For the duration of the American Civil War the Naval Academy had been relocated to Newport, Rhode Island, where Little and his wealthy parents had become accustomed to spending their summers.

He was granted three months leave in Europe and, in 1867, reported for duty on the USS Colorado, the flagship of the European Squadron.

Little was commissioned as an ensign on 12 March 1868 and was assigned as a flag lieutenant (aide) to Commodore Pennock, the commander of the European Squadron.

[3] Despite being retired, he volunteered to serve on the staff of the newly established United States Naval War College of which Stephen B. Luce was the first president.

[4] In particular, Mahan noted that Little had drafted several of the maps for the book, an early instance of Little's commitment to visualizing strategic problems.

[1] In 1891, Little was assigned to the US diplomatic mission to Spain regarding the commemoration of Christopher Columbus at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

In recognition of his valuable contributions, by a special act of Congress, Little was promoted to the rank of captain on the retired list on 21 February 1903 and made a permanent faculty member at the Naval War College.

[6] This article in Proceedings emphasized the importance for officers to train their intuitive judgment through visualization of strategic problems through charts, game boards, and small models.

Admiral William Sims said: "...so long as we have a Naval War College, his name must always remain intimately associated with its best traditions.