Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/227

 KEMPFF

KEMPSTER

ter, October, 18G1. He took part in the capture of Port Royal, S.C., Nov. 7, 1801, and was ordered to the flagship TT'«i»n&7/, coiiimanding a how- itzer in the expedition against Port Royal Ferry, Jan. 11, lbG2. lie was in charge of a boat and

liowitzer in an ex- pedition that result- ed in the capture of Fei'nandina, St. Au- gustine, Nassau Inlet and Jacksonville, Fla., and St. Mary's, Ga., in February, 18- 62; was ordered to the SnsqueJtanna in March, 1802, and took part in the bombard- ment of Se wells Point, Va., and the reoccupation of Nor- folk, Va., May 10, 1862. He was pro- moted lieutenant. Aug. 1, 1862, and served as watch and navigation officer off Mobile, 1802-63; was detached. May 14, 1808, and as- signed to the gunboat Sonoma, June 22, 1803; to the Connecticut, as executive officer, blockading Wilmington, N.C.. July 9, 1863, to Oct. 8, 1804; •as executive officer of the Sewanee, Nov. 15, 1804, and on the Pacific station to March 28, 1807. He was promoted lieutenant-commander, July 26, 1806; was executive officer of the Portsmouth, apprenticeship, Athmtic station. May 27, 1867, to Oct. 2, 1868; executive officer of the Independence at San Francisco, 1808-69; executive officer of the Mohican on the Siberian total eclipse expedi- tion, June l."), 1869, to Sept. 23, 1869; on the In- dependence till October, 1870, when he was or- dered to the Pacific squadron as executive officer of the Mohican, May 2, 1871, and detached, June, 1872. He was on the Saranac as executive officer, July to November, 1872; on the California, flag- ship, as executive officer, to April, 1873. He married in 1873 Cornelia Reese, daughter of Thomas H. Selby. He was on duty at the naval rendezvous, San Francisco, Cal., 1873-74; light- house inspector, 1874-76; was promoted com- mander, March 9, 1876; was on duty at Mare Island navj'-yard, March 21, 1877, to Sept. 10, 1880; commanded the naval rendezvous, San Francisco, 1880-81, and commanded the Alert on the Asiatic station, July, 1881, to July, 1882. He was ordnance officer of the Mare Island navy- yard, San Francisco. Cal., 1883-85; commanded the Adavis on the Pacific station from October, 1S85, to May, 1888, and at Mare Island as captain of the 5'ard, 1888-90. He was promoted captain, May 19, 1891, was ordered as general inspector of the new double-turreted monitor Monterey, June

3, 1892, and to the command of the vessel, Feb. 7, 1893. With this vessel he demonstrated the value of the class as .sea-going warships. He coni- mandeil the receiving ship Independence, 1896- 98, and in December, 1898, his name was sug- gested to Secretary Long as governor of Guam, but he was promoted rear-admiral, and was or- dered to Mare Island navy-yard, Cal., where he was commandant, 1899-1900. In April, 1900, he was ordered to the Asiatic squadron as second in command, but after the trouble at Taku, Jan. 16,

1900, in which he had refused to take part with the other powers in bombarding the Taku forts, he was made senior commander of the Asiatic squadron. At this critical moment, in the ab- sence of contrary instruction from the govern- ment, he assumed the position that the United States was not at war with China and that he had no right to fire upon the Chinese flag or forts, but only to direct his efforts against the Boxers as a mob of insurgents. He held to this position in the face of the unanimous action of the other powers, and it was afterward claimed that had the other nations held similar views the general uprising in China would not have taken place, the legations in Pekin would not have been at- tacked, and the Boxers would have been put down without great bloodshed. The result of the contrary policy called for an additional naval force for the United States, and Rear- Admiral Reniey was ordered to the Asiatic station, and by virtue of seniority succeeded to the position of commander-in-chief. As Remey readied the station after the occupation of Pekin by the powers, which included the U.S. marines landed from the fleet by orders of Rear-Admiral Kenipff, in July, 1900, the change in commanders had no effect on the action of the U.S. government and detracted nothing from the credit of the U.S. commander during the war against the Boxers. He was stationed at Manila, P.I., in January,

1901, as senior squadron commander on board the 2d flagship Newark. He was elected an associate member of the Society of Naval Arciiitects and Marine Engineers. He was retired Oct. 11, 1903.

KEflPSTER, Walter, physician, was born in London, England, May 25, 1841; son of Christo- pher and Charlotte (Treble) Kempster; grandson of Thomas and Maria (Smith) Kempster, of Worcester, England, and of William and Anna (Bedford) Treble, of Bedfordsiiire, England. He was brouglit to Sj-racuse, N.Y., by liis parents in infancy, and was educated in the public scliools of that city. In May, 1861, he enlisted in Coni- jiany H, 12th New York volunteer infantry.;ind was present at first battle of Bull Run. In No- vember, 1861, he was mustered into the service of the lOtii N.Y. cavalry as hospital steward, ami in April following was detailed for duty at the Pat-