William Nelson Little

William Nelson Little was a United States naval officer who was court martialed in 1915 on charges of negligence during his inspection of the submarine. This was one of the few times that a retired military person was court martialed. He was not convicted, but Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels censured him for leaving the Navy no legal recourse against the General [Dynamics Electric Boat|Electric Boat Company] for having supplied defective submarine batteries.
Little was born in Newburgh, New York, on December 31, 1852. He graduated from the United States [Naval Academy] in 1875 and was promoted to rear admiral in 1913.
After his death, Little was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with his wife Catherine Platt "Kate" Little.