Charles Dwight Sigsbee

Biography

Charles Dwight Sigsbee served with distinction throughout a long naval career, from early instruction in hydrography to commanding the protected cruiser USS Maine. Though tragedy struck when the Maine exploded in Havana harbor, Sigsbee conducted himself with poise, overseeing the ship's last voyage and later sharing important insights that shaped naval procedures.

He continued to influence the Navy as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation and through innovations such as the Sigsbee sounding machine, always keeping sailors safe and the fleet prepared, ideals now symbolized by his burial at Arlington.