at the Bureau of Steam Engineering from 1880 to 1881, Bayley was on special duty with the

United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary o ...

from 1881 to 1885. He then served aboard the screw steamer in the

European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...

from 1885 to 1888. He had duty under the

United States Fish Commission The United States Fish Commission, formally known as the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, was an agency of the United States government created in 1871 to investigate, promote, and preserve the fisheries of the United States. In 1 ...

from 1888 to 1892, followed by a tour at the

New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York, from 1892 to 1893. Bayley returned to sea in 1893, serving aboard the new gunboat in the North Atlantic Squadron into 1894. In April1894 he reported for duty aboard the gunboat and was promoted to

chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer's ...

on 25 May 1894. He was aboard the

monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...

from 1895 to 1896. After brief service at the Bureau of Steam Engineering beginning in June 1896, Bayley began a tour at the

United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States and was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of t ...

in August 1896. He remained there until he reported aboard the battleship in the North Atlantic Squadron for duty as Fleet Engineer. ''Massachusetts'' was reassigned to the Flying Squadron in March 1898 and operated with that squadron off

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 ...

after the

broke out in April 1898. Although ''Massachusetts'' was away coaling and missed the climactic

Battle of Santiago de Cuba The Battle of Santiago de Cuba was a decisive naval engagement that occurred on July 3, 1898 between an American fleet, led by William T. Sampson and Winfield Scott Schley, against a Spanish fleet led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, which occurred ...

, Bayley distinguished himself in other actions off Cuba and was advanced two numbers for "eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle" during his time aboard her. After the U.S. Navy abolished the distinction between engineering and

line officer In the United States Armed Forces, a line officer or officer of the line is a U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officer or warrant officer who exercises general command authority and is eligible for operational command positions, as ...

s, Bayley's rank was converted 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 3 March 1899. Leaving ''Massachusetts'' in November 1900, he reported to the Bureau of Steam Engineering on 27 November 1900 for inspection duty, and 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 3 March 1901. From September to November 1903, Bayley was a member of a board of inquiry examining the 15 February 1898 destruction of the battleship in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

harbor, which precipitated the outbreak of the Spanish–American War. He became a member of the Navy Examining Board on 2 November 1903 and, 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 1 July 1905, remained on it until going on an extended period of sick leave beginning 11 November 1905. He retired from the Navy at the rank of rear admiral while on sick leave on 18 April 1906.

Personal life

Bayley married the former Annette Williamson (d. 19 August 1947) in October 1890. They were had one son.

Death

Bayley died 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, ...

, on 22 April 1928 and is buried with his wife at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

Gallery

File:Fourteen Retired Flag Officers.jpg, Bayley is second from the left in the back row in this photograph of 13 retired U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps flag officers taken ca. 1923. File:Flag officers Rear Admiral George C. Remey birthday 1926.jpg, Bayley is standing second from right in this photo of retired flag officers taken at the 85th birthday party of Rear Admiral

George C. Remey George Collier Remey (August 10, 1841 – February 10, 1928) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, serving in the Civil War and the Spanish–American War. Early life George Collier Remey was born at Burlington, Iowa on August 10, 184 ...

on 10 August 1926.

References

Notes Bibliography *
Hamersly, Lewis Randolph. ''The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Seventh Edition'', New York: L.R. Hamersly Company, 1902.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bayley, Warner B. 1845 births 1928 deaths People from Baldwinsville, New York United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) Union Navy officers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Burials at Arlington National Cemetery