Cameron Winslow

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Cameron Winslow bigraphy, stories - United States Navy admiral

Cameron Winslow : biography

29 July 1854 – 2 January 1932

Admiral Cameron McRae Winslow (29 July 1854 – 2 January 1932) served in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and World War I. A son of Commander Francis Winslow (I) (1818–1862), he was a first cousin once removed of Rear Admiral John A. Winslow, who served in the Civil War (Cameron’s father, who also fought in the Civil War, and died of Yellow Fever in 1862 while in command of the USS R. R. Cuyler (1860), was a first cousin of John A. Winslow.)

Post-Naval Career

Following the 1908 death of his oldest brother, Lt. Francis Winslow (II) USN, Rear Admiral Winslow became a member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, representing his direct ancestor Major General John Stark. The Admiral’s younger brother, Arthur Winslow, also joined the Society, representing the General’s oldest son, Major Caleb Stark.

Winslow was also a member of the Military Order of Foreign Wars and the Naval Order of the United States.

Rear Admiral Winslow died in Boston, Massachusetts.

The first two ships named USS Winslow honored his cousin, Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow, and Winslow (DD-359) honored Rear Admiral Cameron McRae Winslow as well.

Admiral Winslow’s full dress uniform is on display at the Artillery Company of Newport museum in Newport, Rhode Island.

Biography

Cameron McRae Winslow was born in Washington, D.C.. His older brother was Lt. Francis Winslow (II) USN; his younger brother, Arthur Winslow, was the grandfather of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Lowell. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1874, after which followed years of extensive sea duty. He was married to Theodora Havemeyer (c.1877-1945), one of the many children of sugar baron Theodore A. Havemeyer and Emilie De Loosey Havemeyer. They had a son, Lieutenant Cameron McRae Winslow Jr.

During the 1898 war with Spain, then-Lieutenant Winslow served on board Nashville. He was commended for extraordinary heroism when, on 11 May 1898, he commanded a boat expedition from Nashville and Marblehead which succeeded in cutting two submarine cables off Cienfuegos, Cuba, which linked Cuba with Europe. Despite withering enemy fire from point-blank range, which resulted in a bullet wound to his hand, Winslow retained command throughout the engagement.

Winslow commanded Charleston from 1905 to 1907 and battleship New Hampshire from 1908 to 1909. Winslow did not sail on the around-the-world cruise of the Great White Fleet. When the fleet returned to the US in 1909, Winslow and the New Hampshire joined the fleet for its formal military review before President Roosevelt.

Promoted to rear admiral on 14 September 1911, Winslow was Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet, from 13 September 1915 until 29 July 1916 when he was retired due to the statutory age limit (while in command of the Pacific Fleet, he held four-star Admiral rank pursuant to a 1915 law that designated holders of certain commands to temporary 4-star rank; see List of United States Navy four-star admirals).

Recalled to active duty in World War I, he served as Inspector of Naval Districts on the Atlantic coast until again retiring on 11 November 1919.