Clitz was born in
Sackets Harbor, New York, on 1 December 1821. His father was a U.S. Army officer and veteran of the
War of 1812 who was reassigned to
Michigan and accompanied there by his family. Clitz was appointed as a
midshipman on 12 April 1837, and soon was attached to the
sloop-of-war in the
West Indies Squadron, serving aboard her from 1838 to 1842. He then studied at the
Philadelphia Naval School in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in 1843 and, having completed his training as a midshipman, was promoted to
passed midshipman on 29 June 1843. After the Mexican War, Clitz served aboard the
sailing frigate in the Mediterranean Squadron from 1849 to 1851, being promoted to
master while aboard her on 16 August 1850. Promoted to
lieutenant on 6 April 1851, he had duty with the
United States Coast Survey from 1851 to 1852, then was aboard the steam
paddle frigate in the
East India Squadron from 1852 to 1855. After special duty in
Washington, D.C., in 1856, he was aboard the sloop-of-war in the
Pacific Squadron from 1858 to 1859 and then aboard the steam sloop-of-war in 1861. In a dispatch of 28 January 1865, Rear Admiral
David Dixon Porter commended him for his actions at Fort Fisher and recommended him for promotion. After the Civil War, Clitz reported for duty in 1866 at the
Boston Navy Yard in
Charlestown,
Massachusetts, and was promoted to
captain on 25 July 1866. He commanded the steam sloop-of-war in the
South Atlantic Squadron from 1868 to 1869 before performing
ordnance duty at the
New York Navy Yard in
Brooklyn, New York, in 1870. He then commanded the steam
frigate in the Pacific Squadron from 1870 to 1872. Promoted to
commodore on 28 December 1872, Clitz commanded
Naval Station Port Royal in
Port Royal,
South Carolina, from 1876 to 1877 and was a
lighthouse inspector from 1878 to 1880. Scheduled to retire from the Navy upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62 on 1 December 1883, Clitz applied to retire earlier, and did so on 16 October 1883. ==Personal life==