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USS Oneida Disaster

USS Oneida Roster

The Oneida disaster! Lieut. Comdr. W. [F.] Stewart, Comdr. E. [P.] Williams, Lieut. Comdr. A. W. Muldaur. 1870. Library of Congress.

This roster has been compiled through research and cross-referencing of the resources provided throughout this guide. It is intended to be a tool for further study.

The most reliable list of all those aboard the Oneida at the time of the disaster was ascertained from the survivors immediately after the wreck, and submitted as evidence to the U.S. Court of Inquiry.

The list identifies 115 lost (20 officers / 95 enlisted men) and 61 survivors (4 officers / 57 enlisted men). It also distinguishes race and nativity for eight Chinese and six African American crew members lost at sea.

Additional details, such as middle names or alternate spellings were supplemented from cenotaphs, muster rolls, newspaper archives, and other records included in this guide. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' list of Navy Ranks and Abbreviations was used to interpret rank notations.

Further Research

Exact spellings of names vary between sources. All aliases should be investigated when pursuing individual research.

Each section of this guide provides resources that may reveal additional details about each individual man aboard the Oneida (sometimes with surprising specificity), as well as his experience in the U.S. Navy, and particularly, during the tragic events of January 24, 1870. Official records itemized in the Archival and Government Records section provide some of the most foundational data for building individual profiles, due to the formality and requirements of the documentation.

In addition to the subject-specific record sets, researchers should consider a genealogical approach to telling each man's story, even if the goal may not necessarily be to build a family tree. The Genealogy Basics section of this guide provides research entry points, as well as tools for searching the Library of Congress Online Catalog and Digital Collections.

Roster of Officers and Enlisted Men | USS Oneida

Lost at Sea

  • Ensign George Kossuth Adams
  • William Wallace Allen, Ordinary Seaman

Survived

  • Acting Boatswain Nicholas Anderson
  • William Anderson, Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Benjamin Baptiste, Landsman*
  • Hugh Barnes, Fireman 1st Class
  • First Assistant Engineer Haviland Barstow
  • Joseph Bliss, Landsman
  • Miles Blunt, Ordinary Seaman
  • Richard H. Boston, Landsman*
  • Anthony W. Botsford (a/k/a Bodsford), Pay Writer
  • Ensign George Kremer Bower (a/k/a Bowers)
  • James Boyle, Marine
  • John Boyle, Coal Heaver
  • William Boynton (a/k/a Bowington), Signal Quartermaster
  • Ensign Charles E. Brown
  • John Brown, Seaman
  • Francis H. Burns, Marine
  • James Burr, Landsman Apprentice
  • William H. Buster (a/k/a Bustin), Landsman

Survived

  • Thomas Begley, Coal Heaver
  • Henry Bennett, Ordinary Seaman
  • William H. Bennett, Seaman
  • Michael Boyle, Coal Heaver
  • William Britney, Ordinary Seaman
  • Charles Brown, Ordinary Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • James Cannon, Fireman 1st Class
  • John Cannon, Boy 2nd Class
  • James Carey, Coal Heaver
  • John Brooke Center (a/k/a Senter), Landsman
  • George Chalmers (a/k/a Charles Chalmers), Marine
  • Ning Chong (a/k/a Chung), Captain's Cook**
  • James I. Clark, Yeoman
  • William Clark, Quartermaster
  • John Cooper, Seaman
  • Ensign Charles Albert Copp
  • Ensign James W. Cowie
  • Dennis Crownan (a/k/a Cronan), Coal Heaver

Survived

  • A. Ching, Ward Room Steward (a/k/a Chung)**
  • A. Chow, Ward Room Boy**
  • Frank J. Connelly, Marine
  • Captain's Clerk William Wallace Crowninshield
  • Patrick Cunningham, Fireman 1st Class

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • John Dale, Master at Arms
  • Ernest Deckert (a/k/a Henry Deckert), Marine
  • William D. Dauphin (a/k/a Dolphin), Marine
  • Hugh Donnelly, Fireman 1st Class

Survived

  • Robert F. Dyer, Coal Heaver

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Thomas Fallon, Ordinary Seaman
  • William Farrell, Captain of Forecastle
  • James Ferguson, Carpenter's Mate
  • Edward Fitzpatrick, Boy Apprentice
  • Second Assistant Engineer John Fornance
  • Henry Fox, Seaman
  • Assistant Surgeon Edward Frothingham

*African American

**Chinese

Survived

  • Henry Gernery (a/k/a Garner), Coal Heaver
  • John Green, Fireman 2nd Class

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • William Hassingburgh, Coal Heaver
  • James Hawkins, Fireman 2nd Class
  • Frank Hayden, Seaman
  • Charles Henrick (a/k/a Herwick, Herwig), Coal Heaver
  • John Hill, Fireman 1st Class
  • Ensign James C. Hull (a/k/a Hall)

Survived

  • William Henry, Schoolmaster
  • William Holts, Coal Heaver
  • James Houston, Ordinary Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Israel Jacobsohn (a/k/a Jacobson, Jakobson), Ship's Writer
  • Joseph Jeffries, Boy 1st Class
  • Charles Jenson (a/k/a Carl Jansen), Seaman
  • John E. Jevens, Boon's Mate
  • Robert Johnston (a/k/a Johnson), Boy 2nd Class

Survived

  • Christian Jager (a/k/a Yager), Ordinary Seaman
  • Isaac Johns, Ordinary Seaman
  • John Jones, Ordinary Seaman
  • James Jordan, Coxswain

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Thomas Keating, Ordinary Seaman
  • George Kuhn, Cooper

Survived

  • George W. Kauffman, Landsman
  • John Kelly, Marine
  • William C. King, Captain of the Afterguard

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • George W. Langman, Gunner's Mate
  • Patrick Lavelle, Coal Heaver
  • William C. Lewis, Landsman*
  • Sheldon C. Lines (a/k/a Lyons), Ordinary Seaman
  • First Assistant Engineer Nicholas B. Littig
  • Ah Long (a/k/a Lang, Lung), Ward Room Boy**
  • Ah Low (a/k/a Sow), Ward Room Boy**
  • Mathew Lynch, Seaman

Survived

  • John Long, Boy 1st Class
  • Joseph R. Long, Ordinary Seaman
  • A. Lum (a/k/a Sum), Cabin Steward**
  • Thomas Lyons (a/k/a Lymes), Boatswain's Mate

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Jeremiah Mahoney, Seaman
  • William Mahoney, Fireman 2nd Class
  • Cornelius Manby (a/k/a Mawhey), Landsman
  • John McCloskey (a/k/a McCluskey), Coal Heaver
  • William McEwen (a/k/a McEwin), Boy 2nd Class
  • James McFillin (a/k/a McPhillips), Ordinary Seaman Apprentice
  • James McGlincey (a/k/a McGlenchy), Fireman 2nd Class
  • Patrick McGrade, Ordinary Seaman
  • Charles Miller, Ordinary Seaman
  • Hugh Mooney, Fireman 2nd Class
  • John D. Mooney, Armorer
  • John Moran, Quartermaster
  • John Morgan, Landsman
  • Lieutenant Commander Alonzo W. Muldaur, Navigator
  • Albert Murphy, Coal Heaver
  • Hugh Murphy (a/k/a Murry), Apothecary
  • John Murphy, Fireman 2nd Class

Survived

  • A. Man, Landsman**
  • Martin McCall (a/k/a McHale), Coal Heaver
  • James McDonald, Fireman 2nd Class
  • Phillip McDonald, Landsman
  • Edward Mulvehel (a/k/a Mulvel, Mulvil), Fireman 2nd Class
  • Michael Murray, Ship's Cook

*African American

**Chinese

Survived

  • Peter Norman, Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • James O'Brien, Ordinary Seaman
  • Christian Olsen, Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • John Pettigrew, Coal Heaver
  • Master John Rogers Phelan, Watch Officer
  • Carpenter Josiah D. Pinner
  • William Pomeroy, Landsman
  • John R. Price, Fireman 1st Class

Survived

  • Robert F. Peard (a/k/a Beard, Jeard), Landsman
  • Washington Portley (a/k/a Postley), Marine

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Thomas Reddy, Fireman 1st Class
  • William Rickarts (a/k/a Ricketts), Sailmaker's Mate

Survived

  • Charles Regan, Ordinary Seaman
  • Edward Reilley, Fireman 1st Class
  • William H. Roach, Ordinary Seaman
  • Albert Rugart, Seaman
  • John Rushby, Seaman

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Master Walter Sargent, Watch Officer
  • Charles Schooning, Coxswain (a/k/a Scooner)
  • Second Assistant Engineer Charles W. C. Senter
  • John Shorter, Landsman*
  • David Sider (a/k/a Sidey), Landsman
  • Ah Sing, Steerage Boy**
  • James Stanley, Captain of the Forecastle
  • Thomas Staunton, Fireman 2nd Class
  • Lieutenant Commander William Francis Stewart, Executive Officer
  • George A. Stone, Marine
  • Louis Sturges, Marine
  • Ah Sung, Engineer's Steward**

Survived

  • Henry Sanders, Ordinary Seaman
  • Patrick Shehan, Coal Heaver
  • Ah Si, Steerage Boy**
  • Peter Smith, Coal Heaver
  • Thomas Speers, Landsman
  • John Squires, Ordinary Seaman
  • James Stanley, Marine
  • Thomas Stevenson, Quarter Gunner
  • Abraham Stothoff, Apprentice
  • Surgeon James Suddards
  • John Sweeney, Fireman 2nd Class

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Paymaster's Clerk W. C. Thomas
  • John Thompson, Coal Heaver
  • Ah Tong, Steerage Steward**
  • David Townsend, Landsman
  • Paymaster Thomas Logan Tullock Jr. (a/k/a Tulloch)

Survived

  • Edward Tate, Fireman 1st Class
  • William Taylor, Seaman
  • William Tinker, Quarter Gunner
  • William Triol, Marine

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Ensign William Edward Uhler

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • George W. Waters, Marine
  • Thomas White, Landsman*
  • William White, Warrant Officer's Steward*
  • Commander Edward P. Williams, Commanding
  • Thomas Whooley, Quartermaster
  • Charles Wren, Ward Room Cook
  • Ah Wung (a/k/a Kung), Wardroom Boy**

Survived

  • Henry Weil (a/k/a Neil), Boy 1st Class

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Ah Yong, Wardroom Boy**

Survived

  • Master Isaac J. Yates, Watch Officer

*African American

**Chinese

Lost at Sea

  • Name unknown, Engineer's Boy

*African American

**Chinese

Burials and Cenotaphs

In addition to the USS Oneida Memorials in Japan, many families of the men lost at sea created cenotaphs back home where the Oneida's crew could be remembered alongside their relatives. Though most of these markers are in name only, actual gravestones do also exist for the few sailors whose bodies were recovered.