Henry George Stewart Wallace Nicaraguan Campaign Album, 1912: Finding Aid

Biography of Henry George Stewart Wallace

Henry George Stewart Wallace was born on November 20, 1879 in Steubenville, Ohio. Appointed from the state of Colorado, Wallace entered the United States Naval Academy on September 27, 1898 and graduated first in his class on May 2, 1902. Wallace's first few years of service following graduation spent attached to the North Atlantic Fleet aboard U.S.S. Kearsarge (Battleship: BB-5). In 1906, he was attached to U.S.S. Chattanooga (Protected cruiser: C-16), beginning nearly a decade of service with the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets, including serving as the commanding officer of U.S.S. Colorado's (Cruiser: ACR-7) landing parties during the American occupation of Nicaragua in 1912.

During World War I, Wallace commanded the troop transport U.S.S. Aeolus (Troop transport), for which he was awarded the Navy Cross. Following the war, he served on the Commission on Naval Terms in London and with the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control in Paris. Returning to sea duty in 1920, Wallace was attached to U.S.S. Rochester (Cruiser: ACR-2) before receiving command of U.S.S. Pope (Destroyer: DD-225).

After a tour of duty as head of the Department of Marine Engineering and Naval Construction at the Naval Academy from 1922 to 1925, Wallace commanded the oiler U.S.S. Neches (Oiler: AO-5) and the cargo ship U.S.S. Procyon (Cargo ship: AG-11). In 1927, he reported to the Naval War College, and later to the Army War College for instruction. Upon completing the course at the Army War College, he was subsequently assigned to the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.

In May 1930, Wallace assumed command of U.S.S. Milwaukee (Light cruiser: CL-5). Two years later, he assumed his final command as Captain of the Puget Sound Navy Yard. In June 1936, Wallace received his final active duty assignment as Chief of Staff and Aide for the 11th Naval District, after which he was transferred to the Retired List on June 30, 1937, having achieved the rank of captain.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Wallace was elected to the Coronado City Council and subsequently served as Mayor of Coronado from 1938 until 1940. In 1942, he was recalled to active duty, serving as President of the General Court Martial of the Eleventh Naval District for three years. Henry George Stewart Wallace died in Coronado, California on February 23, 1961 and was interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Description of Contents

The Henry George Stewart Wallace Nicaraguan Campaign Album, comprising a single photograph album, spans from September 5 through November 10, 1912. The album, maintained by Lieutenant H. G. S. Wallace, commanding officer of U.S.S. Colorado's battalion of landing forces in Nicaragua, consists of photographs from the American occupation of Nicaragua in response to the 1912 rebellion led by Generals Luis Mena and Benjamin Zeledon.

The photographs within the Nicaraguan Campaign Album are presumably arranged in chronological order. Over half of the album is composed of photographs from the city of Leon following the city's capture by American forces, including the Leon railway bridge, the Guadalupe Church, the Subtiava Church, the Cuartel (barracks), the Leon Cathedral, Lieutenant Colonel Charles G. Long's headquarters, the Leon railway station, various street scenes, and fortifications overlooking Leon. A sizeable proportion of photographs are also devoted to the U.S.S. Colorado's landing forces, including group portraits, images of the men on horseback, and the force in transit to and at Corinto. The remainder of the photographs depict Camp Pendleton, Lieutenant Colonel Charles G. Long, Nicaraguan locals, and the Nicaraguan countryside.

Arrangement

The Henry George Stewart Wallace Nicaraguan Campaign Album comprises a single volume. The photographs held therein are presumably arranged chronologically.

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Henry George Stewart Wallace Nicaraguan Campaign Album is the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. John Wallace in March 1995. Accession No. 95-15.

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional material pertaining to the naval career of Henry George Stewart Wallace is available in Wallace's Alumni Jacket and Midshipman Personnel Jacket, Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Henry George Stewart Wallace Nicaraguan Campaign Album, MS 441

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

"Henry George Stewart Wallace." Shipmate 24, no. 8 (August 1961): 18.

United States. Bureau of Naval Personnel. Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1814-.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by David D'Onofrio in November 2016. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in November 2016.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Colorado (Cruiser : ACR-7)
• León (Nicaragua)
• Nicaragua -- Foreign relations -- United States
• Nicaragua -- History -- 1909-1937
• United States -- Foreign relations -- Nicaragua
• Wallace, Henry George Stewart, 1879-1961

Genre Terms

• Manuscripts
• Photograph albums
• Photographs