Henry Minett Henry Minett ( May 7 , 1857 – December 20 , 1952 ) was a career officer of the United States Navy who served during the Spanish - American War . Prior to retirement in 1905 , he achieved the rank of captain . He is best remembered as one of the first acting - Governor of American Samoa . Minett Islet in Alaska is named for him . Early career . Henry Minett was born in Louisville , Kentucky and entered the United States Naval Academy shortly after his 16th birthday , on June 8 , 1872 . He graduated as a midshipman four years later , on June 20 , 1876 . In his early naval career , he was assigned first to the USS " Swatara " , sailing as part of the North Atlantic Squadron . After being promoted to ensign , he was reassigned to the USS " Jamestown " from 1879 to 1881 . The " Jamestown " served as the guard ship for the port of Sitka , Alaska . Although he was only an ensign , a small islet in Sitka harbor , Minett Islet , was named for him . On his return from Alaska , Minett was assigned to the training ship USS " New Hampshire " in 1882 . In the next several years , Minett also served on board the USS " Hartford " and the USS " Lackawanna " , before being assigned to the research - oriented Naval Torpedo Station at Newport , Rhode Island and sailed with the USS " Marblehead " for several years around Europe before returning to the United States in 1897 . He served on board the USS " Wabash " , a receiving ship in Boston Harbor until 1898 . On May 23 , 1886 , Minett was promoted to Lieutenant , junior grade . Shortly after , he was transferred to the receiving ship USS " Minnesota " where he served until 1888 . After that , he was briefly assigned to the USS " Pensacola " before a longer stint on board the USS " Omaha " , sailing to Japan . While in Japan , the " Omaha " assisted in putting out a large fire at Hodogaya - ku , Yokohama . On his return to the United States , Minett served on board the USS " Vermont " in New York Harbor . He was promoted to lieutenant on December 11 , 1891 and sailed with the USS " Marblehead " for several years around Europe before returning to the United States in 1897 . He served on board the USS " Wabash " , a receiving ship in Boston Harbor until 1898 . Spanish – American War to the Thousand Days War . Shortly after the start of the Spanish – American war , Minett was given command of the newly commissioned USS " Viking " . The " Viking " began her life as a private yacht , but was armed and pressed into service for the war . In his first months in command , Minett and the " Viking " patrolled the waters near Sandy Hook , New Jersey to prevent Spanish attacks on New York . On July 12 , 1898 , Minett and the " Viking " were transferred to Cuba to assist in the naval blockade . Minett ' s duties in Cuba included transporting passengers , orders , and supplies between the blockading ships . On August 16 , 1898 , four days after the conclusion of hostilities , Minett was ordered to take the " Viking " to Norfolk , Virginia where she was decommissioned . Minett saw no combat during the war . Following the war , Minett was reassigned first to the " Yorktown " , then to the " Adams " where he was promoted to lieutenant - commander , and subsequently made the executive officer of the " Concorde " . On board the " Concord " , Minett was given a test of his command abilities . While sailing en route to a settlement at Unalaska , Alaska , in the Aleutian Islands , Minett ' s commanding officer became seriously ill . Minett assumed command of the vessel and sailed her against orders to Seattle , Washington to get his commander treatment . Minett ' s arrival in Seattle on July 17 , 1901 was reported in newspapers across the country and the Navy Department immediately launched an investigation into the violation of orders . After only five days , Minett ' s command judgement was upheld and he was cleared of charges . Near the end of Colombia ' s Thousand Days War , in November 1901 , the " Concorde " and the " Iowa " were sent south to protect American interests . Colombian liberals had seized the town of Colón , Panama and the Panama Railroad and appeared ready to take Panama City . The " Concorde " arrived on November 23 and Lieutenant - Commander Minett was placed in command of a battalion of 412 men from the two ships . To reclaim the railroad , Minett launched trains under guard from Panama City , each sporting two American flags . If the Colombian liberals fired on the trains , the Navy would consider this serious enough provocation to reply in force . In this way , the railroad was restored with no major conflicts . During the " Concorde " ' s time in Panama , the train was also used to bring wounded Colombian soldiers back to Panama City where they could be treated by Navy doctors . Colón was surrendered to the US Navy on November 30 and the Navy pulled out its ships shortly after . American Samoa . On January 16 , 1903 , Minett was acting - Governor when the formal reply to the deed of secession arrived from President Theodore Roosevelt . A full military ceremony was held where Minett presented each of the tribal chiefs who had signed the deed with an engraved silver watch and chain . Minett also presented a letter from the president acknowledging his acceptance of the territory . Using Navy officers as a color guard , Minett also formally presented the gift of an American flag to the members of the Fita Fita Guard , the local militia created by Governor Tilley three years earlier . While Minett was acting as governor , the territory was visited by German Samoa Governor Wilhelm Heinrich Solf , perhaps the first such visit from a governor ' s eastern counterpart . In this meeting , the two governors discussed maintaining friendly relations , but also restricting travel between the two territories . Some natives had been ignoring the partition and going on extended " visiting parties " between the zones . Both governors agreed to attempt to curb this practice . Minett ' s time as governor was also marked by the improving of roads in the territory and by hunger problems . Retirement . After retirement , Minett remained at Norfolk Naval Yard on the court - martial board of inquiry . By 1908 , he was president of that board . In 1880 , an islet was named in his honor : Minett Islet . Minett was serving at Sitka Sound aboard the USS " Jamestown " when the islet was named .