Background
Charles Vernon Gridley was born on November 24, 1844 in Logansport, Indiana, the son of Franklin and Ann Eliza (Sholes) Gridley. He was descended from Thomas Gridley, an early member of the Massachusetts Bay colony.
Charles Vernon Gridley was born on November 24, 1844 in Logansport, Indiana, the son of Franklin and Ann Eliza (Sholes) Gridley. He was descended from Thomas Gridley, an early member of the Massachusetts Bay colony.
His earlier years were spent in Michigan and it was from that state that he was appointed to the Naval Academy, September 26, 1860 and graduated in 1863.
In 1863 Charles was assigned to duty on the Oneida, and in the following year he took part in the battle of Mobile Bay.
In November 1866 he was promoted to the rank of master and ordered to the steam-sloop Kearsarge of the South Pacific Squadron.
On Feburary 21, 1867, he was commissioned lieutenant. After assignments on board the Michigan, man-of-war on the Great Lakes, 1870-72, and the Monongahela, of the South Atlantic Station, 1873-74, he served four years, 1875-79, as instructor at the Naval Academy. Following this service he was assigned to the flagship Trenton, European Station, 1879-81, promoted commander March 10, 1882, and then served as navigation officer of the Boston navyyard, 1882-84.
From 1884 to 1886 he was in command of the training ships Jamestown and Portsmouth, served briefly as senior officer of the Cruising Training Squadron, and then spent four years, 1887-91, in light-house inspection service at Buffalo, New York. Ordered to the Washington, D. C. , navy-yard, 1891-92, he spent the next two years, 1892-94, in command of the cruiser Marion, followed by another three years at Buffalo, New York, in light-house service.
On March 14, 1897, he was commissioned captain and ordered to command the receiving-ship Richmond at the Philadelphia navy-yard. On July 28, 1897, Gridley took command of the Olympia, the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron. This was a doubly pleasant assignment, inasmuch as Commodore Dewey, who later became the flag officer, was not only his superior officer but his personal friend.
Shortly before the battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898, Gridley was officially pronounced physically unfit for active service. With true bravery and self-sacrifice, he protested this ruling and was permitted to retain his command in spite of the state of his health. When action against the Spanish forces became imminent, Dewey gave his now famous command: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley”. This virtually put upon Gridley the responsibility for beginning the action, a compliment of the highest order. When he had decided that the time was right, he initiated and personally directed the gunfire from his own conning tower. Though the result of the battle was a victory for the American forces, unfortunately it practically ended Gridley’s life. Condemned by a medical survey, he started home May 25 but passed away at Kobe, Japan.
He was buried at Lakeside Cemetery, Erie, Pennsylvania, where four guns from the arsenal at Cavite, sent by the United States government, were placed at his grave.
Dewey strongly recommended that Gridley be advanced ten numbers in the promotion list as a partial reward for his ability and sound judgment. Finally six numbers were given him.
Gridley was a member of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Charles married on May 1, 1872 Harriet Frances Vincent. They had two daughters, and a son.