Which U.S. naval officer received the Spanish surrender of Guam in 1898?

Which U.S. naval officer received the Spanish surrender of Guam in 1898? The answer is Henry Glass.

Captain Henry Glass, commanding the protected cruiser USS Charleston, received Spain’s surrender of Guam during the Spanish-American War. Glass had sailed from San Francisco toward Manila with the Charleston and transport ships carrying American troops. His sealed orders instructed him to stop at Guam and capture the island on the way.

The Charleston reached Apra Harbor on June 20, 1898, and fired several shots toward the abandoned Fort Santa Cruz. Guam’s Spanish authorities, unaware that war had begun, initially mistook the firing for a ceremonial salute. They explained that they lacked usable gunpowder to return it. Glass then informed them that the United States and Spain were at war and demanded the island’s surrender.

Lieutenant William Braunersreuther delivered Glass’s ultimatum to Governor Juan Marina the next day. Marina surrendered the island and its small garrison without a battle; 54 Spanish soldiers and two officers were taken prisoner. Glass raised the American flag over Santa Cruz Fort, but decided not to destroy the fortifications because they were already badly deteriorated.

Robley Evans, Winfield Schley, and Charles Gridley were also prominent U.S. naval officers of the era, but none received Guam’s surrender. Guam was later formally ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris.