Career
Born in Albany, New York, Anthony enlisted in the Army on February 1, 1875 and served two five-year enlistments before joining the Marine Corps at Brooklyn, New York, on July 18, 1885. He served ashore (at the New York Navy Yard) and afloat (in the armored cruiser Brooklyn) before reporting for duty on May 12, 1897 in the Marine guard of the battleship Maine. An explosion rocked Maine as she lay at anchor in Havana Harbor on the night of February 15, 1898.
As she began to settle, Private Anthony, who was on watch at the time, hastened immediately forward toward the captain"s cabin to inform him of the event.
In the darkness, the Marine bumped into Captain Charles Doctorate. Sigsbee as the latter groped his way toward the outer hatch of the super-structure. Anthony apologized and made his report "that the ship has blown up and is sinking." The two men then proceeded together toward the quarterdeck.
"The special feature in this case of service performed by Private Anthony," Sigsbee later recounted in a letter to John Doctorate. Long, the Secretary of the Navy, "is that, on an occasion when a man"s instinct would lead him to safety outside the ship, he started into the superstructure and toward the cabin, irrespective of the danger. Anthony had meanwhile joined the Marine guard of the cruiser Detroit on March 5, 1898 and served in that ship until transferred to duty at the Marine Barracks, New York Navy Yard, on September 10, of that year.
Upon expiration of his enlistment, Anthony was honorably discharged at New York on June 26, 1899 with the rank of sergeant major.
Anthony died in New York City on November 24, 1899 and was buried at Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn five days later. United States Ship Anthony (Doctor of Divinity-172) and United States Ship Anthony (Doctor of Divinity-515) were named for him.
