Navy Captain. He was born just outside of Saint Louis, Missouri, at West Haven, the estate owned by his grandfather. The first of ten children born to Alexander Sharp and his wife Nellie Dent, he was a 1875 graduate of the US Naval Academy. He was the first commander of the USS Vixen (PY-4), the steel-hulled, schooner-rigged, steam yacht that was armed and commissioned on Apr 11, 1898. Assigned to the North Atlantic Station, the Vixen sailed for Cuban waters on 7 May and arrived off the coast of Cuba nine days later. In June, 1898 he took part in the bombardment of Santiago, Cuba; on July 3, 1898 played a small part in the Battle of Santiago. He was the first commander of the USS Chattanooga, a Denver-class protected cruiser, commissioned on October 11, 1904. He was conferred the Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French for his part in retrieving the body of Admiral Jones from Cherbourg. He was released from his duties at the Washington Navy Yard in 1908 to take command of the USS Virginia. At that time, the USS Virginia was part of the "Great White Fleet," the world cruise of sixteen battleships; returning home in 1909. While acting as the president of the naval inspection board he lost his battle against the typhoid fever and died at the Naval Hospital in Washington.
Navy Captain. He was born just outside of Saint Louis, Missouri, at West Haven, the estate owned by his grandfather. The first of ten children born to Alexander Sharp and his wife Nellie Dent, he was a 1875 graduate of the US Naval Academy. He was the first commander of the USS Vixen (PY-4), the steel-hulled, schooner-rigged, steam yacht that was armed and commissioned on Apr 11, 1898. Assigned to the North Atlantic Station, the Vixen sailed for Cuban waters on 7 May and arrived off the coast of Cuba nine days later. In June, 1898 he took part in the bombardment of Santiago, Cuba; on July 3, 1898 played a small part in the Battle of Santiago. He was the first commander of the USS Chattanooga, a Denver-class protected cruiser, commissioned on October 11, 1904. He was conferred the Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French for his part in retrieving the body of Admiral Jones from Cherbourg. He was released from his duties at the Washington Navy Yard in 1908 to take command of the USS Virginia. At that time, the USS Virginia was part of the "Great White Fleet," the world cruise of sixteen battleships; returning home in 1909. While acting as the president of the naval inspection board he lost his battle against the typhoid fever and died at the Naval Hospital in Washington.
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CAPTAIN United States Navy
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