Gridley, Charles Vernon, 1844-1898

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Charles Vernon Gridley (24 November 1844 – 5 June 1898) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.

An 1864 graduate of the United States Naval Academy (which had temporarily moved to Newport, Rhode Island during the Civil War), he served as an Acting Ensign on board the "USS Oneida" the August 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Gridley was promoted to lieutenant in 1867 and lieutenant commander on March 12, 1868. He was stationed from 1871 to 1875 on the only United States Navy ship based on the Great Lakes at the time, the Michigan, at Erie, Pennsylvania. Gridley was promoted to commander in 1882. He also served a tour as instructor at the Naval Academy and another with the Cruiser Training Squadron.

By the time of the Spanish-American War, Gridley had been promoted to captain on March 14, 1897. He was ordered to the Asiatic squadron and was assigned on July 28, 1897, to the command of the USS Olympia in Yokohama, Japan. Gridley was in command of the Olympia during the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay. The Olympia served as American Asiatic Squadron commander Admiral George Dewey's flagship, and at the start of the battle he commanded Captain Gridley to commence his bombardment of Spanish ships with the words "You May Fire When Ready, Gridley". The phrase, widely reported by American newspapers, became a popular catch-phrase of the time.

Captain Gridley would die a month later of an illness on board the commercial steamer Coptic as it was anchored off Kobe, Japan. Four United States Navy ships (DD-92, DD-380, DLG-21, and DDG-101) were named for him.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Gridley, Charles Vernon, 1844-1898. Collection, 1860-1933 1897-1898. Independence Seaport Museum
Relation Name
associatedWith Gridley, Harriet Vincent. person
associatedWith Olympia (Cruiser) corporateBody
associatedWith Trenton (Steamship) corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf United States Naval Academy corporateBody
memberOf United States. Navy corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Logansport IN US
Kobe 13 JP
Subject
Civil War, 1861-1865
Manila Bay, Battle of, Philippines, 1898
Mobile Bay, Battle of
Spanish
Occupation
Captains (military officers)
Naval Officer
Activity

Person

Birth 1844-11-24

Death 1898-06-05

Male

Americans

English

Information

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