History of Georgetown, (Guernsey County) Ohio United States of America

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Albert Kautz, naval officer, was born at Georgetown, Ohio, Jan. 29, 1839; son of George and Dorothe Kautz. His parents were natives of Ispringen, Baden, Germany, and emigrated to America in 1828, locating in Brown county, Ohio, in 1832. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1858, and was appointed midshipman, June 11, 1859. He was promoted passed midshipman, Jan. 19, 1861; master, Feb. 23, 1861; lieutenant, April 23, 1861; was given command of the prize brig Hannah Balch, captured off Charleston, S.C., and ordered to Philadelphia. He was captured off Cape Hatteras by the privateer Winslow and held as a prisoner of war in North Carolina and Richmond, Va., from June to October, 1861. His skill as a diplomatist was shown at this time by his bringing from the Confederate government a proposition for a general exchange of prisoners, a policy which had been opposed by the Federal government. President Lincoln accepted the terms proposed by Lieutenant Kautz and the first general exchange was effected by which Lieutenants Kautz, John L. Worden and George L. Selden, and three hundred fifty other prisoners of war captured in North Carolina were released. He served as Farragut's flag lieutenant on board the Hartford at the capture of New Orleans, April, 1862, and personally hauled down the Lone Star flag from the city hall, which Mayor Munroe refused to strike, and hoisted the U.S. flag on the custom house. He served on the Hartford during the engagements with the Vicksburg batteries, June and July, 1862, and later on various stations and duties. He was promoted lieutenant-commander, May 31, 1865, served on the Winooski, 1866, and as executive of the flagship Pensacola on the Pacific station, 1867-68. He served on the receiving ship New Hampshire at Norfolk, Va., 1868-69; at the navy yard, Boston, Mass., 1869-71; and as lighthouse inspector, Key West district, 1872-73. He was promoted commander, Sept. 3, 1872; commanded the Monocacy on the China station, 1873-75; was lighthouse inspector, Cincinnati district, 1876-80; commanded the U.S.S. Michigan on the Great Lakes, 1880-83; served in the bureau of equipment, 1884, and as equipment officer at the Boston navy yard, 1884-87. He was promoted captain, June 5, 1885; travelled in Europe, 1887-88; served at Portsmouth, N.H., 1889; commanded the U.S.S. Pensacola from June, 1890, to May, 1892; was stationed at the Boston navy yard, 1892-94; and commanded the receiving ship Wabash at Charlestown, Mass., 1894-97. He was promoted commodore, April 6, 1897; was president of the naval examining and retiring board, 1897; commander of the Newport, R.I., naval station, 1898, and commander of the Pacific station on the flagship Philadelphia from Oct. 15, 1898. He was promoted rear-admiral, Oct. 24, 1898, and in the Samoan trouble in 1899 he represented the U.S. government in settling what threatened to be an international complication satisfactorily to the governments concerned. He was commander-in-chief of the Pacific station with the Iowa as flagship, 1900-01, and on Jan. 29, 1901, was retired by reason of age limit.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Georgetown, (Guernsey County) Ohio

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