Naval officer; born in
Albany, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1845; graduated at the
United States Naval Academy in 1863; was promoted ensign in October of that year, and served in the West Gulf Squadron in 1863-64,
taking part in the
battle of Mobile Bay; served in the North Atlantic Squadron in 1865, being present at both engagements with
Fort Fisher.
He was promoted captain March 21, 1897, and placed in command of the battle-ship
Maine, which was ordered to proceed to
Havana in the latter part of January, 1898, for the purpose of paying a ceremonial visit, as is customary among the navies of the world.
On the night of Feb. 15, 1898, the
Maine was suddenly destroyed at her assigned anchorage in Havana Harbor, by an explosion which drove her hull plates inward and upward (see
Cuba). Soon after this catastrophe
Captain Sigsbee was placed in command of the auxiliary cruiser
St. Paul, and in the latter part of June destroyed the
Spanish torpedo-boat
Terror off
San Juan, Porto Rico.
In August of the same year he was assigned to the
Texas, and was appointed chief of the bureau of naval intelligence when that vessel was put out of commission in October, 1899.
He is the author of
Deep sea.
Sounding and dredging;
United States coast survey, 1880;
Personal narrative of the battle-ship Maine, 1899, etc.
