Figure 1.--Here we see five of Adm. McCully's Russian children in 1921. Nikolai was cut out of the photoigraph, the Admiral clearly lacked some photograohic skills. Click on the image to see Nikolai. Here several seem to be wearing smock-like outfits. To see the Secretary of Labor they were all done up in sailor suits.

Vice Admiral Newton Alexander McCully (1867–1951) was an U.S naval officer who served in the Spanish–American War and World War I. Aftter being enbeded with the Soviets forces in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War (1905-06), he became the Navy's expert on Russia. When America entered World War I He was promoted to Rear Admiral and given command of American naval forces off northrn Russia. His mission was to deliver supplies to the Tsarist forces through Arkangel and Murmansk. After the War he was given an intelligence mission, to join the Whuite fiorces in southern Russia and report on them and the Bolsheviks. Stuck by the unfolding humanitarian disaster and developing famine, he adopted six Russian children and brought them back to America. His major assignment after leaving Russia was to command the U.S. Navy Scouting Fleet.

Childhood

Newton was the son of Newton A. and Caroline Fretwell McCully. He was born in Anderson, South Carolina judt after the Civil War (1867).

Education

McCully attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating (1887).

Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)

Lieutenant Commander McCully was assigned as a military observer and embedded in the Imperial Russian Army during the Russo-Japanese War (1904). He reached the front lines in Manchuria via the Trans-Siberian Railway. He returned to the United States (1906). He submitted an exhaustive report on his findings. The McCully Report established him as the Navy's leading expert on Russia, although not on the Russian Navy.

Naval Service

McCully served as executive officer on the cruiser USS California (ACR-6). He was then assigned to the staff of the Naval War College (1910). As Europe descened into war, McCully was again posted to Russia, this time as a naval attaché.

Spanish American War

McCully served in the Atlantic Fleet under Admiral Sampson.

World War I

When America entered World War I He was promoted to Rear Admiral and given command different assiugnments. He was the District Commander, Rochefort, handling naval activities in France south of the Loire River and safeguarding American convoys through the submarine zone during World War I. The Germsny Navy has assured the Kaiser that their U-boats could sink American troopn transports ifASmerica entered the War. In one of the greatest failures in naval history, German U-boats not oinly brought merica into the War, but did not sink one single transport delivering more thn American Doughboys of the the American Expeditionary Force safely to France. The U-bosts did sink two empty trasports returning to America. Adm. McCully also commanded American naval forces off northrn Russia. His mission there was to deliver supplies to the Tsarist forces through Arkangel and Murmansk.

Russian Civil War

After the War he was given an intelligence mission, to join the White forces in southern Russia and report on them and the Bolsheviks (December 1919). He was accompanied by his aide, Lieutenant Commander Hugo W. Koehler. His position was High Commisdioner to Sebastapol and Crimea. Struck by the unfolding humanitarian disaster and developing famine, he adopted six Russian children and brought them back to South Carolina (1921). He had wanted to bring back nine children, but one was sick and parents of two ohers changed their minds. The children were Ninotahkl Klimenko (age 3), Feodor Pozdo (age 4), Nina Furinan (age 8), Anastasia Sherbatoc (age 10), Loudmila Manetzkaya (age 11), and Nikolai Smnov (age 12). The children were accompanied by Eugenia Selifanova (age 19). TheAdmiral had quite a lot of paper work approvals to obtain from the Immigration Bureau. The Bureau at the time was part of the Labor Depsrtment. He introduced the children to the Secretary of Labor, William B. Wilson. As McCully was a bachelor, he prevailed on his mother and niece to help raise them. Later he would marry Olga Krundycher (Russian), age 29 (1927).

Post-War Navy

His major assignment after leaving Russia was to command the U.S. Navy Scouting Fleet (1921-24). He served as the chief of the American naval mission in Brazil (1924). He was reassigned as Commandant of the Charleston Navy Yard (1928). He retired (1931).

Final Years

Admiral McCully died in St. Augustine, Florida (1951).

Created: 3:32 AM 5/2/2018
Last updated: 3:32 AM 5/2/2018