Battleship was part of the Great White Fleet that sailed ’round the world 1907-09

by Guy Page

An elegant piece of Vermont history made a public appearance Thursday evening, April 24 for the 70th birthday party of Sen. Alison Clarkson of Windsor County.

Social events at the State House often take place in the Cedar Creek Room, an elegant former library literally draped in history, from the restored skylight to the Civil War portraits to Julian Scott’s magnificent painting depicting the Battle of Cedar Creek, where a relatively small number of Vermont troops held off a large Confederate attacking force while Gen. Philip Sheridan rallied the troops who had run in the onslaught at the sight and sound of thousands of charging, Rebel Yelling enemy troops. The Union Army eventually won the battle, thus sealing Robert E. Lee’s army into a geographical box, where a year later he surrendered.

An artifact of a later but still legendary military exploit in which Vermont played a major role was on display Thursday: the custom-made silver lamp stand donated by the State of Vermont to the USS Vermont, one of the 14 battleships of the Great White Fleet sent by President Theodore Roosevelt to circumnavigate the world in 1907-09, projecting American prestige and military power at a time when the battleship was the queen of the seas and western nations were competing for global dominance in the third world.

Battleships, then and now, were named after states. Vermont punched above her weight in naval influence, due in part to senatorial seniority and the high rank and honor bestowed on Admiral George Dewey, a Montpelier native (and son of National Life Insurance Company) who commanded the American fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay that in effect delivered both the Philippines and Cuba out of Spanish control and into the U.S. sphere of influence.

The Great White Fleet consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various small escorts, and earned its moniker for the stark white paint on its hulls.

The fleet’s primary mission was to make friendly courtesy visits to numerous countries while displaying new U.S. naval power to the world; Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military prowess and blue-water naval capabilities. Another goal was to deter a threatened war with Japan amid growing tensions around 1900. The voyage helped familiarize the 14,500 officers and sailors with the logistical and planning needs for extended fleet action far from home.

Proud of ‘our’ new battleship, Vermonters donated a custom-made, 14 piece silver service to the ship, to be used when the brass entertained important visitors. One such piece was the lampstand shown above, which features the Vermont State seal as well as red clover, the official state flower.

The silver service was sent back to the State of Vermont in 1921, but State House curator David Schutz said the service is still technically the property of the U.S. Navy. Obsolete for combat purposes almost as soon as she launched due to the rapid development of the Dreadnaught design of battleships, USS Vermont was decommissioned in 1919 (she was cut up for scrap in 1923).

Three ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Vermont in honor of the 14th state, according to Wikipedia.

The first USS Vermont (1848) was one of nine ships of the line authorized by Congress in 1816, but it was not launched until 1848, and only ever saw service as a receiving ship, from 1862 to 1901. The second USS Vermont (BB-20) was a Connecticut-class battleship seen above. The third USS Vermont (SSN-792) is a Virginia-class submarine. The Navy no longer builds conventional ‘battleships,’ but the nuclear-powered attack submarine carries cruise missiles capable of far more destructive firepower than any ship from the battleship era.