Before Chief Turpin: Other Early African American Chief Petty Officers

 

Chief Gunner's Mate John Turpin seen in the early 1920s. (Puget Sound Navy Museum)

Alexander Bright & Elijah Palmer
HRNM Educator and Deputy Director of Education

Chief Petty Officer John Henry Turpin has long been rightfully recognized as one of the most important African American Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) in American history. Among the first Black men to achieve such rank while serving aboard the cruiser USS Marblehead (CL 12) in 1917, during World War II he proudly wore his uniform again while recruiting young African Americans for the U.S. Navy. With a long career in the Navy and with prior fame having survived two terrible shipboard disasters (USS Maine in 1898 and USS Bennington in 1905) he received widespread recognition and his legacy was well established. However, due to Turpin’s popularity and readily accessible sources, other early African American CPOs have largely been overlooked. We recently discovered the names of three other African American Chief Petty Officers who made rank before Turpin: Chief Carpenter’s Mate Isaac A. Miller, Chief Gunner’s Mate John C. Jordan, and Chief Water Tender Frank E. Smith. Let’s take a closer look at each of their places in naval history.

USS Columbia (CL 12) seen (left) at Brooklyn Navy Yard in March 1903. The auxiliary cruiser USS Buffalo is seen in the foreground right. (Brooklyn Museum Collection)

Isaac Miller's story picks up on August 4th, 1903, the day he was promoted to Chief Carpenter’s Mate aboard USS Columbia (C 12) by Captain Snow, commanding officer of the receiving ship. After Navy leadership recognized Miller for his contributions aboard Columbia, while it docked at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, Captain Snow promoted the sailor to the rank of Chief Carpenter’s Mate, in charge of maintaining the ship’s condition. Little is known of Isaac Miller before this. He is only identified as having a long, respected career in the Navy as he worked his way up the ranks. Immediately following his promotion, disagreements erupted aboard Columbia. On August 5th, eight white chief petty officers publicly refused to eat with Miller in the chief’s mess. When asked why, one of the sailors did not hesitate to use a racial slur to justify their reasoning and decry it “an outrage [the Navy] should try to force [African Americans] in on us.” 

“Color Line is Now Drawn in the Navy,” Indianapolis News (August 7, 1903)

Chief's mess aboard USS Newark (C 1) in the 1890s. (Library of Congress) 

Miller’s promotion and the incidents on August 5th immediately drew the attention of both the Navy and the media. On the same day Chief Miller received his promotion, the New York Herald ran an article “Navy Tired of Negroes” that stated the explicit intent of some in the Navy to rid the service of African American sailors – “Naval officers believe the efficiency of the service will be increased if no more negroes are enlisted.”

(Left) New York Herald article on August 4, 1903 on Navy attitudes towards African American sailors, and (right) an editorial echoing this sentiment that was published directly below the August 7 article related to Chief Miller in the New York Herald. 

In response to the editorial piece, and perhaps in response to the prior day’s incidents involving Miller, another Chief Petty Officer wrote in agreement that the Navy should seek the end of black enlistments into service. Despite the outpouring of hatred toward Chief Miller, he remained calm and collected, refusing to engage with the racist rhetoric. Captain Snow reportedly remained supportive of Chief Miller as well, having said that, “Miller’s rights would be protected as the navy makes no distinction as to color.” Some 14 years before Turpin, Miller had achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

Not long after Miller’s promotion, another black sailor, John C. Jordan, was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Jordan’s career in the Navy has been much better preserved. Enlisting in 1887, he became Gunner’s Mate 2nd class by 1898. That year he was serving aboard USS Olympia (C 6), Commodore George Dewey’s flagship for the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish American War. Jordan was the port gun captain in Olympia’s forward 8-inch turret and earned the reputation of being one of the best gunners under Dewey’s command.

USS Olympia (C 6) and the rest of Dewey's fleet firing at Battle of Manila Bay (Library of Congress)

Jordan featured in a June 10, 1899 article from The Evening Star (findagrave.com) 

By 1900, he had reached Gunner’s Mate First Class and served aboard USS Iowa (BB 4) before finally being stationed at the U.S. Naval Academy to help train new officers. Sometime in early 1905, Jordan received his promotion to Chief Gunner’s Mate and seemingly met little resistance. While some high-ranking officials endeavored to end the advancement of African Americans in the Navy, sometimes stating the reason for denial could “be found in the applicant’s descriptive list” (e.g. race), shipboard officers could not ignore Jordan’s knowledge and prowess. Unfortunately, few details are known about Jordan’s promotions and whether or not they received public attention. Ultimately, however, Jordan’s attainment of the rank of Chief Gunner’s Mate in 1905 puts him alongside Chief Miller as one of the first African Americans to do so, and helped pave the way in the Gunner's Mate rating for Turpin to follow later.

Chief Jordan seen in his Chief Petty Officer uniform, likely near his retirement in 1916. (The Crisis, Vol. 17, Issue 6 (October 1917))

Engine fireroom aboard USS Brooklyn (C 3) in 1896. Note the African American sailor in the background. (Library of Congress)

Finally, in 1915, only two years before Turpin’s promotion, Frank E. Smith became Chief Water Tender as he retired. Notably, Smith was also a Medal of Honor recipient. Born in 1864, Smith joined the Navy in 1884 and the details of his career are unknown until 1900 when he was serving aboard USS Newark (C 1) as part of the Asiastic Squadron. According to his Medal of Honor citation, Smith was part of the Seymour relief expedition during the Boxer Rebellion and “distinguished himself by meritorious conduct” across four days of combat in June 1900. 

Members of the Seymour Expedition are seen in China in 1900. The American contingent is in the background. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Despite the medal, and clear recognition of his excellence in his rating, Smith faced obstacles to achieve his aspirations of making Chief Water Tender. At one point Smith wrote to his commander, “It has been the height of my ambition to attain the rank of Chief Water Tender and have taken two exams, heretofore, yet could not attain my object – not for lack of ability, but suitability.” At the end of his service Smith did receive the promotion he had hoped for and retired as Chief Water Tender Smith.

The lives of Chiefs Isaac Miller, John Jordan, and Frank Smith tell us a new story of integration in the U.S. Navy. Nearly fifteen years before John Turpin made Chief Gunner’s Mate, these three men demonstrated how racial barriers were broken much earlier than his timeline suggests. Amid some of the most intense periods of racial violence in the United States at the start of the 20th century, the rise of these three men to the rank of chief represent the best of the Navy’s ability to recognize skill above skin color. Ultimately, although Chief John Henry Turpin has been rightfully recognized as a pioneer in race relations within the U.S. Navy, it is important we remain vigilant to other stories that might have been forgotten. The addition of the stories of Chiefs Miller, Jordan, and Smith to the historiography serve to deepen our knowledge about the history of race relations in the U.S. Navy. 

Further Reading/Sources

“Color Line is Now Drawn in the Navy,” Indianapolis News (August 7, 1903)

"Navy Tired of Negroes," New York Herald (August 4, 1903)

“Letter to the Editor,” New York Herald (August 7, 1903)

"Color Line Drawn in the Navy Yard," New York Herald (August 7, 1903)

“Color Line in the Navy,” Washington Post (August 7, 1903)

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/negro-navy-by-miller.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198865127/john-christopher-jordan

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66689481/frank-elmer-smith

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/07/02/veteran-whose-valor-has-long-been-buried-will-finally-get-his-due/zHEkemVe5iBWAEKyjhNm1L/story.html

The Streets of Naval Station Norfolk: Admiral Taussig Boulevard

By Elijah Palmer
Hampton Roads Naval Museum Educator

Many people, both Sailor and civilian, drive on Admiral Taussig Boulevard every day as the road forms the main route onto Naval Station Norfolk. It runs several miles from Little Creek Road at Wards Corner and ends several miles later on the naval base, terminating between piers 5 & 6. But like many street names, it is doubtful that more than a handful know about the man whose name is honored by the road.

Vice Admiral Joseph K. Taussig was born into a Navy family in 1877, the son of Rear Admiral Edward D. Taussig.  He attended the Naval Academy at Annapolis and in 1898, while a midshipman aboard USS New York, he participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.  In 1900, Taussig also was part of one of the relief expeditions during the Boxer Rebellion in China. Most famously, as a commander in World War I, Taussig was in command of Destroyer Division 8 which comprised the first Navy ships to arrive in Europe to fight against the Germans.  This event is portrayed in Bernard Gribble's notable painting, Return of the Mayflower.  When asked by a British admiral when the destroyers would be ready to join the fight, Taussig replied, "We are ready now, sir."

USS Wadsworth (DD-60), flagship of Taussig's Destroyer Division 8. This ship is in the foreground of Bernard Gribble's painting. 

Taussig was promoted to captain in September 1918. The chevrons on his left sleeve are service chevrons for being in combat zones. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for attacking a German U-boat. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Due to frequent spats with Franklin D. Roosevelt, both when he was assistant secretary of the Navy and as president, Taussig's promotions were delayed.  In 1938, his seventh year as a rear admiral, Taussig was put in charge of the Norfolk Navy Yard and the Fifth Naval District, which included Naval Operating Base Norfolk. This would prove beneficial to both Hampton Roads and the Navy.

As the Navy prepared for war in the early 1940s, Norfolk's infrastructure was stretched, with a housing shortage being a prominent problem. This of course was due to the "boomtown" nature of the area during this time, much as the city had expanded rapidly during World War I.  Admrial Taussig coordinated with Norfolk city officials to explore options to better the situation. He had the Navy build a housing development near the naval base, while Norfolk also built a neighborhood (Merrimack Park) near Chambers Field, just east of the base. Just as importantly, Taussig worked with city and federal officials to improve the roads connecting the city with the base, which led Norfolk to name the improved thoroughfare after the admiral.

Admiral Taussig Boulevard was built during the 1940s (maps and aerial photos from 1944 show it in some form) by lengthening Kersloe Road (built by 1921) which ran parallel with the Virginian Railroad line towards the base. The Kersloe road ended just south of where the main runway of today's Chambers Field is located. This stretch was extended up to connect with what was then called 99th Street, which connected Ocean View with the 99th Street Pier (near Pier 6 on the naval base today).  To the west of the this new intersection was included as part of Taussig Boulevard, while to the east, 99th Street was eventually named Bellinger Boulevard.

1939 map showing Kersloe Road ending at the rail line in the middle of the picture, and the eventual route of Admiral Taussig Boulevard in red (Map from Norfolk, Virginia: Evolution of a City in Maps by Irwin M. Berent)

The boulevard quickly became the main artery into the naval base. The intersection of Admiral Taussig and Granby Street (at Wards Corner) was a bustling intersection, and for over a decade was adorned with the famous airplane, the "Turtle," which had set the world distance flight record in 1946.

The Turtle near the beginning of Admiral Taussig Blvd at Wards Corner (from Norfolk, Virginia: Evolution of a City in Maps)

The Turtle at Wards Corner. The cars in the foreground are on Granby Street, with traffic barely visible on Admiral Taussig Boulevard to the left of the plane.  (photo courtesy of HRNM docent Ira R. Hanna)

The plane was removed in preparation for the 1970s expansion of most of Admiral Taussig Boulevard into the now three mile-long interstate classified as I-564 (although it retained its original name as well). This was a much needed renovation as during the 50s and 60s, the stretch of road to the naval base was known for its frequent accidents and fatalities. It did not help that there were no street lights illuminating the boulevard. The project was a success and greatly improved the base commute.

Near the ramp onto I-564 at Wards Corner today (Google streetview)

However with its heavy use and increased traffic volume, the route is now in need of further expansion.  The Virginia Department of Transportation is currently conducting a project to further expand Admiral Taussig Boulevard as part of a major traffic overhaul around the naval base.  While Sailors might not appreciate traffic delays stemming from this project, they should definitely be grateful for the work Admiral Taussig put forth in improving the lives of both past, current, and future Sailors.

Sailors Lend a Hand against "Righteous & Harmonious Fists"

By Elijah Palmer
Hampton Roads Naval Museum Educator

Period cartoon of imperial powers carving up China. Notice Japan's inclusion after the Sino-Japanese War.

During the late 19th century, China was undergoing massive change.  Western imperial powers had forced trade concessions from the Chinese and had influence in many areas. In addition, the Chinese were defeated by the recently modernized Japanese military in the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War, which forced more concessions from the Chinese government.  This caused high levels of resentment and fostered a radical peasant movement in the late 1890s called the "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists," more commonly called the "Boxers."  The goal of this group was to rid China from what they viewed as the corrupting influence of the West, both economically and religiously.  They were also fiercely anti-Christian.  This hatred was borne out in their targets as the Boxers started in 1898 and 1899 by attacking not only missionaries but also Chinese Christians, who indeed suffered far greater numbers of casualties than foreigners.

Illustration of a Boxer from the San Francisco Call, July 1 1900. Note the added weaponry to emphasize the Boxers' threat.

Two Boxers, from the San Francisco Call. It is entirely possible that this photo was staged in a studio in San Francisco using Chinese immigrants, as it was published at the height of the Boxer Rebellion. 

By 1900, the Boxers were rapidly gaining support and momentum, causing many foreigners and Chinese Christians to flee to safer areas.  As the Chinese empress was ambivalent to the Boxers, the Western nations (and Japan) had increased their military presence on the coast.  Many refugees ended up in Peking (modern day Beijing) by early summer.  On May 31, 1900, a total of 50 Marines from USS Newark and USS Oregon were dispatched to Peking, along with five Sailors and a Navy surgeon.  This force was assigned to protect the American legation.  Other nations similarly sent troops to protect their own legations, swelling the international military force to over 400.  Soon the Boxers had cut off Peking and were attacking foreign property in the city. 

Sailors and a Marine with an 1895 Colt Machine Gun during the Boxer Rebellion.  Gunner's Mate 1st Class Joseph Mitchell might be one of the Sailors shown here. 

Luella Miner, a professor who normally worked in the suburbs of the city, said that on the night of June 15, she heard a great crowd shouting "Kill the foreign devils! Kill the secondary (Christian) devils! Kill! Kill! Kill!" for hours.* This yell was the war cry for the Boxers and those in the foreign legations would soon hear it repeated many times over. The Chinese government finally chose a side when the empress dowager supported the Boxers and declared war on the foreign powers on June 20. This fact was punctuated by the killing of the German foreign minister by Chinese soldiers on that day. 

"The Dragon's Choice": A cartoon printed before the empress dowager had decided to support the Boxers.

The foreign legations in Peking were from eight nations: Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Japan, and the United States. The legation staff, foreign residents, troops, and many Chinese Christians squeezed into a limited area, put up barricades on the street, and hunkered down while waiting for relief.  They faced daily attacks and harassment, including having to avoid snipers and artillery.  US Marine Corps Captain John T. Meyers bravely commanded the American forces throughout the siege.  He had nothing but praises for the Sailors under his command, specifically: 

"Gunner's Mate (First Class) Joseph Mitchell, U.S.S. Newark, who operated the Colt gun with the utmost courage and skill under the heaviest fire; he also, with the assistance of Mr. Squiers, put in working order and later used successfully an old brass cannon which had been dug up inside our lines; he also captured a flag under peculiarly hazardous circumstances, on which I will later make a special report. Hospital Apprentice R.H. Stanley, of the Newark, who volunteered and took a message to the English legation when it was necessary to use the street down which the Chinese were firing."**

He also commended Assistant Surgeon T.M. Lippitt (also from USS Newark) for going beyond his typical duties and helping with the defense of the legation. 

Soldiers of the eight nations.

The Boxers besieged the legations for nearly two months while international forces tried to get to Peking. The first relief attempt made by a force of 2,100 Sailors and Marines was thwarted in late June. Throughout the summer, more troops were sent by various nations, including Sailors and Marines from USS Nashville and USS Brooklyn.  Before the Peking legations could be relieved, the foreign army had to capture the city of Tientsin, southeast of Peking, itself a bloody battle.  It was not until early August that a larger force of 20,000 men (including 2,000 American Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors) marched for Peking.  The legations were rescued when the city was taken on August 14, 1900.  A happy Ms. Miner reported, "All that afternoon the troops came streaming in, Sikhs, Bengal Lancers; English soldiers, and, most welcome of all, our American boys."***

The Boxer movement was put down by the next year and the Chinese were required to pay reparations to the various foreign nations. The weakening of Chinese power set the stage for the nationalist movement and the collapse of the Qing dynasty a few short years later.  In a unique gesture, the United States used part of its share of reparation money to build Tsinghua College (now university) and created a scholarship fund for Chinese students to study in the United States, which lasted until the Japanese invaded China in 1937.  

* From Luella Miner, "A Prisoner in Peking," Outlook (Nov. 1900). Captain Meyers also makes note of the shouting that night in his report.
** From "Peking: Report of Captain John T. Meyers." Available on the Naval History and Heritage Command website.
*** Miner, "A Prisoner in Peking."