Frank Newcomb

Frank Hamilton Newcomb (10 November 184620 February 1934) was a United States Revenue Cutter Service commodore, best known for his actions at the Battle of Cárdenas during the Spanish–American War.

Early life and education Newcomb was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 10 November 1846, the oldest of three children. His father, Hiram Newcomb was a merchant sea captain and Frank sailed on his father's ship at an early age. At the age of sixteen he served on another merchant ship that made an around the world trading voyage.

Career

U.S. Navy In 1863 at the age of 17, Newcomb received a U.S. Navy officer's appointment as acting master's mate aboard the mortar schooner . As a part of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the American Civil War, Para served through many engagements. In early 1865, Newcomb was transferred to , which was a coaling vessel home-ported at Port Royal, South Carolina. At the conclusion of the war, Newcomb resigned from the Navy and attempted to make a living as a merchant and as an officer on a merchant ship. He made trips to Europe and the West Coast, but due to a decline in United States merchant shipping after the war he was not able to make a living as a merchant mariner. In 1869, he began working for the Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad and later the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Petrel was sold on 21 October 1873 and Newcomb was transferred to USRC W.H. Crawford, reporting aboard 25 November 1873. Newcomb was transferred to based at Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June 1876. He was promoted to second lieutenant on 25 March 1878. In 1879, Newcomb was appointed as an assistant inspector for the United States Life-Saving Service by USLSS superintendent Sumner I. Kimball. While he served in this capacity he was placed in charge of based in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and he used the boat to aid in inspecting USLSS stations in south Virginia and North Carolina. The senior inspector, Lieutenant Charles F. Shoemaker and Newcomb helped establish an all black crew located on North Carolina's Outer Banks at Pea Island because some of the white crews didn't want to serve in mixed race crews. Newcomb appointed a locally recognized surfman, Richard Etheridge as the Pea Island Life-Saving Station head keeper. On 1 July 1885, he was assigned to . On 7 December 1886, he began serving on . On 7 November 1889, Newcomb was transferred to . On 16 May 1891 Newcomb was promoted to first lieutenant. |group=Note

Spanish–American War

, led by Newcomb, moves to assist a disabled during the Second Battle of Cárdenas.

As a first lieutenant, Newcomb reported aboard in September 1897 as the commanding officer. Hudson was homeported at New York City's harbor at that time. He later served as the Supervisor of Anchorages for New York Harbor, and Superintendent of Construction of Life-Saving Stations for the Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes. |group=Note At age 64, Newcomb reached mandatory retirement age and he retired with the rank of captain-commandant on 10 November 1910. |group=Note

Later life and death In 1927, Newcomb received the rank of commodore on the U.S. Coast Guard Retired List.

Legacy The United States Navy destroyer USS Newcomb (DD-586) was named in his honor.

In 2014, the Coast Guard's Command and Operations School renamed its "Top Conn" award to the Newcomb award. It is awarded to the graduate of each Prospective Commanding Officer / Prospective Executive Officer class that best demonstrates the excellence in leadership, mentorship, and inspiration exemplified by Newcomb.