Seaton Schroeder
Seaton Schroeder was born in Washington, D.C., on 17th day of August 1849.
He entered the Naval Academy in 1864.
Schroeder served with the Pacific Fleet between 1868 and 1869 under Admiral John Rodgers in the screw sloop, Benicia, and fought in the Salt River near Seoul, Korea. His sea tours took him to Alaska, Japan, and the Philippines in Saginaw, to the West Indies in Canandaigua, and on a world cruise on Swatara.
After specializing in hydrographic duties for 11 years, he spent two years in the Office of Naval Intelligence where he helped develop the Driggs-Schroeder rapid-fire gun.
He returned to sea in 1890 as the Commanding Officer of Vesuvius.
In 1893, he began a three-year tour as ordnance officer for the Washington Navy Yard and as the recorder of the Board of Inspection and Survey. He later joined the Board as a member in 1894.
Following his appointment as executive officer of the battleship, USS Massachusetts, he participated in the American blockade of Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War and was advanced three numbers in rank "for eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle" during five engagements between 31 May and 4 July 1898.
He was appointed Naval Governor of Guam on 19 July 1900, and there commanded Yosemite and later, Brutus.
On 1 May 1903, Schroeder became Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy. He assumed command of the battleship, USS Virginia,, upon her first commissioning on 7 May 1906 and afterwards commanded various divisions in the Atlantic Fleet.
Due to the illness of Fleet Admiral Robley Evans, a decision to replace him was finally taken in April 1908 and he was replaced by Rear Admiral Charles Sperry.
Officer promotions were also addressed by the department because four other Admirals who had set out from Hampton Roads with the battleship fleet would also retire before the end of the cruise leaving only Sperry with sufficent active service time remaining before retirement to complete the voyage.
The retirement of the two senior Admirals and the elevation of Sperry to fleet command brought William Emory to command the 3rd Divison and created two flag officer vacancies in Division Command.
These were filled by Captain Seaton Schroeder and senior Captain of the Fleet, and Schroeder's brother-in-law, Captain Richard Wainwright of the USS Louisiana, both being promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and each was given a Division command.
Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1908, he hoisted his flag on the USS Connecticut when he took command of the Atlantic Fleet on 8 March 1909. Two months later, he was assigned to the General Board and subsequently placed on the retired list on 17 August 1911.
Rear Admiral Schroeder was recalled to active duty in 1912 to prepare a new signal book, and again in World War I to serve as Chief Hydrographer and the Navy representative on the United States Geographic Board.
He died at the Naval Hospital, in Washington, D.C., on 19the day of October 1922.
In 1942 the destroyer the USS Schroeder was named in his honor.
The next instalment will cover the USS Kansas
Regards
Sean
