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list of awards. Daniels' list aroused immediate outrage for its perceived caprice; in particular, every commanding officer of a ship that had been sunk by the enemy received the
Distinguished Service Medal, while many commanding officers of ships that sank enemy vessels received no medal. Many officers refused the medals awarded them, most prominently Admiral
433:, and to submit a uniform list of recommended honors. The board comprised Knight and eight other retired officers, a roster that drew harsh criticism as most of the board members had retired prior to America's entry into the war and none had any personal familiarity with conditions in the war zone. (Knight himself had spent the war in a distant theater.)
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The Knight Board was in session from March 17, 1919, to
October 31, 1919, when it was suddenly dissolved by Secretary Daniels before completing its work and before many of the most important recommendations had been received. Daniels disregarded most of the board's recommendations and drew up his own
298:
was wrecked by an explosion of four hundred pounds of gelatin during ordnance tests being conducted under Knight's direction. The board of inquiry reported that the monitor had been allowed to sink into the mud despite having remained afloat for twenty-two hours, subsequently requiring the services
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Knight was placed under arrest while on trial, and his wife fell ill and died during his detainment. The court-martial also threatened to derail his previously scheduled promotion to rear admiral. His private and professional travails coupled with the perception that he had been scapegoated by the
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of a wrecking company to raise. Congress blamed Knight for this perceived lapse and ordered that he be prosecuted for "culpable negligence and inefficiency in the performance of duty". A court-martial of seven rear admirals convened at the
Norfolk Navy Yard, and honorably acquitted Knight.
209:
from
Florida on June 30, 1869, graduating in 1873. After service as a passed midshipman, he was commissioned ensign on July 16, 1874. He served in various sea and shore assignments over the next two decades, including tours at the Naval Academy, and in
490:, a guide to shiphandling and safety which became famous as the sailor's bible for pleasure boaters and professional seamen alike. The textbook was repeatedly updated for over eighty years, publishing its eighteenth edition in 1988.
441:. Daniels hastily reconvened the Knight Board, but the second session's recommendations fared little better than the first, as the final decision over which medals to award remained the sole prerogative of the Secretary of the Navy.
277:
in the
Atlantic from 1903 to 1904. During the next three years, he presided over a naval ordnance board and a joint Army-Navy board on smokeless powder. Knight was promoted to captain in 1907 and given command of the armored cruiser
1124:
500:
Several years later, at
Annapolis, Maryland, on April 29, 1886, Knight married Elizabeth Harwood Welsh. He and Elizabeth had three children, Dorothy, Richard, and Katharine, the latter of whom married
318:
Following his acquittal, Knight was promoted to rear admiral in May 1911 (backdated to
January 29) and assigned to command the Narragansett Bay Naval Station. He served as commander in chief of the
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Knight was recalled to active duty from March 13, 1919, until June 30, 1920, to serve as Senior Member of the Board of Awards. No medals had been awarded for naval service during
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from 1926 until his death. On
November 17, 1930, he was posthumously advanced to admiral on the retired list with date of rank February 26, 1927, in recognition of his
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disapproved the finding and referred the case back to the court for reconsideration, but the court reaffirmed Knight's acquittal and he was restored to active duty.
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409:
Knight relinquished command on
December 7, 1918, and reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral. He transferred to the retired list on December 16, 1918.
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prior to the armistice, so on March 6, 1919, Secretary
Daniels appointed Knight to head a board to review all recommendations of commanding officers for the
801:
Naval Lessons of the Great War: A Review of the Senate Naval Investigation of the Criticisms by Admiral Sims of the Policies and Methods of Josephus Daniels
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strongly opposed the idea, and Wilson instructed Daniels to reprimand Knight after he publicly advocated a general staff in a speech in New York City.
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as commander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet with the temporary rank of admiral. He directed American naval operations during the
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516:, from 1926 to 1928, the first female mayor of a major American city. Another younger sister, Jessie Knight Jordan, married
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The awards fiasco led directly to the creation of a largely independent Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals.
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from 1912 to 1913, interrupted by temporary duty to command a special squadron consisting of the armored cruisers
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for meritorious service as commander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet during Allied naval operations at
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veteran Charles Sanford Knight and Cordelia Cutter Knight, Austin Melvin Knight was appointed to the
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that was dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean in November 1912 to protect American citizens in
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political establishment made him a sympathetic figure among his fellow officers.
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710:"Stories of Our Government Bureaus VIII – Strange Stories of the Army and Navy"
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from December 15, 1913, to February 16, 1917, Knight was extensively quoted in
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in the Pacific. He resumed the presidency of the naval ordnance board in 1909.
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Knight died February 26, 1927, at Washington, D.C., and was buried at the
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On May 22, 1917, Knight raised his flag aboard the armored cruiser
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with authority to command both the line and the bureaus. President
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Knight married Alice Tobey, step-daughter of Wisconsin Governor
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775:
Civil-Military Relations on the Frontier and Beyond, 1865–1917
972:(Washington, District of Columbia), 30 Apr 1886, page 1.
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who agitated for a navy general staff headed by a strong
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United States Navy personnel of the Spanish–American War
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Page, Walter Hines; Page, Arthur Wilson (August 1915),
271:
off the Cuban coast from 1901 to 1903, and the gunboat
804:, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company
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Knight aligned himself with naval reformers such as
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Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery
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1110:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
247:Knight served as navigator aboard the new monitor
265:at Newport in 1901, he commanded the armed yacht
189:was a standard reference for over eight decades.
173:(December 16, 1854 – February 26, 1927) was an
761:, New York: Hearst's International Library Co.
714:The Bookman: A Magazine of Literature and Life
8:
998:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
667:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
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939:(Madison, Wisconsin), 18 Mar 1879, page 4.
923:(New York, New York), 11 Jan 1878, page 3.
778:, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press,
708:Catherine Frances Cavanagh (August 1911),
688:
686:
26:
15:
1115:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun
956:(Chicago, Illinois), 20 Mar 1879, page 5.
858:WW I Induction Card: Austin Melvin Knight
992:This article incorporates text from the
894:Knight's Modern Seamanship, 18th Edition
840:Naval Historical Foundation past leaders
1130:United States Navy World War I admirals
737:The World's Work: A History of Our Time
640:
384:Commander in Chief, U.S. Asiatic Fleet
1135:Military personnel from Massachusetts
532:He was the namesake of the destroyer
185:from 1917 to 1918. His 1901 textbook
7:
1028:15 December 1913 – 16 February 1917
720:(6), Dodd, Mead and Company: 610–611
1100:Presidents of the Naval War College
357:, which exhorted America to rearm.
253:, participating in the blockade of
181:. He was commander in chief of the
1105:United States Naval Academy alumni
1024:President of the Naval War College
697:, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press
504:amphibious commander Rear Admiral
347:President of the Naval War College
14:
798:Kittredge, Tracy Barrett (1921),
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620:
555:Passed Midshipman – May 31, 1873
159:Navy Distinguished Service Medal
115:
90:
1090:People from Ware, Massachusetts
743:, Doubleday, Page & Company
648:US Navy Officers: 1775–1900 (K)
1056:22 May 1917 – 7 December 1918
477:Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun
475:, Siberia. He was awarded the
292:In November 1910, the monitor
163:Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun
1:
876:Austin Melvin Knight (1921),
261:in 1898. After attending the
733:"The War Chiefs of the Navy"
514:mayor of Seattle, Washington
1095:United States Navy admirals
1052:United States Asiatic Fleet
693:Reynolds, Clark G. (1978),
469:Distinguished Service Medal
458:Naval Historical Foundation
427:Distinguished Service Medal
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772:Byler, Charles A. (2006),
456:. He was President of the
376:and Secretary of the Navy
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1021:
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370:chief of naval operations
353:'s influential 1915 book
304:George von Lengerke Meyer
25:
950:Obsequies of Mrs. Knight
695:Famous American Admirals
571:Lieutenant, Junior Grade
78:United States of America
32:Admiral Austin M. Knight
1062:William Ledyard Rodgers
1017:William Ledyard Rodgers
937:Wisconsin State Journal
467:Knight was awarded the
1044:Albert G. Winterhalter
845:June 29, 2007, at the
755:Maxim, Hudson (1915),
677:June 14, 2007, at the
486:In 1901, Knight wrote
454:Naval Academy Cemetery
413:Knight Board of Awards
320:Atlantic Reserve Fleet
917:Marriage in Milwaukee
896:, Wiley, 1988-12-01,
863:May 21, 2011, at the
479:by the government of
301:Secretary of the Navy
149:Siberian Intervention
104:Years of service
1050:Commander-in-Chief,
816:"Navy Cross history"
583:Lieutenant Commander
510:Bertha Knight Landes
508:. A younger sister,
245:Spanish–American War
171:Austin Melvin Knight
141:Spanish–American War
758:Defenseless America
579:– December 19, 1885
518:Stanford University
396:Allied intervention
355:Defenseless America
199:Ware, Massachusetts
966:Notice of marriage
921:The New York Times
603:– January 29, 1911
567:– October 27, 1879
522:David Starr Jordan
495:Harrison Ludington
257:and the taking of
207:U.S. Naval Academy
203:American Civil War
183:U.S. Asiatic Fleet
179:United States Navy
98:United States Navy
1068:
1067:
1059:Succeeded by
1031:Succeeded by
1009:Military offices
879:Modern Seamanship
785:978-0-275-98537-0
488:Modern Seamanship
404:Russian Civil War
263:Naval War College
187:Modern Seamanship
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61:February 26, 1927
48:December 16, 1854
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378:Josephus Daniels
131:US Asiatic Fleet
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68:Washington, D.C.
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512:, served as
502:World War II
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193:Early career
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137:Battles/wars
63:(1927-02-26)
1085:1927 deaths
1080:1854 births
473:Vladivostok
462:World War I
419:World War I
402:during the
400:Vladivostok
338:during the
259:Puerto Rico
243:During the
231:Monongahela
145:World War I
1074:Categories
980:References
826:2007-07-21
577:Lieutenant
550:Midshipman
520:president
431:Navy Cross
340:Balkan War
281:Washington
74:Allegiance
44:1854-12-16
589:Commander
534:USS
464:service.
325:Tennessee
314:Flag rank
237:Lancaster
213:Tuscarora
107:1873–1918
933:Obituary
861:Archived
843:Archived
675:Archived
614:See also
528:Namesake
391:Brooklyn
197:Born in
127:Commands
84:Service/
607:Admiral
595:Captain
331:Montana
295:Puritan
274:Castine
268:Yankton
250:Puritan
225:Chicago
177:in the
175:admiral
121:Admiral
990:
900:
782:
718:XXXIII
671:Knight
669:: USS
597:– 1907
565:Master
559:Ensign
536:Knight
448:Legacy
429:, and
336:Turkey
234:, and
155:Awards
95:
86:branch
50:Ware,
635:Notes
481:Japan
898:ISBN
780:ISBN
364:and
328:and
255:Cuba
112:Rank
58:Died
38:Born
952:,"
741:XXX
398:at
345:As
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1001:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
