CHARLES E. SWEETING, ENS, USN

Charles Sweeting '83

Date of birth: 1861

Age: ~28

Naval Academy Register

Charles Edward Sweeting was admitted to the Naval Academy from New York on September 22, 1879 at age 17 years 11 months.

Naval Academy Photo Album

Prior to the publication of the Lucky Bag in 1894, most portraits of officers and midshipmen of the Naval Academy were captured in yearly photo albums. The album for 1883 is available in the collections of the Naval Academy's Digital Collections.

Special thank you to historian Kathy Franz for identifying this resource and then extracting several dozen photographs for this site.

Prior to the publication of the Lucky Bag in 1894, most portraits of officers and midshipmen of the Naval Academy were captured in yearly photo albums. The album for 1883 is available in the collections of the Naval Academy's Digital Collections.

Special thank you to historian Kathy Franz for identifying this resource and then extracting several dozen photographs for this site.

Loss

Charles died on January 25, 1890 in South Butler, New York. He was home and had been on the sick list for nearly 8 months, he "died of gastric fever, terminating in congestion of the brain."

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Jan. 28, 1890. Previous to his appointment in the navy, Charles spent one year in Ithaca and passed the classical examination into Cornell University. His standing was always high while in the Naval Academy and he graduated with honors; in June 1883, Charles was among 14 of the graduates who attained 85 percent in the multiple in their studies during the term. (They were designated “stars.”)
In May 1885, only 13 of the Naval Academy graduates of the Class of 1883 would be retained in the service. Charles stood #13 out of the 15 to be reviewed. In June, he stood #11, and the vacancies were upped to 14.
Following graduation and commissioning, he was assigned to the Yantic, consort of the Proteus, which vessels were sent in search of Lieutenant Greely. His ship went north as far as Littleton Island and saved the crew of the Proteus after their shipwreck. Since that cruise he had been on the Shenandoah round South America, and on January 16, 1887, started from his home overland to San Francisco to join the Alert, but after reaching Panama, Admiral Kimberly ordered him to the flagship Vandalia, which was under orders for Honolulu. After standing there a year, he proceeded with a draft of men to Samoa and joined the Adams, and when that ship returned to San Francisco he was immediately assigned, at his own request, to the Thetis, then fitting for the Bering Sea. When they had reached Tacoma, his health broke down and he was sent home.
Charles was the third son of Dr. and Mrs. M. F. Sweeting. Both his father and his brother William took care of Charles at home until his death. His brothers were County Treasurer V. H. Sweeting of Lyons, Dr. William H. Sweeting of Savannah, and Sherman Sweeting, a student at Hahnemann Medical College in Chicago. His sisters were Mary and Grace.

He is buried in New York; he was survived by his parents, brother, and sister.

Photographs

"Ship's officers posed on deck [of Vandalia], while she was flagship of the Pacific Station, circa 1888. Photographed at Honolulu, Hawaii. Seated, left to right: Lieutenant John C. Wilson; Chief Engineer George J. Burnap; Lieutenant James Carlin '68; Captain Henry L. Howison, Commanding Officer; Paymaster Frank H. Arms; Surgeon Hosea J. Babin; and Lieutenant Charles E. Fox. Standing, left to right: Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Horace M. Witzel; Passed Assistant Engineer Alexander B. Bates; Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Thomas M. Brumby; Naval Cadet Harold K. Hines; Naval Cadet Samuel P. Edmunds; Naval Cadet Edward Moale, Jr. '87; Naval Cadet Charles E. Johnston; Naval Cadet Samuel B. Winram; Lieutenant Hawley O. Rittenhouse; Carpenter Joseph B. Fletcher; Assistant Surgeon Francis W.F. Wieber; Naval Cadet George F. Cooper; Ensign Charles Sweeting '83; Lieutenant Greenlief A. Merriam; First Lieutenant George F. Elliott, USMC; Pay Clerk John Roche; Assistant Engineer Walter M. McFarland; and Naval Cadet William G. McMillan.