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Commodore Karl ROHRER, U.S. Navy
Commandant of Naval Station, Puerto Rico
Karl Rohrer was born in Blumberg, Baden, Germany on January 28, 1848, and came to the United States in 1857. He was appointed Midshipman on July 20, 1865. He participated in a cruise on the Macedonian in 1866, and on Savannah in 1867, and on Macedonian in 1868 before graduating from the Naval Academy in 1869.
He served on Sabine in 1869 and 1870, and was promoted to Ensign on July 12, 1870.
Between 1870 and 1874, he served on the Pawnee, Kansas and Colorado in the North Atlantic Squadron, and did ordnance duty at the Torpedo Station.
He was promoted Master on November 10, 1872. From 1874 to 1876 he served on Juniata in the European Squadron; from 1876 to 1878, he was stationed at the Torpedo station and Washington Navy Yard.
He was promoted to Lieutenant on April 26, 1876. On January 15, 1878, he reported to Constitution, and detached on leave, July 9, 1879, awaiting orders. From 1879 to 1881 he was on ordnance duty at the Washington Navy Yard.
From 1881 to 1885 he served on Essex, South Atlantic, Pacific and China Squadrons. From 1885 to 1889, he was on ordnance duty at the Torpedo Station. Between 1889 and 1892 he served on Chicago, Boston and Vesuvius, the latter with the Squadron of Evolution.
He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on December 5, 1897. On November 14, 1900, he was placed in command of the gunboat Annapolis, and was promoted to Commander eight days later, Annapolis departed Hampton Roads, Va., in December, and steamed to the Far East, staying there for three years, mostly in the Philippine Islands. Annapolis returned to Mare Island, California in June 1904, and was decommissioned.
On November 22, 1900, he was promoted to Commander.
He retired as a Commodore on June 30, 1906, however, on January 1, 1907, he is listed as Commandant of Naval Station, Puerto Rico.
Commodore Rohrer died May 29, 1913, in Washington, D.C.
MILITARY ORDER OF THE LOYAL LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, member, Vermont Commandery.
Other Comments:
20 July 1865, appointed Midshipman from Missouri
1869, graduated US Naval Academy
12 July 1870, promoted to Ensign
10 November 1872, promoted Master (LTjg)
26 April 1876, Lieutenant 5 December 1897, LieutenantCommander [temporary] 7 February 1898, Lieutenant Commander
23 November 1900, Commander [temporary]
29 January 1901, Commander
14 July 1905, Captain [temporary]
8 February 1906, Captain
30 June, 1906, Commodore [Retired]
1 January, 1907, recalled to duty
13 April 1911, Commador [Retired]
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Spanish-American War
From Month/Year
April / 1898
To Month/Year
August / 1898
Description The Spanish–American War (Spanish: Guerra hispano-estadounidense or Guerra hispano-americana; Filipino: Digmaang Espanyol-Amerikano) was a conflict fought between Spain and the United States in 1898. Hostilities began in the aftermath of the internal explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in Cuba leading to United States intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. American acquisition of Spain's Pacific possessions led to its involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately in the Philippine–American War.
Revolts had been occurring for some years in Cuba against Spanish rule. The U.S. later backed these revolts upon entering the Spanish–American War. There had been war scares before, as in the Virginius Affair in 1873. In the late 1890s, US public opinion was agitated by anti-Spanish propaganda led by newspaper publishers such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst which used yellow journalism to call for war. The business community across the United States had just recovered from a deep depression, and feared that a war would reverse the gains. They lobbied vigorously against going to war.
The US Navy battleship Maine was mysteriously sunk in Havana harbor; political pressures from the Democratic Party pushed the administration of Republican President William McKinley into a war that he had wished to avoid.[9] Spain promised time and time again that it would reform, but never delivered. The United States sent an ultimatum to Spain demanding that it surrender control of Cuba. First Madrid declared war, and Washington then followed suit.
The main issue was Cuban independence; the ten-week war was fought in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. US naval power proved decisive, allowing expeditionary forces to disembark in Cuba against a Spanish garrison already facing nationwide Cuban insurgent attacks and further wasted by yellow fever. Numerically superior Cuban, Philippine, and US forces obtained the surrender of Santiago de Cuba and Manila despite the good performance of some Spanish infantry units and fierce fighting for positions such as San Juan Hill. Madrid sued for peace with two obsolete Spanish squadrons sunk in Santiago de Cuba and Manila Bay and a third, more modern fleet recalled home to protect the Spanish coasts.
The result was the 1898 Treaty of Paris, negotiated on terms favorable to the US which allowed it temporary control of Cuba and ceded ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine islands. The cession of the Philippines involved payment of $20 million ($575,760,000 today) to Spain by the US to cover infrastructure owned by Spain.
The defeat and collapse of the Spanish Empire was a profound shock to Spain's national psyche, and provoked a thorough philosophical and artistic revaluation of Spanish society known as the Generation of '98.[ The United States gained several island possessions spanning the globe and a rancorous new debate over the wisdom of expansionism. It was one of only five US wars (against a total of eleven sovereign states) to have been formally declared by Congress.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
April / 1898
To Month/Year
August / 1898
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Was in the service during the Spanish-American war but not in combat.
