Series 23. Samuel Dana Greene (1869-1883, 1931)
Scope and Content
The collection consists of letters, orders, and other official communications to, and both manuscript and letterpress copies of letters from, Greene while in command of various vessels, as well as receipted bills for personal and chandlery supplies for the ships. The documents from Admiral Turner are mostly printed circulars, and Volume 1 includes a letter to Naval History Society librarian Dorothy Barck providing details about the Greene family, from the Boston book and autograph dealer who sold these manuscript materials to the Society. Volume 2 provides detailed information on Saranac's officers, rigging, crew, and movements via its log, while the volumes from USS Juniata and Monongahela detail requests for enlistment and re-enlistment, reports of missing sailors, and other daily shipboard operations. Correspondence to the Secretary of the Navy is addressed to George M. Robeson (1869 - March 1877) and Richard W. Thompson (April 1887 - 1880).
Biographical Note
Samuel Dana Greene (1840-1884) served as USS Monitor's only executive officer, under five different commanders, assuming command after Captain Worden was wounded in the engagement at Hampton Roads with CSS Virginia (originally Merrimack) on March 9, 1862. Although criticized for permitting Merrimack's retreat, he acted in accord with the orders of both President Lincoln and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V. Fox (Series 17), confining Monitor to a defensive role. Between 1866 and 1884 he served in various capacities at the US Naval Academy. From 1868 to 1871 he saw service with the Pacific Squadron aboard USS Saranac to Chile under the command of Admiral Turner; commanded USS Juniata of the European Station in 1875-1876 and the training ship USS Monongahela off the East Coast from 1876-1877; and was in command of cadet engineers from Annapolis aboard USS Despatch from 1882 to 1884. He killed himself at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, attributed to anxiety over an article on the Monitor/Virginia engagement he was preparing for publication.