Robert B. Dashiell

Robert Brooke Dashiell (July 29, 1860 – March 8, 1899) was an officer in the United States Navy noted for his naval ordnance technical expertise.

Robert B. Dashiell
Born(1860-07-29)July 29, 1860
Woodville, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMarch 8, 1899(1899-03-08) (aged 38)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried
United States Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.[1]
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1883–1899
RankAssistant Naval Constructor
UnitNaval Construction Corps (1895–1899)

Biography

Dashiell was born in 1860 near Woodville, Virginia.[2] He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1881, ranked seventh in his class.[3] One of his classmates was John W. Weeks,[3] who later served in Congress and was Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925. Following his graduation, Dashiell served for 16 months on the USS Essex.[2]

Dashiell was commissioned as an ensign on July 1, 1883.[2][4] First assigned to the naval ordnance department,[5] he was transferred in 1885 to the USS Pensacola,[6] under the command of then-Captain George Dewey.[7] He served on the Pensacola until early 1888, when he was again assigned to naval ordnance.[2]

In 1889, Dashiell received an honorary Master of Arts degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland.[8] He was dispatched by the Bureau of Ordnance to construct a naval ordnance center in Indian Head, Maryland,[9] where he served as Inspector in Charge of Ordnance from 1890 to 1893.[10] The resulting facility, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, has played a significant role in ordnance development and testing for the United States.[9]

In May 1893, Dashiell was assigned to the armored cruiser USS New York.[11] In December of that year, he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade.[11] In 1895, while still serving on the New York,[12] he resigned as a line officer and was appointed a staff corps officer in the Naval Construction Corps.[13] An inventor of important ordnance mechanisms and an authority on dock construction, he was commissioned Assistant Naval Constructor on February 7, 1895.[14]

Dashiell served in his specialty until his death due to meningitis in 1899 in Washington, D.C.[15] He was survived by his wife and three children.[15] A brother, Paul Dashiell, was a professor and football coach at the Naval Academy.[16] One of his daughters, Eleanor, married future Army major general Julian Hatcher in October 1910.[17] Another daughter, Nancy, married future Navy vice admiral Thomas Leigh Gatch in June 1917.[18]

In 1943, the destroyer USS Dashiell (DD-659) was named in his honor.[19] The Dashiell was commissioned 20 March 1943 and decommissioned 29 April 1960.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

  1. "The Late Robert Dashiell". The Washington Times. March 11, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  2. "Record of Officers: Robert B. Dashiell". Naval Officers Service Records. United States Navy. p. 217. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via fold3.com.
  3. "Uncle Sam's Cadets". National Republican. Washington, D.C. June 10, 1881. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "Scraps and facts". Yorkville Enquirer. York, South Carolina. June 28, 1883. p. 2. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Anne Arundel Affairs". The Baltimore Sun. August 21, 1883. p. 4. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  6. "To be transferred". Evening Capital. Annapolis, Maryland. March 27, 1885. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "The Navy-Yard". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia. April 22, 1885. p. 4. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Honorary Degrees". Bulletin of St. John's College in Annapolis. Maryland Republican Steam Press: 68. 1898 – via Google Books.
  9. Hoyer, Steny H. (September 25, 2015). "Hoyer celebrates 125th anniversary of Naval Support Facility Indian Head". Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016 – via Wayback Machine.
  10. Carlisle, Rodney (2002). Powder and propellants : energetic materials at Indian Head, Maryland, 1890-2001 (2nd ed.). Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas Press. p. 121. ISBN 9781574411492. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  11. "Record of Officers: Robert B. Dashiell". Naval Officers Service Records. United States Navy. p. 218. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via fold3.com.
  12. "Personals". Pittsburgh Daily Post. February 12, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "The Mare Island Vacancy". Norfolk Virginian. Norfolk, Virginia. January 31, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Washington Notes". Chicago Tribune. February 8, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  15. "Obituary: Robert B. Dashiell". Standard Union. Brooklyn. March 9, 1899. p. 8. Retrieved March 31, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  16. "Constructor Dashiell Dead". The Baltimore Sun. March 9, 1899. p. 6. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  17. "An Army-Navy Wedding". Evening Capital. Annapolis, Maryland. October 19, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved March 31, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  18. "Marriage Announced". San Francisco Chronicle. June 15, 1917. p. 5. Retrieved March 31, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  19. "Ship Launches as Jap Nemesis". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. February 6, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
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