Richmond Pearson Hobson.
Many of our naval and army officers are of southern birth. Richmond Pearson Hobson is a case in point, since he was born at Greensboro, Alabama, August 17, 1870. His ancestors were English and many of them were members of the nobility. Young Hobson, after a course in the public schools and the Southern university at Greensboro, entered the United States naval academy at Annapolis in 1889. He was immediately appointed a midshipman on the Chicago, under command of Rear-Admiral Walker and ordered to the European station. Upon his return he received the compliment of an appointment as one of the United States officers permitted by the British government to receive a course of instructions at the Royal navy college, Woolwich, England. Here he remained three years, taking a special study in naval architecture. On returning home he received an appointment to the navy department at Washington, and discharged his duties with such fidelity and intelligence that he was given an appointment as assistant naval constructor. He was later ordered to the Brooklyn navy yard, where he remained one year. Next he went to Newport News to inspect the battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky, which were under construction there. He then became instructor in the post-graduate course in naval instruction, which he inaugurated at the naval academy in 1897. In 1898 he, with his pupils, was ordered to join Sampson’s fleet at Key West, with which he remained until the performance of the remarkable and historic feat of bottling up Cervera in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba. He received a great deal of deserved honor for this achievement, and was nominated by President McKinley March 1, 1899, to be advanced ten numbers from number one from the list of naval constructors for extraordinary heroism. This is said to be the greatest possible promotion in the naval service for gallant conduct in the face of the enemy. Hobson has done subsequent excellent work and is the author of a number of works on subjects relative to his profession.