01/24/2026
John Rogers Phelan is remembered with a cenotaph in his family’s lot at Green Mount Cemetery.
TODAY IN HISTORY: Inspired by a Greene County, Pennsylvania sailor, this research remembers the tragic loss of the USS Oneida and at least 115 of her crew on January 24, 1870. Among those lost was John Rogers Phelan [1846-1870], who was born and raised in Waynesburg, and is memorialized by a cenotaph in his family's lot at Green Mount Cemetery.
Follow these links to learn about this local history connection to national and international events:
🔗 TODAY IN HISTORY (Library of Congress) - Sinking of the USS Oneida: https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/january-24/ -of-the-uss-oneida
🔗 BLOG (Library of Congress) - John Phelan and the Sinking of the USS Oneida: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2023/09/john-phelan-and-the-sinking-of-the-uss-oneida/
🔗 JOHN ROGERS PHELAN (Greene Connections Archives) - https://hub.catalogit.app/greene-connections?query=%22Phelan%2C%20John%20Rogers%20[1846-1870]%22
🔗 PHELAN FAMILY (Greene Connections Archives) - https://hub.catalogit.app/greene-connections?query=%22Phelan%20family%22
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Image Credits:
ℹ️ John Rogers Phelan [1846-1870] in his United States Naval Academy uniform (Class of 1866) - son of John Phelan and Jane Walker; circa 1864-1865, image by Wallace & Craig, Waynesburg, Pa.; item no. WAYN-AN008-0045, Waynesburg University Paul R. Stewart Museum Collection, Greene Connections Archives Project (GreeneConnections.com). GC Archives entry: https://hub.catalogit.app/greene-connections/entry/8bed4040-d62c-11ed-8a69-3dfc6f959c3f
ℹ️ Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, "The sinking of the United States steamer Oneida off the port of Yokohama, Japan, [Monday, January 24] / from a sketch by a survivor." 1870. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
ℹ️ “Erected in the Memory of Lieut. John R. Phelan, U. S. N., Aged 23 Years & 4 Mo., who was lost on board the USS Oneida by a collision with the British steamer Bombay on the 24th day of Jan. 1870 in the Bay of Yokohama, Japan.” -- Phelan cenotaph, Section B, Lot 39, Green Mount Cemetery, Waynesburg, Pa.
