He was promoted ten numbers for gallantry in action while commanding USS Winslow at the First and Second Battle of Cardenas, Cuba, from May 8 to May 11, 1898.

John Baptiste Bernadou died at the Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on October 2, 1908, and is buried with his wife Florence Whiting in Arlington National Cemetery Section S. Div Site 2004 W.S John Baptiste Bernadou—born on November 14, 1858, in Philadelphia—was appointed to the United States Naval Academy on September 12, 1876, and graduated with the class of 1880.

After a short tour of shore duty at Claymont, Delaware, he served at sea in the screw sloop USS Kearsarge until 1882.

Warranted midshipman on June 2 of that year, he was assigned to the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C., and was commissioned ensign (junior grade) on March 3, 1883.

Upon returning to the United States, Bernadou was assigned to the recently revitalized Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).

In that warship, he made a cruise to European and Mediterranean waters, there transferring to the protected cruiser USS Chicago.

Upon reaching a point about 3,000 yards from the city, a lookout spied a small, gray steamer moored alongside the wharf.

At around 1335, his warship reached a point about 1,500 yards from the object of his interest when a white puff of smoke announced the opening of an artillery duel that would last an hour and 20 minutes.

Bernadou responded with Winslow's one pounder guns, and then enemy batteries ashore joined the deadly contest.

At some point before that time, a shell burst on the top of the forward conning tower; and a fragment from it struck Bernadou in the thigh.

Spanish shore batteries continued their fire, and one shell burst near the after engine room hatch killing four of the crew and Ens.

Bernadou relinquished command of the ship to Chief Gunner's Mate George P. Brady and went over to Wilmington with the rest of the wounded.

Later that year, he began another tour of duty with ONI in Washington, D.C. That assignment lasted until 1904 when he returned to sea as executive officer of Kearsarge (Battleship No.

He remained on diplomatic duty until sometime in mid 1908 when complications caused by the wound he received at Cardenas forced him to return home.