Joseph Bullock Coghlan

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Rear Admiral Joseph Bullock Coghlan (9 December, 1844 – 5 December, 1908) served in the United States Navy. His middle name might be spelled "Bulloch", as in Wikipedia.

Life & Career

Coghlan was born in Kentucky but was appointed to the Naval Academy from Illinois, graduating with the Class of 1863, being commissioned in the rank of Ensign on 28 May, 1863. Coghlan and his classmates received rapid promotion immediately following the war, and he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 10 November, 1886, and to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on 12 March, 1868.[1]

Coghlan's first command came when he was appointed commanding officer of monitor Saugus in 1875. He was superseded before the end of the year and remained on board as Executive Officer.[2][3][4]

Shortly afterwards, Coghlan was convicted at court-martial for writing an intemperate letter to a Navy Department Clerk. He was suspended for one year and eventually moved down the seniority list (though this loss of seniority was reversed by Presidential pardon decades later).[5]

Coghlan still received further promotions and important assignments. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 4 February, 1882.[6] From 1883 to 1884 he commanded gunboat Adams and from 1888 to 1890 he commanded screw sloop Mohican. He was relieved of this latter command and once again court-martialed, this time for a letter criticizing the administration of the Navy Department. Acquitted due to lack of proof of authorship, Coghlan continued his career, being promoted to the rank of Captain on 18 November, 1896.[7][8][9][10][11]

In 1897 Coghlan was appointed to command protected cruiser Raleigh. He commanded the ship in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, eventually being advanced in seniority for his contributions to the battle.[12][13] Upon his return to the United States, Coghlan once again courted trouble by publicly making anti-German remarks relating to the behavior of German commanders in Manila during the battle, but escaped with a mild reprimand.[14]

He then spent a year commanding the Puget Sound Naval Station and a half year as Captain of the Yard at the New York Navy Yard before he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on 11 April, 1902.[15][16][17]

His one opportunity to fly his flag at sea came when he was appointed to command the Caribbean Squadron in the North Atlantic Fleet from 1902 until 1904. Coghlan then concluded his career as Commandant of the New York Navy Yard from 1904 until 1907, remaining int he position even after he was placed on the Retired List due to age on 9 December, 1906.[18][19][20][21]

Coghlan enjoyed only a short retirement, as he died suddenly in New Rochelle, New York in December, 1908.[22]

See Also

Bibliography

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
? 		Captain of U.S.S. Saugus
5 Feb, 1875[23] – before 1 Jan, 1876[24] 		Succeeded by
William H. Webb
Preceded by
Edgar C. Merriman 		Captain of U.S.S. Adams
1883[25] – 1884[26] 		Succeeded by
Louis Kempff
Preceded by
Benjamin F. Day 		Captain of U.S.S. Mohican
30 Aug, 1888[27] – 15 Feb, 1890[28] 		Succeeded by
Edwin M. Shepard
Preceded by
Merrill Miller 		Captain of U.S.S. Raleigh
28 Mar, 1897[29] – Jun, 1899[30] 		Succeeded by
Arthur P. Nazro
Preceded by
? 		Commandant, Puget Sound Naval Station
31 Jul, 1899[31] – Jul, 1900[32] 		Succeeded by
William T. Burwell
as Commandant, Navy Yard, Puget Sound
Preceded by
Frank Wildes 		Captain, Navy Yard, New York
28 Sep, 1901 – Apr, 1902 		Succeeded by
Purnell F. Harrington
Preceded by
? 		Commander Caribbean Squadron, North Atlantic Fleet
2 Jun, 1902[33] – after 1 Jan, 1904[34] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Harry Knox
as Senior Officer, European Squadron 		Commanding European Squadron
c. Feb, 1904 – 20 Apr, 1904 		Succeeded by
Theodore F. Jewell
Preceded by
Frederick Rodgers 		Commandant, Navy Yard, New York
3 Oct, 1904[35] – 1 Jun, 1907[36][37] 		Succeeded by
Caspar F. Goodrich

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. pp. 69-70.
  2. ↑ Register of Officers, July 1875. pp. 69-70.
  3. ↑ Register of Officers, 1876. pp. 18, 20, 152.
  4. ↑ Brooklyn Union 6 February 1875 p. 4/
  5. ↑ National Republican (Washington, DC) 31 May, 1876 p. 2.
  6. ↑ Register of Officers, 1883. pp. 18-19.
  7. ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. pp. 69-70.
  8. ↑ Register of Officers, 1894. pp. 16-17, 161.
  9. ↑ Register of Officers, 1889. pp. 8-9, 137.
  10. ↑ Register of Officers, 1891. pp. 8-9.
  11. ↑ St Louis Post-Dispatch 8 April, 1890 p. 2.
  12. ↑ Register of Officers, 1898. p. 6.
  13. ↑ Register of Officers, 1900. p.8.
  14. ↑ Baltimore Sun 24 April, 1899 p. 8
  15. ↑ Register of Officers, 1900. p. 8.
  16. ↑ Register of Officers, 1901. p. 8.
  17. ↑ Register of Officers, 1903. pp. 6-7.
  18. ↑ Register of Officers, 1903. p. 6.
  19. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. p. 6.
  20. ↑ Register of Officers, 1906. p. 6.
  21. ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. pp. 116-117, 213.
  22. ↑ Baltimore Sun 6 December, 1908 p. 4.
  23. ↑ Brooklyn Union 6 February, 1875 p. 4.
  24. ↑ Register of Officers, 1876. pp. 18,, 20, 152.
  25. ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. pp. 69-70.
  26. ↑ Register of Officers, 1884. pp. 16-17, 161.
  27. ↑ Register of Officers, 1890. p. 8.
  28. ↑ Register of Officers, 1891. pp. 8-9.
  29. ↑ Register of Officers, 1898. p. 6.
  30. ↑ Register of Officers, 1900. p. 8.
  31. ↑ Register of Officers, 1900. p. 8.
  32. ↑ Register of Officers, 1901. p. 8.
  33. ↑ Register of Officers, 1902. p. 6.
  34. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. p. 6.
  35. ↑ Register of Officers, 1906. p. 6.
  36. ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. p. 116-117, 213.
  37. ↑ Register of Officers, 1908. p. 6.

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