Eugene Henry Cozzens Leutze

1847–1931 (age 84)

Military Officer

Biography

Eugene Henry Cozzens Leutze entered the Navy in the aftermath of the Civil War and spent decades at sea as the service reshaped itself into a modern fighting force. During the Spanish–American War era he commanded cruisers and helped to keep Atlantic and Caribbean waters under vigilant watch, demonstrating thoughtful seamanship and a calm temperament.

Later he served in senior posts ashore, guiding shipyards and training programs that prepared sailors for the demands of long deployments overseas, and remained engaged with naval affairs until his death in 1931. His steady presence helped tie the traditions of the nineteenth-century navy to the technologies of the twentieth.