William Butler Remey (1842 – January 20, 1895) was an American military officer who 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 ...

and was the first

Judge Advocate General of the Navy The Judge Advocate General of the Navy (JAG) is the highest-ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations o ...

, serving from 1880 to 1892.

Early life

William Butler Remey was born in 1842, in

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes ...

to Eliza Smith (née Howland) and William Butler Remey. His father was captain of a steamboat in Burlington. He had two brothers, George C. Remey, who served in the Navy, and John T. Remey, president of the National State Bank in Burlington.

Career

Remey became a captain of a Burlington militia company known as the

Zouave The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...

Light Guards, who organized in 1861. In 1861, Remey was appointed by Senator

Grimes Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has in ...

as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. From 1862 to 1863, he served on USS Sabine, a sailing frigate. He was promoted to first lieutenant around 1864 and served in the

Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

from 1864 to 1865. He served on the

USS North Carolina USS ''North Carolina'' may refer to: * was a ship of the line launched in 1820 and sold in 1867 * was a launched in 1906 and escorted troop transports during World War I and sold for scrap in 1930 * was a ''South Dakota''-class battleship, laid ...

in 1865 and

USS Vanderbilt USS ''Vanderbilt'' was a heavy (3,360-ton) passenger steamship obtained by the Union Navy during the second year of the American Civil War and utilized as a cruiser. ''Vanderbilt''—with her high speed of 14 knots—was outfitted with a large ...

from 1865 to 1867 and the USS New Hampshire in 1868. In 1869, he worked at the Marine Barracks 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 ...

and as an instructor in army signals 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, ...

between 1869 and 1870. He remained on duty at headquarters in Washington, D.C. from 1870 to 1871. In 1873, he was commissioned captain and took over command of the

USS Colorado USS ''Colorado'' may refer to: * , a three-masted steam screw frigate in commission from 1858–1876 * , a ''Pennsylvania''-class armored cruiser in commission from 1905–1927 * , a ''Colorado''-class battleship in commission from 1923–1947 * , ...

, serving there from 1873 to 1875. In 1875, he was detailed as fleet marine officer of the South Pacific Station. In 1876, he was assigned fleet marine officer of the North Atlantic Station. In 1877, Remey was assigned to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where he remained until 1880. On June 9, 1880, he was made

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and the first

. He served in this role until his retirement on June 9, 1892, after reports of ill health surfaced.

Personal life

Remey died on January 20, 1895, in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

. He was buried at

Aspen Grove Cemetery Aspen Grove Cemetery is a cemetery in Burlington, Iowa. History Aspen Grove Cemetery was established in 1843. The Aspen Grove Cemetery Association was approved by the Legislature of the Iowa Territory in December 1843 and they first met on Janua ...

in Burlington, Iowa.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Remey, William Butler Date of birth missing 1842 births 1895 deaths People from Burlington, Iowa People of Iowa in the American Civil War United States Marine Corps colonels Union Marines Judge Advocates General of the United States Navy