James A. Greer

James Agustin Greer
Admiral Greer in 1902
Born	(1833-02-28)February 28, 1833 Cincinnati, Ohio
Died	January 17, 1904(1904-01-17) (aged 70) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1848–1895
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	USS Carondelet USS Benton USS Black Hawk USS Mohongo USS Tuscarora USS Tigress USS Constitution USS Constellation USS Hartford European Squadron
Battles/wars	American Civil War

James Agustin Greer (28 February 1833 – 17 January 1904) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the Civil War.

Greer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He enlisted into the Navy on 10 January 1848, joining the sloop Saratoga as a midshipman. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1853, and graduated as a passed midshipman the following year. After participating in the Paraguay Expedition, he cruised the west African coast until the outbreak of the Civil War.

Greer was serving as a lieutenant on board the San Jacinto on 7 November 1861, when she stopped the British steamer Trent and removed the Confederate diplomatic commissioners on their way to Britain, thereby nearly drawing Great Britain into the war on the Confederate side. This incident became celebrated as the Trent Affair.

Greer was promoted to lieutenant commander and served on the St. Louis from 1862 to 1863, and then was attached to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter's Mississippi Squadron. While in command of the ironclads Carondelet and Benton, he participated in the Vicksburg campaign and the shelling of Grand Gulf as well as the abortive Union Red River expedition in early 1864.