SAMPSON, WILLIAM T(HOMAS)


Meaning of SAMPSON, WILLIAM T(HOMAS) in English

born Feb. 9, 1840, Palmyra, N.Y., U.S.

died May 6, 1902, Washington, D.C.

U.S. naval officer.

After graduating from Annapolis, he served in the American Civil War. He was superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy (1886–90) and chief of the ordnance bureau (1893–97). In the Spanish-American War he commanded the Atlantic squadron in its blockade of the Spanish fleet at Santiago de Cuba (1898). When the Spanish tried to escape from the harbour, his squadron destroyed the fleet. Though he had outlined the plans for the battle, he was absent on shore when it took place. Credited with the victory, he was promoted to rear admiral.

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.