Admiral Hobson

(Richmond Pearson Hobson)

1870–1937

Richmond Hobson was born in Hale County in Alabama, and at the age of nineteen he graduated first in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy. Although disliked by his classmates for his abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, he enjoyed school and after graduation was made a cadet battalion commander. He served in Chicago for some time before continuing his training, which allowed him to rise to the rank of assistant naval constructor in 1891.

HOBSON ABOARD THE MERRIMAC

During the Spanish-American War, Hobson served under Admiral William Sampson in New York, arriving in the Caribbean in June 1898. He was given orders to sink the American Merrimac, thereby blockading the channel near Cuba and trapping the Spanish warships inside, but his plan was not altogether successful and he was imprisoned in Cuba. While there, he became a hero of the press for his perceived suicide mission, and after his release he was celebrated as a national idol. In 1933, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Hobson soon took up a career as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Alabama, and after retiring from Congress he became active in the prohibition movement, authoring several books on the subject and founding the International Narcotic Education Association. In 1934 he was advanced to Naval Constructor with a rank of Real Admiral. He passed away three years later and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Key events during the life of Richmond Hobson:

Year	Event
1870	Born.
1889	Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.
1891	Appointed Assistant Naval Constructor.
1898	Served during the Spanish-American War.
	Failed to successfully sink the Merrimac and was imprisoned in Cuba.
	Released during a prisoner exchange.
1905-15	Served as a U.S. Representative from Alabama.
1933	Awarded the Medal of Honor.
1937	Died.

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Hobson and the Merrimac  in	America First—100 Stories from Our History  by  Lawton B. Evans
Hobson's Brave Deed  in	Story of the Great Republic  by  H. A. Guerber
Hobson and the Sinking of the Merrimac  in	Historical Tales: Spanish American  by  Charles Morris
Heroes of the Merrimac  in	The Story of Mexico  by  Charles Morris

Image Links
Lieutenant Hobson on the Merrimac  in The Story of Mexico

Contemporary	Short Biography
William McKinley	President of the United States during the Spanish American War. He was assassinated in office.
George Dewey	Highest ranking Naval Officer in U.S. Hero of Battle of Manila Bay in Spanish American War.
Jose Marti	Leader of the Cuban independence movement in the years before the Spanish-American.
James K. Polk	U.S. President who followed the policies of Andrew Jackson. President during the Mexican-American War.