William Butler Remey

William Butler Remey
Judge Advocate General of the Navy
In office June 9, 1880 – June 4, 1892
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Samuel Conrad Lemly
Personal details
Born	1842 (1842) Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Died	January 20, 1895(1895-01-20) (aged 52–53) Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Aspen Grove Cemetery Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Relatives	George C. Remey (brother)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	U.S. Marine Corps
Years of service	1861–1892
Rank	Colonel
Battles / wars	American Civil War

William Butler Remey (1842 – January 20, 1895) was an American military officer who served in the American Civil War and was the first Judge Advocate General of the Navy, serving from 1880 to 1892.

Early life

William Butler Remey was born in 1842, in Burlington, Iowa, to Eliza Smith (née Howland) and William Butler Remey.[1][2][3] His father was captain of a steamboat in Burlington.[4] He had two brothers, George C. Remey, who served in the Navy, and John T. Remey, president of the National State Bank in Burlington.[2]

Career

Remey became a captain of a Burlington militia company known as the Zouave Light Guards, who organized in 1861. In 1861, Remey was appointed by Senator Grimes as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. From 1862 to 1863, he served on USS Sabine, a sailing frigate.[1] He was promoted to first lieutenant around 1864 and served in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard from 1864 to 1865.[5] He served on the USS North Carolina in 1865 and USS Vanderbilt from 1865 to 1867 and the USS New Hampshire in 1868. In 1869, he worked at the Marine Barracks in Philadelphia and as an instructor in army signals in Washington, D.C., between 1869 and 1870. He remained on duty at headquarters in Washington, D.C., from 1870 to 1871.[1][5][6] In 1873, he was commissioned captain and took over command of the USS Colorado, serving there from 1873 to 1875. In 1875, he was detailed as fleet marine officer of the South Pacific Station. In 1876, he was assigned fleet marine officer of the North Atlantic Station.[1][5]

In 1877, Remey was assigned to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where he remained until 1880. On June 9, 1880, he was made colonel and the first Judge Advocate General of the Navy. He served in this role until his retirement on June 9, 1892, after reports of ill health surfaced.[1][5][6][7]

Personal life

Remey was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, a military society of Union military officers and their descendants.

Remey died on January 20, 1895, in Somerville, Massachusetts. He was buried at Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa.[8][9][10]

References

1. "Col. Remey was an Iowan". Sioux City Journal. January 27, 1895. p. 12. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa. Acme Publishing Company. 1885. pp. 642–643.
3. "Memory of Admiral Born Here, Is Honored Today". The Burlington Hawk-Eye. April 20, 1930. p. 21. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Many Old Rivermen Sleep in Burlington Graveyard". Muscatine News-Tribune. October 11, 1903. p. 12. Retrieved June 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. The United Service. Vol. 6. L.R. Hamersly & Company. 1891. pp. 213–214.
6. The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. L. R. Hamersly & Company. 1894. p. 426.
7. "Insane from Overwork". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. May 23, 1892. p. 4. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Col. Remey's Remains". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. January 24, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Colonel William B. Remey..." The Muscatine Journal. January 24, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps to January 1, 1896. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1896. p. 105.

External links