Edward D. Taussig


Edward David Taussig was a decorated Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He is best remembered for being the officer to claim Wake Island after the Spanish–American War, as well as accepting the physical relinquishment of Guam by its indigenous governor following the Treaty of Paris in which Spain ceded Guam to the U.S. following nearly 300 years of colonial rule. Taussig briefly served as Governor of Guam. He was the first of a four-generational family of United States Naval Academy graduates including his son, Vice Admiral Joseph K. Taussig, grandson Captain Joseph K. Taussig Jr., and great-grandson, Captain Joseph K. Taussig USMC.

Early sea service

Taussig was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a wool broker, Charles and his wife, Anna, who had emigrated from Austria in 1840. His family was Jewish, but he was brought up in the Unitarian Church. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy during the Civil War and entered on July 23, 1863. His education over the next four years included service on the. Graduating in June 1867 he served on the steam frigate from July to December 1867 and thereafter variously on the,, and from January 1868 to April 1870. He was commissioned an ensign on 18 December 1868. His early sea service was perhaps most remarkable for his time as a passed midshipman on the gunboat when a tsunami washed her far inland at Arica, on 13 August 1868. He was decorated for his actions during this event.

1870s–1890s service

Promoted to master on 21 March 1870 and to lieutenant on 1 January 1872, during the 1870s and 1880s, Taussig was stationed at a number of shore stations and ships:, Pacific Squadron ; Newport Torpedo Station, ; Hydrographic Office, Washington, D.C. ; Panama Survey Expedition ; special duty, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C. ; commander, receiving ship, Washington, D.C. ; Temporary duty assignment Washington Navy Yard ;, Baltimore and Norfolk Navy Yard ; training ship ;, flagship of the European Squadron, and, special service European Station ; U.S. Naval Academy ; coast survey duty, commanding the survey steamers McArthur and Hassler ; training ship ; and Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C.. During special duty, Navy Department, Washington D.C. Taussig was involved in managing the navy's exhibit at the Columbian Exposition, including the full size mock-up battleship Illinois, where he was executive officer, following his promotion to lieutenant commander on 19 June 1892. Thereafter, his assignments were executive officer,, North Atlantic Squadron ; executive officer, receiving ship, Philadelphia Navy Yard ; executive officer,, Pacific Squadron ; Hydrographic Office, Washington, D.C. ; hydrographic inspector, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D.C. ; coast survey steamer Blake ; and Norfolk Navy Yard.

Wake Island, Guam and the Philippine–American War

Promoted to the rank of commander on 10 August 1898, his first command was the gunboat, which departed San Francisco on 18 September bound for Hawaii, Guam and duty with the Asiatic Squadron, in the aftermath of the 12 August 1898 Spanish–American War armistice. arrived in Hawaii on 27 September 1898 and spent the next three months operating in local waters and conducting surveys, including Pearl Harbor. In December of that year, Taussig was given orders to proceed to Wake Island and claim it for the United States. After ten days passage from Honolulu, he arrived to formally claim the island on 17 January 1899. At one p.m. a flag staff was placed, and with sailors in dress whites forming two ranks, Taussig called all to witness that the island was not in the possession of any other nation and declared it in possession of the United States. Taussig ordered the American flag raised by Ensign Wettengell and gave a 21 gun salute when the flag reached the truck. At the time President William McKinley ordering that Wake Island be claimed as a U.S. possession was seen as questionable; however, no other nation had claimed the island and there was no native population. Wake Island was primarily taken for its strategic value as a cable station, midway between Hawaii and the Philippines.
Departing from Wake Island at 5:35 p.m. on 17 January 1899, arrived at Guam on 23 January 1899. The island previously had been captured on 21 June 1898 by Captain Henry Glass of the who had left Francisco Portusach Martínez, an American civilian, in charge of the territory. Captain Glass is reported to have told Martinez, the only American on Guam, to "take care of the island until some other officers or man-of-war might reach Guam." Although this has never been confirmed by the U.S. Navy, it was widely believed to be true. Martinez had been deposed in favor of non-American leadership under José Sisto and then Venancio Roberto, each laying competing claims to governance. Venancio Roberto's claim was rebuked in favor of Sisto by Lieutenant Commander Vincendon L. Cottman, commander of the U.S. Navy collier that had arrived at Guam on New Year's Day 1899 en route back to the U.S from the Spanish–American War. However Sisto's authority was short-lived.
On February 1, Sisto officially relinquished control of the governmental and administrative affairs of Guam to Taussig and Cottman. The American flag was raised over the Governor's Palace in a ceremony that ended with a 21-gun salute from the, formally ending nearly 300 years of Guam being part of the Spanish colonial empire. In his short time on Guam, Commander Taussig set up a local council system of temporary government which lasted until the arrival of Lieutenant Louis A. Kaiser in July 1899 under orders to conduct navy surveillance of affairs of Guam. Taussig also supervised the establishment of signal stations and a port survey. On April 15, 1899, Admiral George Dewey cabled the Navy Department in Washington, " arrived six days from Guam. Quiet and order there. Most friendly to Americans. Native Government established by Taussig working well. Native soldiers fine body of men. in Guam."
Departing Guam in mid-February 1899, Commander Taussig and continued on to Manila, where the ship arrived on 22 February 1899 with the mission of supporting the Army's campaigns during the Philippine–American War primarily with patrol and escort duty. In August 1899, Taussig was summarily relieved of command of the and ordered home by Rear Admiral John C. Watson, commander of the Asiatic Station, following Taussig's dissent from the latter's views concerning campaign plans that were voiced at a staff conference in Manila. According to press reports, Watson resented Taussig's verbal opposition, and a heated argument between the two ensued. Following his return to San Francisco on the hospital ship,, Commander Taussig requested an investigation.
He was assigned to duty with the United States Lighthouse Board as 13th District Inspector in Portland, OR from October 1899 to April 1900. However, Commander Taussig did not have to wait long for vindication, when in March 1900, public accounts surfaced of Watson's friction with officers under his command and with the Bureau of Navigation over Watson's choice of Commander C.C. Cornwall as his executive officer, which the Bureau disapproved. Due to health reasons, Watson was himself privately relieved of command months before the public announcement in March 1900 that he was to be relieved by Rear Admiral George C. Remey. Watson returned home on his flagship in April 1900, the same month that Commander Taussig's duty as lighthouse inspector ended.

The China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion)

In the spring of 1900, Chinese xenophobia fueled by increasing foreign political and economic influence, including the expanding presence of foreign missionaries increased until it culminated in the Boxer Rebellion. Some Chinese Imperial troops, supporting the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists besieged the foreign legations at Peking and at Tientsin. An international relief force from eight nations was sent to relieve the siege. As part of the United States Navy's force assigned to the campaign, the gunboat, sister-ship of the, was withdrawn from her patrol duties in the northern Philippines to provide assistance to the operations off the coast of North China. departed Manila on 3 April 1900, bound for China. Upon reaching the mainland, her landing force served ashore at Taku. In June 1900, Taussig assumed command of. That same month, assisted to back off a reef near Taku. In August 1900, with stationed off Chefoo, China, Taussig cabled dispatches of the decisive Battle of Beicang from which the Chinese military forces never recovered. The gunboat departed Shanghai on 10 September 1900 and reached Cavite on the 17th. In the Philippines, resumed her cooperation with Army forces, engaged in pacification efforts and continued these duties over the next two years. Commander Taussig was detached from in June 1901 and was ordered home to await orders.

Later Years

Thereafter, Taussig's assignments were to the Washington Navy Yard ; ordinance office, Boston Navy Yard ; and commander, training ship, . Promoted to captain on 7 November 1902, he served as yard captain, Pensacola Navy Yard ; commander, receiving ship, Mare Island, California ; and commander,, North Atlantic Squadron.
On July 24, 1905, along with Rear Admirals Charles D. Sigsbee, James H. Sands, Charles H. Davis Jr., Captains Benjamin F. Tilley, William H. Reeder, and Gervais of the French naval cruiser, Jurien de la Graviere, Taussig had the honor of being an honorary pall bearer when Admiral John Paul Jones body was returned from France on the to be interred at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Following his command of Massachusetts, he was commander, of the training ship ; yard captain, New York Navy Yard ; general court martial duty, League Island Navy Yard ; commandant, Norfolk Navy Yard and Fifth Naval District.
While at Norfolk he was promoted to rear admiral on 15 May 1908. Rear Admiral Taussig was placed on the U.S. Navy retired list on 20 November 1909.
In 1909 he became a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States—a military society consisting of officers who had served in the Union armed forces during the American Civil War.

World War I

During World War I, Taussig was recalled to active duty as commandant of the Naval Unit at Columbia University.

Dates of rank

EnsignMasterLieutenantLieutenant CommanderCommanderCaptain
O-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6
December 18, 1868March 21, 1870January 1, 1872June 19, 1892August 10, 1898November 7, 1902

Service Medals

United States awards



The original service criteria for the Spanish Campaign Medal promulgated in Navy Department Special Order No. 81 of June 27, 1908 required service on specific vessels and time periods for which Taussig's service during the Spanish–American War did not qualify. However, in the early 1920s, the award criteria was relaxed to provide for award of the medal to all those who served in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps during the Spanish–American War. The first government contract to supply campaign medals to the expanded recipient base with the Bastian Brothers Company was not until 1922. Rear Admiral Taussig died in January 1921 prior to the expanded eligibility period for the Spanish Campaign and so never received the Spanish Campaign Medal.

Personal life

Edward D. Taussig married Ellen Knefler on 9 November 1873. They had five sons, including vice admiral Joseph K. Taussig and Charles, who was a prominent New York attorney. A third son, Paul, died of appendicitis in July 1894, while a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy. Edward D. Taussig died at Newport, Rhode Island, on 29 January 1921 and is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery along with his wife and son, Paul.

Namesake