Background
Wells was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and attended school there.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Clark Wells
Edit ProfileEducation
He attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1846 and graduated from its Naval School.
Career
He served in the American, as well as for two subsequent decades before retiring as a Rear Admiral. He was appointed as a midshipman in the Navy on September 25, 1840, and spent a year at the Mediterranean Station before serving at the Home Station from 1842 to 1843. Foreign the next two years, Wells served in the Pacific Squadron.
He became a Passed Midshipman on July 11, 1846.
Wells was assigned to duty during the Mexican-American War blockading Vera Cruz. He sailed around the world from 1848 until 1851.
Wells received a promotion to Master Commandant in 1855, then was commissioned lieutenant in September of that year. In 1857, served on United States Ship Niagara and was part of the first expedition to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable.
At the start of the American, Wells was suffering from exhaustion and exposure from this travels, coupled with depression from the recent death of his beloved brother-in-law, with whom he had sailed for twelve years.
Consequently, he spent three months in the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in Philadelphia where he was diagnosed as having Melancholia, being released on October 11, 1861, to return to active duty. He was appointed executive officer of the United States Ship Susquehanna and took part in the capture of Portuguese Royal, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on July 16, 1862, then became the executive officer of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in early 1863.
During this time, sent a letter to the United States Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, that accused Major
Granville O. Haller, former commander of George B. McClellan"s headquarters guard, of disloyal sentiments to the Union. Haller would spend years fighting the unwarranted charge before being reinstated.
After his tour of duty at Philadelphia, Wells obtained command of the United States Ship Galena in 1864 and joined the West Gulf Squadron. He participated in the Battle of Mobile Bay under Admiral David G. Farragut.
Later that year, he was transferred to the East Gulf Squadron and served the rest of the war under David Dixon Porter on the James River.
Following the war, Wells commanded the United States Ship Kansas with the South Atlantic Squadron, until 1866. He was promoted to Commander in 1866, and then to Captain in1871. He was Chief Signal Officer of the Navy in 1879-1890.
Wells received a promotion to Commodore in 1880, and to Rear Admiral on August 1, 1884.
He was placed on the retired list September 22, 1884. Wells died in Washington, District of Columbia and was buried in Philadelphia"s Laurel Hill Cemetery, Section M, Lot 22.
