THIS VOLUME
Us Be&tcatefc
TO
THE MEMORY OF MY ESTEEMED FRIEND
THE LATE
ADMIRAL C. R. P. RODGERS
WHOSE CONGENIAL COMPANIONSHIP REMAINS
ONE OF THE PLEASANTEST MEMORIES
OF MY LIFE
PKEFACE
HAVING read with great interest the Biography of
Charles Biddle, edited by Mr. Henry Biddle, of Phila
delphia, and having had occasion to write to the latter
concerning some matters about which I happened to
know he was well informed, I referred to the work
above mentioned, and told him how much genuine
pleasure the perusal of its pages had afforded me. In
his reply, after most kindly giving me the information
which I desired, he said : " As you have probably your
self been so much around the world, you ought to leave
some record of your travels and adventures, which I
doubt not would be very entertaining and interesting."
Such an idea had never occurred to me before this
suggestion ; but when I reflected that I had served
between fifty and sixty years in the Navy of the United
States that I had been Commander -in -Chief of the
European Station, Superintendent of the Naval Observa
tory, Chief of Staff to commanding officers on several
different occasions, President of the International Marine
Conference, member of the International Meridian Con
ference, had served in two wars, had roamed about the
globe since I was sixteen years of age, and met many
distinguished and interesting people I concluded that
there might be some incidents in the experiences of all
PREFACE
those years that would make it worth while to commit
them to writing.
When first I undertook what has been to me a most
agreeable recreation, I was not at all sure that I ever
should publish this narrative, but was satisfied that it
would, at all events, make interesting reading for the
members of my family, even if it never went beyond
the manuscript.
The narrative contains the names of the following
persons, with many of whom I have been intimately
associated, and others I have known only casually :
Admiral Farragut ; Admiral Porter ; Admiral Worden;
Admiral Dewey ; Admiral Sampson ; Admiral Luce ;
Lord Alcester ; Admiral Denrnan, R.N.; Admiral Kaz-
nakoff, Kussian Navy ; Yice- Admiral Sir Yelverton Has
tings, R.K; Yice -Admiral du Petit -Thouars; Rear-
Admiral Bowden- Smith, R.N. ; Rear -Admiral Sir
George Nares, R.N. ; Commodore T. ap Catesby Jones ;
Captain Mahan; Captain Sigsbee ; ex-Secretary W. E.
Chandler; President Arthur; President Cleveland;
President McKinley ; Pope Pius IX. ; Pope Leo XIII. ;
the Emperor Alexander II., of Russia ; the Emperor
Alexander III. and the Empress Dagmar ; the Emperor
of Brazil ; the King of Portugal ; King Oscar, of Sweden,
and Queen ; King Christian, of Denmark, and Queen ;
the King and Queen of Greece and the Royal family ;
the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid ; the Khedive of
Egypt ; the King of Hawaii, Kamehameha Y. ; Queen
Emma, Queen Dowager of Hawaii; Liliuokalani, late
Queen of Hawaii ; Frederick, Prince Royal of Prussia,
afterwards German Emperor, and his wife ; the Duke
and Duchess of Edinburgh ; the Duke of Connaught ;
Lord Lytton ; Sir Edward Thornton ; Sir John Adye,
Governor of Gibraltar; Sir Lintorn Simmons, Governor
vi
PREFACE
of Malta ; Sir Charles Hall ; Secretary Elaine ; Mr. E. J.
Phelps, Minister to Great Britain ; Mr. John Lee Car
roll, ex -Governor of Maryland; Mr. David A. Wells;
Mr. John C. Eopes ; members of the Adams family ;
members of the McLane family, etc., etc., etc.
S. R. FEANKLIN,
Rear-Admiral, V. S. Navy.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
Ancestry New York in the Early Days of the Republic Recep
tion of President Washington Old Merchants of New York
Lincoln and Stanton 1
CHAPTER II
The Rear- Admiral as Midshipman Naval Conditions Half a Cen
tury Ago A Training-Ship in New York Beginning of Sea
Duties The Frigate United States and Her Officers 13
CHAPTER III
The First Cruise Madeira and Rio Manners on Board Ship-
Improvement in the Service Boatswains and Gunners Brit
ish and American Ships Uniforms A Gallant French Sea
man. . 25
CHAPTER IV
Dom Pedro Duelling in the Navy Around the Horn In Val
paraiso Callao and Lima Sailors Tricks A Conquest of
California. . , 38
CHAPTER V
Winter in Monterey Father Junipero At the Sandwich Islands
Trip to Mauna Loa Lively Times in Honolulu 52
ix
CONTENTS
CHAPTER VI
PAGE
The Marquesas and Tahiti Salute Stories Herman Melville-
Flogging in the Navy Change of Commodores A Coast
Cruise Idle in Callao A New Mess Opera in South Amer
ica Commodore Sloat The Levant s Company 61
CHAPTER VII
In Panama A Nicaraguan Journey In the City of Leon Be
ginnings of the War with Mexico Fremont and Kit Carson
Another Capture of Monterey Brazilian Midshipmen Stay
at Rio Home Again 74
CHAPTER VIII
At the Naval School Life at Annapolis Fifty Years Since After-
Fortunes of the Class " Reform Banquets " Coast-Survey
Service Washington Society 87
CHAPTER IX
On Foreign Service The Spragues of Gibraltar Commodore
Morgan Mess of His Flag-ship Winter Quarters On Leave
in Rome Early Impressions 100
CHAPTER X
In the Adriatic A Royal Visit Fun at Spezzia Leghorn and
Florence Naples under Bomba Balls at the Academy The
Sa|u Carlo Pompeii and Vesuvius A Mournful Accident. . . Ill
CHAPTER XI
Baths of Lucca Pedestrian Efforts The Store-keeper at Spez
zia Return to Naples A Promotion Louis Kossuth Aus
trian Rule Venice, and Porpora s Theatre End of the Cruise . 123
CHAPTER XII
Deep-Sea Soundings An Abortive Cruise The Dolphin in a
Hurricane In Peril from Water and Fire At Rest in Lisbon
Coast Survey In Annapolis as Professor Captain Golds-
borough A Practice Cruise White Sulphur Springs 134
x
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIII
PAGE
In the South Atlantic Lieutenant Rodgers "Sandy Welsh"
In Rio Again Bahia A Slave-Trader s Palace Montevideo
Agreeable Society Paraguay and Its Dictator Buenos Ayres
End of the Cruise 149
CHAPTER XIV
"Ordnance Duty" The War Cloud Friendships Broken On
the Macedonian Key West and Pensacola War-Time The
Privateer Sumter La Guayra and Caraccas In Chase of the
Slimier Home Again 164
CHAPTER XV
In Hampton Roads Raid of the Merrimac Destruction of the
Congress and the Cumberland The Monitor Appears Fight
of the Ironclads On the Dacotali End of the Merrimac With
Farragut at New Orleans First Command on the Aroostook
An Accident at Washington 176
CHAPTER XVI
With Farragut in the Gulf A Year of Blockade Fleet Captain
at New Orleans Mobile A Night Adventure A Council of
War Entry into Mobile Return to the North 190
CHAPTER XVII
A Pacific Command Life at Mare Island An Inland Expedi
tion In the Yosemite Valley To Esquimault on Cable Ser
viceAdmiral Denman Excursion in Washington Territory
Up Fraser River 202
CHAPTER XVIII
California Again Promoted Commander Duck-shooting In
Command of the Mo7iica?iTo Siberia After an Eclipse-
Difficult Navigation A Bidarca In Plover Bay The
Eclipse The Tchuktches of Siberia 214
xi
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIX
PAGE
In Honolulu A Gay Season Queen Liliuokalani The Mohi
can Ball Eastern Duty Promoted Captain In Command
of the Wabash Key West Rendezvous Captain of the Frank-
lin On the European Station A Mistaken Salute Gathering
at Carthagena Train-Robbers In the Grecian Archipelago. . 225
CHAPTER XX
Port Mahon A Negro Consul In Crete Admiral Worden
The King of Portugal A Northern Cruise Royal Dinners
Unwonted Honors to Worden Berlin and Copenhagen
The Charms of Stockholm A Russian Naval Review Festiv
ities at St. Petersburg 238
CHAPTER XXI
In the Baltic Reception at Kiel In English Waters Old Haunts
in London Villefranche Gaycty in the Riviera Americans
at Nice Wedding on the Ship 253
CHAPTER XXII
J. A. MacGahan In Lisbon The Channel Fleet Lord Lytton
A Country Visit Captain Mahan Admiral Luce Return to
the Mediterranean On Leave in Paris A Sudden Recall
In Hurry to the East 265
CHAPTER XXIII
Life in Smyrna At Villefranche Mayoral Receptions Monte
Carlo After "Boss" Tweed Return Home An Ugly Time
on the Franklin Origin of a True Story "Ben" and the
"Meadow-larks" 276
CHAPTER XXIV
Promoted Commodore The West Point Board of Visitors Ap
pointment of Cadets Life in Washington Observatory Man
agement In Command of the European Station Promoted
Rear- Admiral 289
xii
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXV
PAGE
On the Flag-ship Pensacola At Work on a Derelict Toboggan
ing in Madeira Festivities at Gibraltar and Cherbourg Fatal
Balloon Experiment Copenhagen and Stockholm A Royal
Visit Dinner at the Palace Mormon Propaganda The Amer
ican Minister s Feast American Women Abroad 293
CHAPTER XXVI
In English Waters Mr. Phelps on Board Among the Docks
A Southampton Banquet Boar Hunting at Tangier Changes
at Nice A Christmas Dinner American Diplomatists An
Extraordinary Request Interview with the Pope Americans
in Rome The Highlands of Sicily 313
CHAPTER XXVII
At Malta Royal Dukes in Port The Duke of Edinburgh s Ball
and Dinner Sir Lintorn Simmons Admiral Ward An Ex
cellent Consul At Alexandria Reception by the Khedive
The Pyramids Jaffa and Jerusalem American College at
Beirut 329
CHAPTER XXVIII
Damascus Entrance to the City Shops and Churches The Pub
lic Gardens Scriptural Scenes Damascene Houses Constan
tinople "Sunset" Cox Courtesy from the Sultan The Sa-
laamlic Audience at the Sublime Porte Social Enjoyments
The Charms of Prinkapo An American Prima Donna
Dining at the Palace 341
CHAPTER XXIX
Athens and the Greek Islands Sea-Bathing at Leghorn Amer
icans in Italy Society in Genoa Eastward Again Winter
in Alexandria Marvels of Our Consular System An Agree
able Visit Mrs. Franklin at Athens Royal Hospitalities-
Visit of the King and Queen Domestic Dinner at the Pal
ace 360
xiii
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXX
PACK
A Run through Italy Trieste,Venice, and Bologna Life at Beau-
lieu Cadets in a Collision The Baths of Lucca Country
Excursions Retirement from Active Service Ceremonies of
Farewell Home Again 375
CHAPTER XXXI
At Home in Washington Admiral Raymond Rodgers A Club
Coterie Patriotic Societies The Memorial Society of Wash
ington Suggestions and Plans International Marine Confer
ence The Delegates and their Work Courtesies to their Pres-
Ment Notes of the Proceedings 384
ILLUSTRATIONS
REAR-ADMIRAL S. R. FRANKLIN Frontispiece
U. S. STEAM FRIGATE FRANKLIN Facing p. 232
U. S. STEAM FRIGATE PENSACOLA " 300
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
CHAPTER I
Ancestry New York in the Early Days of the Republic Reception
of President Washington Old Merchants of New York Lincoln
and Stanton.
MY great-grandfather, Thomas Franklin, was one of
several brothers, members of an old Quaker family
which resided in the City of New York during the
days of the Eevolution. Their ancestors settled in and
about Flushing, Long Island, many years before that
period. "Walter Franklin, brother of Thomas, and my
ancestral uncle, seems to have been the most prosperous
of the brothers. Mrs. Lamb, in her history of the City
of New York, speaks of him as a merchant engaged in
the Eastern trade said to have had as much wealth in
Eussia as in America. He built and occupied what was
considered in those days perhaps the finest house in New
York. It stood on what is now Franklin Square, and
this Square, named for him, is said to have been the
site of his gardens.
Two of Walter Franklin s daughters married broth
ers De Witt Clinton and George Clinton. When
General Washington went to New York to be inau
gurated as the first President of the United States, the
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
house of Walter Franklin was selected for the Presi
dential Mansion, and was occupied as such for about a
year. The accompanying letters will be found interest
ing as describing the preparations made to place the
house in a suitable condition to receive His Excellency,
and also to show how he was met by the citizens of
New York in the simple methods of the early days of
the Kepublic.
Kitty F. Wistar, to whom the following letter was
addressed, was born in 1768, the third child of Caspar
"VVistar and Mary Franklin, who was the fourth daughter
of Thomas Franklin (born January 20, 1703), who mar
ried Mary Pearsall in 1726. The Sarah Kobinson who
wrote the letter was a Franklin who married Rowland
Robinson, of the firm of Franklin & Co., in the Eastern
trade.
"NEW YORK, SQthofthe Fourth Month, 1789.
"I feel exceedingly mortified and hurt, my dear cousin, that so
many of my letters to thee have been miscarried. I have certainly
written as many as half a dozen since thee left New York, although
thou acknowledgest the receipt of but one, which almost discourages
me from making another attempt, so uncertain is it whether it will
ever reach Brandywine, but I cannot entirely give it up, as I am as
sured they afford you pleasure. I received thine of the 4th, and was
pleased to hear you are well, and that my dear uncle and aunt talked
of making a New York visit. I shall wish for a wedding in the
family often, if it will bring such good strangers ; so, my dear, insist
on it, and do not let them disappoint us ; we promise ourselves a great
enjoyment in their company. . . .
" Great rejoicing in New York on the arrival of General Washing
ton ; an elegant Barge decorated with an awning of satin, 12 oarsmen
dressed in white frocks and blue ribbons went down to E. Town
last fourth day to bring him up. A stage was erected at the Coffee
house wharf, covered with a carpet for him to step on, where a com
pany of Light horse, one of Artillery, and most of the inhabitants
were waiting to receive him ; they paraded through Queen street in
good form, while the music of the drums and the ringing of the bells
LETTER TO KITTY F. WISTAR
were enough to stun one with the noise. Previous to his coming
Uncle Walter s* house in Cherry street was taken for him, and every
room furnished in the most elegant manner. Aunt Osgoodf and Lady
Kitty Duer had the whole management of it. I went the morning
before the General s arrival to take a look at it, the best furniture in
every room, and the greatest quantity of plate and China I ever saw ;
the whole of the first and second story is papered, and the floors cov
ered with the richest kind of Turkey and Wilton carpets. The house
did honour to my aunts, and Lady Kitty, they spared no pains nor ex
pense on it. Thou must know that Uncles Osgood and Duer were ap
pointed to procure a house and furnish it, accordingly they pitched
on their wives as being likely to do better. I have not done yet, my
dear. Is thee not almost tired ? The evening after his Excellency s
arrival there was a general Illumination took place, except among
friends [Quakers] and those styled Anti - Federalist. The latter s
windows suffered some, thoti may imagine. As soon as the General
was sworn in, a grand exhibition of fire-works is to be displayed, which
is expected to be to-morrow; there is scarcely anything talked about
now but General Washington and the Palace, and of little else have I
told thee yet, tho have spun my miserable scrawl already to a great
length ; but thou requested to know all that was going forward. I
have just heard that William Titus, of Woodbury, is going to be
married to a sister of Uncle Bowne, mother of Thomas Bowne, who
I believe thee knows ; Eliza Titus, her husband, and father, and
mother, spent the evening with us last sixth day. Eliza is muck
altered since I saw her, is much thinner and plainer. Marie de
Courcy, too, has been in the town a fortnight, she made her home at
Uncle Osgood s, but was a great deal among us all ; she is about mak
ing a little tour into Connecticut, on a visit to a friend Lucy Ball, with
Joseph Bull, who is now in town. Our families are all well, Hetty
is still with us, Rowland and the girls love to you. Accept mine, my
dear cousin, and write soon, to thy affectionate cousin.
" SARAH ROBINSON."
" Uncle Walter" Franklin was born in 1727, the old
est child of Thomas Franklin and Mary Pearsall. His
house was between Cherry and Queen Streets (now
* Walter Franklin.
f The widow of Walter Franklin, who married Dr. Osgood. Her maiden
name was Maria Bowne.
3
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Pearl Street), and he was senior partner of the firm of
Franklin & Co.
The letter addressed to Samuel Rhoades was written
by the grandparents of the Kitty Wistar to whom the
Sarah Robinson letter is addressed. Their son Thomas,
who did marry Mary Rhoades, was their fourth child,
born in 1734. Thomas Franklin was the great-grand
father of General W. B. Franklin, Admiral S. R. Frank
lin, and Colonel Walter S. Franklin.
" NEW YORK, 12 mo., 20th, 1763.
" To SAMUEL RHOADES & WIFE :
"Dear Friends, As our son Thomas has for some time past ac
quainted us of his Love and Good Esteem for your daughter Mary,
and we, conceiving a good opinion of her and family, were well pleased
with his choice ; but hearing it was a strait with you to part with
her to come to this place, we could but sympathize with you in the
affair, so were silent in the case on that account. However, he in
forms us that 3 r ou have left her to liberty, and she has turned the
scale for coming, we desire it will be made easy for you, and hope
we shall always have a paternal care for her and conclude you are
sensible. There is that attractive Power of Love in all hearts that
can make one in the best part if adheared to ; if this should be the
happy case, then it will be a Great Comfort to us all. Tho we have
thus far expressed our minds, we know not what may happen between
the cup and the lip, as the saying is, but shall contentedly submit all
to the Great Director of all Good, and subscribe with love unfeigned
to you and to your Dear Daughter Mary in particular.
(Signed), " THOMAS FRANKLIN,
"MARY FRANKLIN."
From the autobiography of Mary Robinson Hunter,
a daughter of Sarah Franklin and William T. Robinson.
Mr. Hunter was or- Minister at Rio when this was
written :
<l Rio DE JANEIRO, 6/A December, 1845.
"My mother s grandfather on her father s side was a wealthy
farmer of the State of New York, born of an English father and a
Dutch mother. They had a large family of sons, of whom my grand-
LETTER TO THE FRANKLINS
father was the youngest, and two daughters. Of five sons I can
speak, having known them all as a child, and all treating me with
overweening love and indulgence. James, the eldest, followed the
occupation of his father, and inherited the homestead. He married
a lady of high breeding, who used to come down from the country
once a year to visit the families of her husband s brothers, who
were settled as merchants, three in New York and one in Philadel
phia. I well remember the awe her presence inspired among us chil
dren ; the rustling of her silk, and her high-heeled shoes making her
figure more commanding, and the reproach her never-ending knitting
cast upon us idle and indulged children.
" Walter, John, and Samuel resided in New York. They inherited
large fortunes from their parents, which they put into trade, and the
produce of China and other countries was wafted to our shores in
their ships. Walter retired with an immense fortune from the firm,
lived in the style of a nobleman, and drove an elegant chariot. On
an excursion to Long Island, driving by a country-house, he saw,
milking in the barn -yard, where thirty cows had just been driven in
at sunset, a beautiful young Quaker girl. He stopped, beckoned
her, and asked who occupied the house. With great simplicity, and
without embarrassment, she replied, My father, Daniel Bowne.
Wilt thou not alight and take tea with him ? My uncle accepted
the invitation, introduced himself, was well known by reputation. He
conversed with the farmer on the appearance of the farm, on his fine
cows, etc., but not a word about the fair milk-maid. Presently the
door opened, and she came in to make tea for the city friend, when
her father said, Hannah, this is friend Walter Franklin, from New
York. She blushed deeply, finding he made no allusion to having
seen her before. The blush heightened her loveliness. She had
smoothed her hair, and a fine lawn kerchief covered her neck and
bosom. After three visits he asked her in marriage, and the fair
maid was seated by his side in the chariot, on her way to take pos
session as mistress of the most elegant house in the city, in Cherry
Street, near the corner of Pearl. She had a numerous family of
beautiful daughters. They swerved from the simplicity of Quaker
ism, and became worldly and fashionable belles. The eldest, Sally,
married a very wealthy man by the name of Norton, I believe of
English birth, who was heir to an immense fortune, left him by a
Mr. Lake, who lived near New York. The second, Maria, was the
wife of De Witt Clinton. The third, Hannah, married his brother,
George Clinton. They all had children. Their mother was left a
widow just before the third daughter was born my uncle Walter
5
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
dying, and leaving a rich young widow, and twenty thousand pounds
to each of his daughters. His widow afterwards married a very re
spectable Presbyterian named Osgood, who had some post under
Government commissary of the army in Washington s time, I believe.
She had a number of children by Osgood. The eldest, Martha, mar
ried a brother of the famous Genet. My uncle Walter s house is now
the Franklin Bank, named after its builder and owner.
"I cannot remember the maiden name of my uncle John s wife,
for it is of him I am now speaking, but when he married her she
was a widow Townsend, with one beautiful daughter. She owned and
lived in a house at the lower end of Cherry Street. Well do I remem
ber the delightful parties assembled at this hospitable board, and now
and then, as a great favor, taking turns with my brothers and sisters
in going with my parents to one of Uncle John s oyster suppers. He
was of a joyous, happy temper, and loved to tease children. He used
to tell me how he pitied me for being so homely, all in good-humor
and irony, but it would wound my budding vanity. He had a large
family of sons and daughters, all plain in person. His son Thomas
is, or was, well known in New York as an active, flourishing man,
where his sons have succeeded him Marius, William, and some
others, now on the stage of life. My uncle Thomas Franklin [great-
uncle] settled as a merchant in Philadelphia, and left many children.
His son Walter was an eminent lawyer in that city, and an accom
plished, amiable man. Thus I have given an outline of my grand
father s brothers. His two sisters are now to be brought forward.
Sally, the eldest, married Caspar Wistar, of Pennsylvania, one of
nature s noblemen a farmer living on the Brandywine, of German
parentage, as his name designates. He lived in great luxury and hos
pitality, and had several children ; his eldest daughter, Sally, married
a merchant of Philadelphia, by the name of Pennock. Another
favorite daughter, highly gifted in intellect, married late in life a
Mr. Sharpies, and had two sons, one named Caspar. They married,
I believe, two daughters of Bishop Onderdonk, but of this I am not
quite certain ; one, I know, married a daughter of his.*
"My grandfather s second sister, Mary, married a Colonel De
Lancey, of French extraction. His father, I believe, came from
France. I remember him as a little girl ; he did not love children,
was of a morose disposition, and I trembled when I heard him ap-
* Caspar Wistar Sharpies married Elizabeth, and Abraham Wistar Shar
pies married Anne, both daughters of the Rt. Rev. Henry Ustick Onderdonk,
Bishop of Pennsylvania. S. R. F.
RECOLLECTIONS OF MY ANCESTORS
proach, in a red velvet cap and brocade dressing-gown and slippers,
when I was playing about, whilst on a visit to my aunt on Long
Island. They had only one child, a daughter, beautiful in face and
person, and with much French sprightliness and naivete. She mar
ried, at thirty, a Mr. Staples of New York, and had, like her mother,
but one child, a daughter.
"I now proceed to my maternal grandfather, Samuel Franklin.
While on a visit to his brother Thomas in Philadelphia, he became
acquainted with and married Hester Mitchell, a young girl of an
excellent Quaker family. One of her sisters married into another
Quaker family, named Parish, of whom Dr. Parish, so justly cele
brated as a skilful physician and a true Christian, is a member. An
other sister of my grandmother s was the mother of a large family
by the name of Marshall, in Philadelphia, several of whom are cele
brated chemists and druggists.
"My grandfather brought his wife to New York, and bought or
built what was then thought to be a fine house in Pearl Street, a few
doors from the corner of Beekman Street. Here his children were
born. Several died in infancy ; only three lived to grow up. My
mother was the eldest, a beautiful brunette, with brilliant eyes, curl
ing hair, tall and graceful figure. The second, Abraham, married
a very lovely woman named Ann Townsend, by whom he had thir
teen children, now scattered about the world. The youngest, John,
married a country girl of Long Island, named Charity Cornell, who
was a good wife and a devoted mother to a large family of children.
Mary, a beautiful girl, and said to resemble me in a striking way,
married a Mr. Bond, I believe of Baltimore. My uncle Abraham died
many years ago. My uncle John still lives in New York, but he must
be more than seventy years of age. My mother grew and bloomed
amidst the stirring times of the Revolutionary War, when the English
were in possession of New York."
The foregoing letters will be interesting to any of the
Franklins, and those bearing other names who come
from the same stock, and also, it may be, to the general
reader, as depicting to some extent the manners and
customs of the Colonial period.
My grandfather was an officer of the Army, and
married the daughter of the Colonel of his regiment,
Jonas Simonds. Colonel Simonds was an officer of the
7
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Army during the period of the Revolution, and was an
original member of the Cincinnati. My brother, General
Franklin, is now a member of that Society, and inherits
through my grandmother, Colonel Simonds having left
no male heirs.
My father was an only child. He was a law student
at the school at Litchfield, Connecticut, presided over
for a number of years by Judge Gould and Judge Reeve.
Many men who afterwards became distinguished in the
political history of the country received their educa
tion there as lawyers. Among others, I remember that
Calhoun and Clayton were likewise students there, both
prominent Senators in their day, from South Carolina
and Delaware respectively. As I write from memory,
many incidents of my life are so vague that they have
passed almost entirely out of my mind, which, if they
were recorded here, might have been interesting reading
to those who come after me. These memoirs, therefore,
must be taken for what they are worth a somewhat
fragmentary narrative of my recollection of persons,
and also of events, many of which occurred years and
years ago.
My father married about the time he completed his
studies as a student of law at the school to which I re
ferred above. He married at the early age of twenty-
one. The object of his choice was Sarah Buel, a daugh
ter of Dr. Buel, of Litchfield. She became the mother
of six children, all of whom lived and grew up. My
father was not destined to enjoy his family very long,
for he was attacked with a malignant fever, and died
from its effects when he was only thirty-eight years of
age. He was convalescent when Mr. Buchanan, after
wards President of the United States, made him a visit,
and we thought they had an exciting political conversa-
8
MY FATHER AND MOTHER
tion which produced a relapse from which he never ral
lied. He was a man in the fulness of health and vigor,
possessed of a splendid constitution, and the chances were
that he would reach a mature age ; but it was otherwise
ordered, and he died, mourned and lamented by all who
knew him. He was an able and most popular man, be
loved by every one, and, had he lived, I believe he would
have reached an exalted position in this country. My
mother was thus left to struggle through life with her
six children, and was rewarded for her love for them,
and for her devotion to their interests, by living to see
them all well established in life. She died full of years,
beloved by all, having reached the ripe old age of eighty-
four.
My father died in 1838. My elder brother, General
Franklin, was sent the following year to West Point,
where he was graduated four years later at the head of
his class. He was placed in the Corps of Topographical
Engineers, in which he held important positions of trust
and responsibility until the breaking -out of the Civil
War, when he rose rapidly to the rank of Major-Gen
eral of Volunteers, commanded a corps d armee, and,
later, the left Grand Division of the Army of the Poto
mac at Fredericksburg. These facts are familiar to
students of the history of the Civil War ; but still I feel
that this is not an unfitting place again to call them to
mind. I purpose to relate two or three incidents in his
career which might be termed fragments of the un
written history of the War.
The first of these was told to me at Saratoga by General
Slocum, whom I had known as a general office 1 " under
my brother s command in the Army of the Potomac.
He said that on a visit to Washington, from the head
quarters of the Army, he had a conversation with Mr.
9
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Lincoln about the condition of affairs there this was at
the time when the Army was suffering from the incom-
petency of its leaders he said to Mr. Lincoln to this ef
fect, though probably not in the same language, " that
we of the Army of the Potomac, who have assisted in
fighting its battles, and who are pretty well acquainted
with the capacity of its Generals, are satisfied that the
proper man to command that Army is General Franklin."
The President promptly replied to this effect : " I know
that as well as you do, General Slocum, but it is more
than I dare to do, to order him to that command." This
answer explains itself when it is known that General
Franklin was always a constant and uncompromising
Democrat.
Another incident may illustrate the animus of Mr.
Stanton, Secretary of War, with regard to General
Franklin. The General was at his home, slowly con
valescing from a wound which he had received in the
campaign on the Red River, when his horse was killed
from under him by the same bullet which disabled him.
At the time to which I refer, General Grant was with
the Army in front of Petersburg. He sent to Franklin
to come to him at his headquarters, to consult with him
with a view of giving him the command of the Army
then operating, or about to operate, in the valley of the
Shenandoah. When Grant communicated with Stanton
in reference to the matter, he found him so much prej
udiced against Franklin that he declined to accede to
his request. While Franklin was on his way back from
Grant s Army he was captured, near Baltimore, by
Harry Gilmore, but made his escape and returned to
his home. Nothing more was said about the detail,
and, to borrow a diplomatic expression, the incident
was closed. Sheridan was ordered to command that
10
CAREEKS OF MY BROTHERS
Army, and, as everybody knows, with the happiest re
sults.
Towards the close of the War, my brother went into
business with the Colt Arms works at Hartford, Con
necticut, and was made Yice-President of the Company.
For the past sixteen years he has been chosen by Con
gress as a member of the Board of Managers of volun
teer soldiers homes, and has been the President of that
body for the same length of time. He was appointed
by Mr. Cleveland as the Commissioner from this coun
try to the Paris Exposition of 1889. It might be inter
esting to any one who peruses these memoirs to know
of one of the influences which was brought to bear upon
the President in making this appointment, which, I will
state in advance, was entirely unsolicited by General
Franklin. It was related to me by Colonel J. Schuyler
Crosby. He said that he was dining with Colonel
Jerome Bonaparte, in the company of Mr. Robert Mc-
Lane, our Minister to France, and that in the course
of conversation the question arose, and was discussed
among them, who would be the proper person to repre
sent this country on that occasion. Colonel Crosby
told me that three names were mentioned General
Franklin, Admiral Eaymond Rodgers, and myself.
The consensus of opinion was in favor of General
Franklin, for Mr. McLane had an interview with the
President the following day, the result of which was
that he was nominated, and confirmed almost immedi
ately. The appointment did not interfere with his po
sition as President of the Soldiers Home Board, which
he continued to hold, and, as I have stated, still holds
at the present time.
My only surviving brother besides the General is Colo
nel Walter S. Franklin. He entered the Army in the
11
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
early part of the War, and was assigned to one of the
new three-battalion regiments. He served on the Staffs
of General Sedgwick and General Wright, and came
out of the War a Colonel. He was afterwards Com
mander of the Subdivision of Winchester, and, later,
was assigned to one of the Western Universities as an
instructor of tactics. Soon afterwards he left the Army
and went into the iron business, in which he remained
a number of years. Having been graduated at the Sci
entific School at Harvard, with the first honors of his
class, he was appointed by President Arthur one of
the United States Light - House Board, of which he is
now the senior member. He is also President of the
Baltimore City Street Eailroad, to which position he
was elected a few years ago, and now resides in Balti
more.
CHAPTER II
The Rear -Admiral as Midshipman Naval Conditions Half a Cen
tury Ago A Training - Ship in New York Beginning of Sea
Duties The Frigate United States and Her Officers.
I WAS appointed an acting midshipman in the Navy
by Secretary Paulding, on the 18th day of February, 1841.
In those days the appointments were thus made, and, if
the Commanding officer with whom an acting midship
man served made a favorable report on his aptitude for
the service at the end of six months, a warrant was given
to him creating him a midshipman. He was then what
was called a warrant officer, but not a commissioned offi
cer a most important distinction at that time, for there
was an impassable gulf between these two classes, to
which all can testify who have "gone through the mill."
The warrant man was often made to feel by the commis
sion man that he was not only an inferior officer, but an
inferior being altogether. My home at that time was
York, Pennsylvania, where I was born and bred. Will
iam Gibson, a classmate of mine, also made York his
home. He was appointed about the same time I was.
He used to wear a little round jacket with Navy buttons
on it, upon which I looked with envious eyes. He also
wrote for the local newspapers, which was another cause
of envy in me. I would write mental articles to try
and get even with him. I thought mine pretty good,
but no one ever saw them or knew of them but myself
while his were published and read,, mine never saw the
13
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
light. I was between fifteen and sixteen ; Gibson was, I
think, a little my senior. "We both went to sea soon af
ter. He became quite a distinguished poet, and was
highly commended by N. P. Willis for his productions.
We were always good friends in the service, but our
paths seldom crossed. He died a number of years ago.
At the period about which I am writing, the interval
of time from the War which closed in 1815 was less
than that between the end of the Civil War and the
present time. There was no such thing as a Naval
School deserving the name.* Midshipmen were sent
to the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia (a sort of sailors
home) after six years service, and there made a kind of
preparation for examination, but there was no organi
zation. They did as they pleased, studied or idled as
suited their whims. There was a Professor of Math
ematics, and also a Professor of French. There was
no discipline. The name of the French Professor was
Miere ; on entering the recitation-room one morning he
found written on the black-board : " The study of the
French Language, under the present circumstances, is a
miere humbug." Of course the Professor was angry, but,
as I stated above, there was no discipline, and such of
fences went unpunished ; the Professors were obliged to
get along as best they could. Not very long before the
* Since writing this passage I have learned from Professor Soley s His
tory of the Naval Academy that an effort was made to have Schools for Mid
shipmen at the Navy-Yards at Boston, New York, and Norfolk; and, as a
matter of fact, such did really exist. I will quote from Professor Soley s
book :
" Attached to each were one or two instructors and a few pupils. The De
partment had lately issued an order (so called in the report, but more prop
erly a suggestion) to all Midshipmen not otherwise employed, to repair to one
of those schools to receive instruction ; but as there was no provision for al
lowing them travelling expenses, few had taken advantage of it."
U
NAVY FILLED WITH MIDSHIPMEN
time of which I have just spoken, the Midshipmen were
examined at Barnum s Hotel, in Baltimore, for then
there was no Naval School whatsoever. But there has
been a great change since those days, and now the Navy
can boast, with reason and pride, of one of the best edu
cational establishments in this or any other country.
About the time I was appointed there were between
two and three hundred Acting Midshipmen created, ow
ing to the fact that there were three or four Secreta
ries of the Navy during the year 1841 ; the three I re
member were Paulding, Henshaw, and Upshur. There
seemed to be no legal limit to the number they could
appoint, so each one exercised his power in providing
for his friends, and the Navy was so filled up with Mid
shipmen that, in order to employ them, it was necessary
to crowd the steerages the places where the Midship
men lived on board ship far beyond their capacity, so
that in the Frigate in which I first went to sea the space
which, looked upon from a non-seafaring point of view,
was hardly enough to accommodate four people, had to
be utilized for twenty-four. Another disadvantage of this
over-appointing was that no appointments were made
for five years, if I except the year 1842, when there were
only twelve, or even a less number, of Acting Midship
men created. So it happened that this useful class of
young officers became very scarce, and had to be sup
plemented by Masters Mates, a system which did not
work well. They were not in a line of promotion, and
hence without esprit de corps. Indeed, it took some
years to overcome the inconvenience that this over
stocking produced.
In the spring of 1841 I was ordered to the Keceiving-
Ship North Carolina, at New York. This line-of-battle
ship was utilized for the purpose of receiving on board
15
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
enlisted men, who were detained there until they were
drafted for some sea -going ship. She, as well as the
100-gun ship Pennsylvania, at Norfolk, served as a ren
dezvous for Acting Midshipmen who were sent to them
in order that they might pick up some of the " ways of
the sea " before they were ordered to a regular cruiser.
On board the old North, as we used to call her, there
was a Professor of Mathematics, of the name of Ward,
and there was some pretence of having school, but it
did not amount to much. All that I remember is that
I was taught some expressions, such as " din .," " lat.,"
and " departure," but I do not think I had the most re
mote idea what they meant. I have never forgotten
how the Professor, when twelve o clock was sounded,
alwa} 7 s sent for his plate of ship s soup which was
served to the crew, and how he smacked his lips and
enjoyed it, which, indeed, we all did, for I remember
how exceedingly good it was.
There were two messes for the Midshipmen on board
the North Carolina one, the gun-room mess, as it was
called, and the other the steerage mess. I was assigned
to the steerage, where we lived like pigs. The gun
room was far more respectable. It was there that the
Passed Midshipmen lived, and I think the Assistant Sur
geons. As these were grown men, and knew how to take
care of themselves, they had a very nice mess. Things
became so bad in the steerage that it was finally aban
doned and we were transferred to the gun-room, much
to my delight. I formed friendships there that were
continued throughout my service, and my whole condi
tion was very much changed for the better. Captain
Gallagher commanded, and the First Lieutenant was a
man of the name of Morehead at times Lieutenant
Whetmore acted in the same capacity. He wore spec-
16
I TIRE OF THE NAVY
tacles, and we used to call him " Old Four-Eyes." They
were both odd fish, as I look back at them now, but the
Navy was filled with odd material in those days. Some
of the ofiicers whom I remember kindly were Benham,
Barton, Neville, Woodhull, Schenck, Green Bay, and
others. They are all dead now. The one who was es
pecially kind to me was Benham. I have always held
him in affectionate remembrance. He died many years
ago.
During the summer months the ship was anchored off
the Battery, and, to some extent, the duties were much
the same as those performed in a regular cruiser. We
had our watches to keep and our duty to perform, but
there was not much to point her out as a war machine.
There had been a long peace, and such training as now
takes place on board our ships of war was not even
dreamed of then. Indeed, there was comparatively lit
tle of it in our regular cruisers ; people thought a great
deal more of being sailor-men than military men. Sailor-
men were, of course, very necessar}^ but the more im
portant that is, the fighting -machine should never
have held a secondary place. I soon became weary of the
inactive and monotonous life I was leading. The future
seemed to hold out nothing that was very alluring, and
I strongly contemplated resigning and trying my fort
une in some other walk of life. I talked over the matter
with my uncle, Dr. Buel, who was a practising physi
cian in New York, and he agreed with me that the pros
pects were not very brilliant. However, both thought
over the matter for several days, and agreed that as
there must be Naval officers, and as I had embarked
upon a career in which there was a certainty of exist
ence, while any other would be an experiment, at all
events doubtful, I should continue it ; and now I felt
B 17
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
that I was fairly launched in my profession. I made
several ineffectual attempts during the summer to get
orders to sea, and even applied for the Brig Boxer,
which was fitting for a cruise to the coast of Labrador.
Finally, in September, I was ordered to the Frigate
United States, which was fitting out at the Norfolk
Navy- Yard. Accordingly, I repaired to my new post,
and, staying on the way at the United States Hotel, at
Philadelphia, for a night, I there encountered my new
Commanding officer, Captain James Armstrong, a stal
wart Kentuckian, about six feet tall and large in pro
portion. I remember he wore a sort of leather cap
adorned with a gold band with ragged edges. It was a
slight thing to remember, but the grotesqueness of his
whole appearance made an impression upon my youth
ful mind which has never been effaced. He found out
who I was, and that I was going to join his ship, and en
gaged me in an agreeable conversation which made me
feel comfortable, and seemed to me an auspicious be
ginning of my cruise.
I reported at the Norfolk Yard to Commodore War-
rington early in October, and, as the ship was not yet
ready to receive the officers and crew, remained for sev
eral days at French s Hotel. I never shall forget how
good the Lynn Haven Bay oysters tasted when the
negro waiters produced them before me, with the ex
clamation, " Navy officers very fond of oysters !" and
I remember to have enjoyed my few days of ease there
very much indeed. I met at the hotel my future mess
mates, who were to be my close companions for three
years ; there we formed our plans for messing, and dis
cussed the coming cruise with that enthusiasm which
belongs to youth alone.
We were not long permitted to enjoy our ease. Orders
18
ON BOARD THE UNITED STATES
came for us to repair on board the Frigate, and we were
placed in our proper messes in the steerage, had our
places in watches and divisions assigned to us, and soon
settled down to regular work. I was put in the lar
board mess somehow, for what reason I do not know,
regarded as the "swell" place. Most of my friends,
those with whom I had served in the Carolina, were
there with me, and as we had seen more service in what
Jack used to call the Guardo, we had a pretty good
opinion of ourselves, and were disposed to look down
on the men of the starboard steerage as youngsters,
many of them having been recently appointed, and sent
to the ship without any previous training whatsoever.
We were green enough, ourselves, but they were greener
Midshipmen still, and were consequently subjected to
the hazing and running which fell to our lot on board
the North Carolina, and which has been from time
immemorial practised in all institutions by the older
boys upon the younger ones, and, although a good
deal modified now, will continue to be a custom for
ever.
After many trials and vicissitudes we finally settled
down to the regular routine of a man-of-war. We
elected a caterer of the mess, and lived comfortably
enough for the time. Our trials came on with the night,
for, as I have said, our mess-room, which was our bed
room also, was about large enough fairly to accommo
date two people, yet twelve of us were huddled together
in this apartment like so many pigs in a pen. Our
hammocks, instead of hanging loose to the sport of the
wind, formed a sort of continuous sheet of canvas, dotted
over with mattresses. We could neither turn in or out of
them without disturbing our neighbors, causing growl
ing and quarrelling which often led to serious conse-
19
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
quences. I think there was but one basin for the morn
ing toilet at the most, two but we made the best of
our inconveniences, and accepted the situation with a
good grace. Eanged around this luxurious apartment
were the lockers for our clothes. They were not ample,
but we accommodated ourselves to their capacity, and
managed to get on with small wardrobes. We were
permitted to go on shore occasionally, when we laid in
our private stores, books for our journals, our quad
rants, etc.
In due time the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific
Squadron, Commander Thomas ap Catesby Jones, ar
rived, and hoisted his broad pennant. The Commodore
was, I think, considered one of the best officers of his
day. He had commanded a gunboat in the waters of
Louisiana with great credit, being wounded in the arm
in some affair in which his command was engaged, the
effect of which he carried to his grave. He was al
lowed a servant by the Government, to assist him in
putting on and taking off his coat, which was quite im
possible for him to do alone. His contemporaries were
Shubrick, Warrington, Morris, Wilkinson, Claxton, and
others, all of whom had served in the War of 1812.
Stewart also commanded a squadron about this time,
but he was older than those I have mentioned, and
could hardly be called a contemporary. It will not,
perhaps, be out of place here to relate a little anec
dote which was told by Commodore Stewart to my old
friend and classmate, the late Commodore W. T. Trux-
ton. It seems that Commodore Truxton, the grand
father of my friend, commanded the Naval Station at
Baltimore. At the time to which I refer, Commodore
Stewart commanded a brig which was fitted out there,
and had been ordered by Truxton to proceed to sea on
20
OFFICERS OF THE UNITED STATES
a certain day. Stewart reported on that day that he
was altogether unprepared, and that it was impossible for
him to sail, as he had not yet hoisted in his main-mast.
Truxton s reply was : " Obey your orders." Stewart did
sail at the appointed time, towing his main-mast astern.
The wind was fortunately fair, and he continued on
until he reached a point beyond the limits of Truxton s
command, where he anchored, hoisted in his main-mast,
and completed his preparations for sea.
The Constitution, the former flag-ship of the Pacific
Station, passed us on her way to the ISTorf oik Navy- Yard
while we were lying at the buoy off Town Point. I
shall never forget the impression the song of the leads
men made upon me, as they called out : " By the mark
five," " By the deep six," etc. ; it was music to my ear
then, and has been ever since. I think the old song
has ceased to charm, and has gone into disuse with the
ships in which it was used. With our rapid-moving
craft the Captain must know the soundings quicker than
he did when they came to him only at the end of a stave
of the old song.
While it is not at all likely that these lines will ever
meet the eye of any one who knew the officers of the
Frigate United States as contemporaries, yet it might
not be amiss to mention their names, as it is possible
they might be seen by some of their descendants, for it
is generally pleasant to know what our ancestors were
doing, and where they were, many j^ears ago. The First
Lieutenant was Isaac S. Sterrett, of Baltimore " Mob-
town," as he used to like to call it, for it had earned
that reputation at the time of which I speak. He was
a good seaman, and knew his duties well. He did not
remain long with us, since a vacancy occurred in a com
mand soon after we reached the Pacific Station, and he
21
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
was ordered to fill it. The Second Lieutenant, who was
in those days the senior watch -officer, was Murray
Mason. He was by no means a favorite with the Mid
shipmen, for he had no hesitation in sending us to the
mast-head for punishment. He was transferred soon
after we reached the station to the Cyane, as First Lieu
tenant. The other Lieutenants were Henderson, Du-
lane\ r , Ball, and Avery. The Master was "W. A. Parker.
At that time the junior of the ward-room line officers
was called Master, which corresponded to the present
Navigator, who ranks next to the Executive Officer.
"Why the junior ever occupied that position, I have never
been able to understand, as it is one of the most im
portant and responsible ones on board of a ship of war.
The change to the present system is, I think, a great
improvement. The junior Lieutenant, Avery, was by
far the best sea-officer I have ever seen on the deck of a
man-of-war. His style was the best, his manner the
most seaman-like, his voice was like music, and all the
qualities that go to make up the best type of deck-officer
were embodied in him. The men jumped at his call,
and, although he did not spare them, they adored him.
No officer on board ship could get the work out of them
that he could. The Captain had the most implicit con
fidence in him, and when we were buffeting about off
Cape Horn, when he was Officer of the watch u all
hands" were never called for getting the ship under
short canvas, for he, with the watch on deck, was suffi
cient of himself. Herman Melville, in White Jacket,
calls him " mad Jack," and when he was making the
ship snug in a heavy gale of wind he well deserved the
sobriquet, although at other times he was as quiet as a
lamb. To sum him up, he was a gentleman seaman of
the first order.
22
GENERAL LOCKWOOD
Of the other officers I do not remember any special
peculiarities which they possessed that distinguished
them from others of their class. They were generally
good seamen, and looked out for the ship well when in
charge of the deck.
The only surviving officer that I call to my recol
lection as I write is General Lockwood. He must be
very nearly, if not quite, eighty years of age. He was
our Professor of Mathematics, and was most zealous in
his efforts to instil into our youthful minds the rudi
ments of algebra and geometry. He carried us up to
analytical geometry, and made those of us who took
an interest in his teachings very good navigators. He
also taught us history, and never lost an opportunity to
instruct us in what we ought to know. I have always
felt grateful to him for giving me such a good ground
work in mathematics, as it enabled me to take a respect
able standing in these studies when I went to Annapolis
to prepare for my examination. He is now on the re
tired list of the Navy, as a Professor of Mathematics
having served a long and honorable career not only in
the Navy, but as a general officer during the Civil
War. General Lockwood may be said to have been
one of the pioneers of the Naval Academy at Annap
olis, for, with the exception of the time he served in
the Army during the War, he was associated with
that institution from its infancy. Of the Midshipmen,
twenty-nine in all, with whom I served in the Frig
ate United States, I know of no one now living, and I
do not know that any of them lived long enough to at
tain Flag rank except myself. Jeffers became a Com
modore, and died in that grade. They had nearly all
disappeared, in one way and another, before the War,
and, so far as I can recollect, Jeffers and I were the
23
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
only ones whose names were borne on the Navy Keg-
ister after its close. This is all I have to say at pres
ent of my first shipmates, but it is quite likely that
I shall refer to them further on in the course of this
narrative.
CHAPTER III
The First Cruise Madeira and Rio Manners on Board Ship Im
provement in the Service Boatswains and Gunners British and
American Ships Uniforms A Gallant French Seaman.
THE Frigate United States sailed from Hampton Koads
early in January, 1842. She was a ship about the size
of the old Constitution, and was launched in the latter
part of the last century. She was known among the old
seamen of those days as the States Frigate, and had the
reputation of being the swiftest ship in the Navy, and
perhaps in the world. She was not what might be
called a pretty ship in these days, and did not sit as
gracefully on the water as the Constitution, for her best
sailing-point was when she was trimmed by the head,
which detracts very much from the appearance of any
ship ; but she was so good in all other respects that her
ugliness was forgotten. In the rating of the day, she
was what was called a forty-four-gun Frigate ; and al
though I do not remember the exact number of guns
she carried, yet it was more than she was rated. The
main-deck guns were long twenty-fours ; they had been
taken from one of the captured British Frigates, and
had a crown moulded on the upper part of the breech.
The spar - deck battery consisted of forty - two - pounder
carronades, and twenty-four-pounder bow-chasers. The
higher calibre guns had not yet come into general use
at all events we had none of them on board the United
States.
25
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
We shaped our course for Madeira ; the wind was fair,
and we soon reached the Gulf Stream. We were glad
to leave the cold weather behind us, for our discomforts
in fitting out during the winter were very great. I have
never forgotten the pleasing impression that this thaw
ing out, so to speak, made upon my youthful mind. The
sea, to be sure, was rough, but there was the bright
sky overhead, and the deep blue sea underneath, and we
were fairly off on our cruise. There was no more shiv
ering as we marched up and down the deck in our night
watches, and everything now seemed couleur de rose.
The passage to Madeira was, I think, the ordinary length,
about eighteen or twenty days. We managed to run into
a gale of wind just as we sighted the Island, and were
buffeted about for two or three days. It was not thought
prudent to make the anchorage, for there is no harbor
at Funchal, and it is necessary to anchor in very deep
water, with the ship prepared to get under way upon
the approach of bad weather. Vessels were always
warned by the firing of a gun on shore when it was
deemed unsafe to remain at anchor, so they always
went to sea when this signal was given, for if they re
mained too long, they were in great danger of being
driven ashore. After the gale subsided, and the sea
calmed do wn, we came to anchor near Loo Rock, and, soon
after, the natives swarmed on board, bringing with them
the most delicious grapes, and fruits of every variety.
It is not difficult to imagine how eager we were to get
at them after our long passage at sea; and then the
fresh grub which followed soon after in the shape of
beefsteak and onions and soft tack (bread), produced a
sensation never to be forgotten.
Our stay at Madeira was to be short I think it was
only three days so we Midshipmen were allowed to go
AT MADEIRA
on shore, half of our number at a time. It was our first
foreign port, and we of course enjoyed it to the fullest
extent. I do not remember much of what we did, but I
recall that we each hired a horse, and dashed wildly
about the Island, reckless of consequences, each fellow
trying to get ahead of the other, the owner or attendant
of the horse hanging on by his tail all the time. How
they managed to do it, I do not know, but they did,
somehow or other. At this time our Consul was Mr.
Howard March ; he was also a wine merchant, and lived
in great luxury. I dined with him once, but I do not re
member whether it was at this time or upon some sub
sequent visit. I remember distinctly, however, that he
produced some rare old Madeira that w^as nearly as
white as water. At the time about which I am writing,
Madeira wine was still much drunk in this country. We
received on board many casks of it for the Commodore
and his friends who had given him orders for it, and who
wished their wine to have the benefit of a three years
shaking up before it was delivered to them at home. I
recollect distinctly some of the names of well-known
people on the barrels, as they came on board to be,
stored away for a cruise, deep down in the spirit-room of
the Frigate. After everybody had had an opportunity
of a run on shore, and our stores for the next passage
had been received on board, the spirit-room well stocked
for its curing process, and after the delights of our three
days sojourn, we were not unwilling to proceed towards
our station in the Pacific, for there was a feeling that I
think we all shared, of strong "desire to be there.
We sailed from Madeira in the early days of February,
bound for Kio de Janeiro. We soon took the N.E. trades,
and steered for the meridian at which we were to cross
the equator ; for it is necessary, as all seamen know, to
37
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
give one s self plenty of Easting, in order that when the
S.E. trade-winds strike the ship she will have abundant
room to weather Cape St. Koque, for ships have been
known, when falling to leeward, to have to run back into
the variables to make their Easting, and try it over again.
When we reached the equator there was, as is usual, great
excitement, for not one of the Midshipmen had ever
crossed the line before, and the first crossing is always
an interesting epoch to all who go to sea. Fortunately,
Neptune s visit was not permitted on board the United
States, as it is in most ships of war. I never knew why,
but I suppose the reason was that there were so many
greenhorns on board that it would have given him and
his assistants altogether too much to do.
Nothing of especial interest occurred until we sighted
Cape Frio, the first land that is made in approaching
the harbor of Eio. The next day we sighted the Sugar
Loaf, a very striking landmark at the entrance of the
harbor, and with a fine sea-breeze we shot past it and en
tered one of the most beautiful bays in the Avorld in
deed, taken together with its great capacity and gorgeous
scenery, it is not equalled by any other that I have ever
seen. We moored ship for a somewhat protracted stay.
It was necessary to calk, provision, and water her, and
make such other preparations as would render her snug
for the passage around the Horn. We had completely
changed the season, for, although we were in February,
it was summer in Kio, and the weather was hot enough.
It was, however, tempered by the sea-breeze, which
blows here with the regularity of a monsoon every after
noon ; and as the awnings were kept spread, the ship
was comparatively cool and comfortable. We soon set
tled down to the routine of harbor work. The neces
sary preparations for the Cape passage went regularly
28
MANAGING A MESS
on. The officers were permitted to visit the shore, as
their liberty days, as they were called, came around. I
think we all enjoyed the change from the sea -life.
The fact of having fresh grub and fruit after our
salt-horse (beef) and pork at sea was most agreeable.
Our crockery was broken at sea, and our stores nearly
all wasted, by the time we reached Rio. One of the
principal articles of our table furniture was a cigar-box,
from which we used to eat our soup, taking it in turns.
"We called it the steamboat why, I do not remember.
The salt beef would be placed on the table, and who
ever said " First beef !" had the first cut. There was al
ways a choice, because the delicate part of salt-horse is
the fat, and the fellow speaking first, always got the
best of that. We made it a point of honor that the first
speaker should have the first choice. I often wonder
that there was not a row about it, and how we man
aged to keep the peace when the condition of things
was so crude. There was something very cruel, as I
look back at it, in permitting a lot of boys to be hud
dled together, with no one to look out for their well-
being, most of them only sixteen or under, with no expe
rience, and expected to manage a mess. To be sure, one
of the number was appointed by themselves caterer, but
what could he know about keeping a boarding-house or
disciplining servants, for such really were the duties he
was expected to perform. There was something very
faulty in this regard in those days, and we were suffer
ers from a bad system. It is all changed now. The
graduates of the Naval Academy are men when thev
leave there, and are prepared for anything ; but then it
was otherwise ; we were only green boys,kno wing nothing.
The American man-of-war in the days about which I
am now writing differed but in a slight degree from the
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
British ships of war of the time about which Marryat
wrote, and made himself famous by his charming stories
of the sea. To be sure, the flogging of Midshipmen was
not permitted, but there is one instance on record when
this was resorted to, although it is the only one which
has ever come to my knowledge. The names of the
parties to this transaction, and the circumstances at
tending it, have long since passed from my mind, but I
remember distinctly how the matter was discussed by
us Midshipmen fifty years ago, and how the case was
disposed of by the authorities, in such a way as to make
us feel assured that it would never occur again. In
most other respects our ships were the same in their
internal economy as those on which Midshipmen Easy
and Peter Simple had seen their service. Mast-heading
was still resorted to, and I remember, in my own case, I
was once kept aloft so long that I went quietly to sleep
in the bunt of the foresail. On the occasion to which
I refer, I was sent only to the foremast-head, but anoth
er time I passed many hours at the maintopmast-head.
I recall distinctly how we managed to smuggle a small
bottle of whiskey to one of our messmates who was
mast-headed ; and, while it was not enough to make him
drunk, he was in a very happy frame of mind when he
came down. This method of punishment, however, was
brought to an end in the Squadron in which I saw my
first service, by charges having been preferred against
some Lieutenant for illegal punishment, of which mast
heading was one of the specifications. The Lieutenant
came to grief, and that system of punishment was never
again resorted to in that Squadron. I have never heard
of an instance of it from that day to this ; but yet we
were a good deal " bullyragged " in various ways. I do
not remember many instances when we were absolutely
30
A BOATSWAIN S WEAKNESS
cursed by our superior officers, but the general tone and
style were much the same as Marryat describes when
he so vividly represents a First Lieutenant giving utter
ance in the most polite manner to the choicest expres
sions upon reprimanding some delinquent, and winding
up by applying epithets to him which are familiar to
the readers of Marryat s novels. The Boatswains and
Gunners of those days were very much the same as
those of Marryat s cruisers. The Boatswain of the
Frigate in which I made my first cruise was an Eng
lishman by birth, and had been promoted from the
ranks. He had been a Boatswain s mate, and was
what is called on board ship a good man, which means
a man that does his work intelligently and well. He
had the failing of most of his class : he would drink,
and sometimes to excess. On one occasion, when he had
been indulging steadily for some time, and was on the
verge of delirium tremens, some of the Midshipmen con
vinced him that he was dead, took him to his room, laid
him out, put cents on his eyes, and left him in that con
dition. He soon recovered, however, and returned to his
duties. Such offences were readily condoned in those
days, for they were frequent, not only with Jack, but
with his master. The former no longer thinks it neces
sary to get drunk when he goes on shore, and the im
provement in this regard among naval officers has
been most marked during the past fifty years. While
at the time to which I refer drunkenness was very com
mon, it is now, as a habit, almost unknown. A whole
some dread of the examining boards, and the general
improvement of the times in matters of temperance,
have been instrumental in producing a personnel which
is perhaps as little addicted to the vice of intemperance
as that of any Navy in the world.
31
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
While Boatswains have many of the peculiarities of
the class from which most of them have sprung, which
perhaps would unfit them for promotion to the higher
ranks, there is no officer on board ship who is, in a gen
eral way, more useful than they are. Advanced to the
position which he occupies, first because he is a first-
class seaman, and owing to his ability to lead men, the
Boatswain is always on hand when any general work is
going on, and is of the greatest assistance to the Execu
tive Officer in managing the crew as a whole. Of course,
as there is nothing to be done aloft these days in our
new men-of-war, it might be said that his usefulness
would be somewhat impaired; but if I were in com
mand, now, of one of the modern ships, I should be
very sorry to be without a Boatswain. The Gunner
of the old days was not altogether unlike the Boat
swain ; like him, he was generally promoted from the
ranks, and, like him, must necessarily be a good seaman
and leader of men. In addition to the charge of the
guns and everything connected with the battery, he
was also responsible for the main -rigging and every
thing belonging to the main - sail, and as his domain
bordered so closely upon that of the Boatswain, who
had charge of the main-mast from the main-yard up to
the main-truck, many a row between these old salts took
place, and there was a sort of border warfare always
going on. The Gunner with whom I served on my
first cruise was a rare character. He had no mercy
upon any delinquent subordinate, more especially if he
sat upon the match-tubs, or interfered in the slightest
degree with anything in connection with the battery,
even though that interference might be entirely harm
less. The match-tubs were little wooden vessels, hav
ing a top with a hole in it, in which a lighted match,
32
AMERICAN NAVAL CUSTOMS INHERITED
fixed upon an upright stick, was placed, and made to
stand erect by a sharp iron point on the end opposite
the match. It must be remembered that I am writing
of the days when guns had to be touched off by match
es. I am thus particular in describing the match-tubs,
because the old Gunner, finding that the men used them
for seats, placed some sharp iron spikes in them, so that
any one sitting on them might receive an ugly wound,
or, if he stepped upon them with bare feet, might be
seriously injured. But what did he care ? The match-
tubs were diverted from their proper use, and lie pro
posed to get even with the perpetrators of so flagrant
an offence. Of course he was not sustained ; the mat
ter was brought to the notice of the proper authorities,
and he was obliged to remove the spikes. He had the
satisfaction, however, of showing what a high crime and
misdemeanor he considered it, to sit on one of his match-
tubs. This old Gunner is called by Herman Melville,
in White Jacket, " Old Combustibles." Melville was a
shipmate of mine, and of the Gunner as well. I shall
probably have occasion to refer to him again in the
course of this narrative.
The customs of an American man-of-war came down
by natural inheritance from those in force on board the
ships of the mother-country. We piped to dinner, we
rolled to grog, we played " The Roast Beef of Old Eng
land," we had our Jimmy Ducks, whose duty it was to
look out for the live - stock, our Jack o the Dust, who
brought up the tail end of the Purser s staff, got up the
grog, assisted in serving out provisions, and attended
generally to any work that was going on in the Purser s
department. Then there was " Jimmy Legs," the Mas-
ter-at-Arms. Why this sobriquet was given to him I
never knew, but possibly Jackie thought it appropriate,
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
because it was his duty to put his legs in irons when
he deserved it. I might mention many other points of
resemblance, which, indeed, were so striking in many
instances that but for the Flag and the Crown on the
one, and the Flag and the Eagle on the other, one might
have imagined himself, if his eyes had been suddenly
unbandaged, to be on board a ship of either nation. To
be sure, there was more homogeneity in the crew of the
British ship ; they looked alike, as if they belonged to
the same nation, which, indeed, with rare exceptions,
they did, while the American man-of-war of those days
had a crew composed of men of all nations, and it was
rarely the case that a majority of them were native-
born Americans.
Unlike any other Navy, the ships of Great Britain
and the United States both carried a guard of infantry
called Marines. They were looked upon somewhat in
the light of the old Swiss Guards, a sort of protection
to the throne. At that time Jack was altogether a dif
ferent character from what he is now. The day of the
usefulness of the Marines in that sense has passed away,
and the matter of dispensing with them altogether is
being discussed ; but they are such a useful body for
the protection of Consulates, and service of a kindred
nature, while they are still a portion of the crew, that I
doubt the wisdom of withdrawing them from our men-
of-war, in which opinion, I fear, I differ from many naval
officers.
While upon the subject of the old days of the Navy,
it may not be out of place here to make some mention
of the uniform that was worn at the time I entered it.
When one reflects that the epaulets now worn originated
from something that was once used to protect the shoul
ders from a sabre-cut, it seems strange enough that we
34
NAVAL UNIFORMS
should have worn but one, but such was really the case
when I first went to sea. It was the uniform of a Lieu
tenant, and was worn upon the right shoulder. There
was no such thing as a frock-coat known to the service
at that time, and it was long before the conservative
feeling about the "swallow-tail" could be overcome. I
remember that some officer who was a strong advocate
for the frock-coat remarked that there was no especial
objection to the swallow-tail, if the tails were changed
to the front, as stomach protectors. There was no ob
jection to the wearing of silk high hats in uniform in
those days, but, although I have seen them worn my
self, the custom was rapidly dying out. Gray trousers
might be worn with blue jackets in fact, there was an
indifference about uniform which at this day it is difficult
to appreciate. In the perusal of Dr. McCauley s Life of
Admiral Anson, to which I am indebted for what I say
here about British naval uniform, I find that there was
the same indifference to it formerly in the British ser
vice as there was later in our own. He says that up to
the middle of the last century there was no special
dress or costume in the Royal Navy ; that on the Medi
terranean Station it was a common thing for Lieutenants
to purchase the soldiers old coats at Port Mahon and
Gibraltar, when, trimming them with black, they would
wear them as uniforms. The color of the breeches
on every Station was quite immaterial, and left to the
fancy of each officer. They were generally black or
scarlet. Major Sennell, in a letter, says : " Sixty-two
years ago in 1759 I saw a Master of a man-of-war
who wore a red coat trimmed with black, and thought
himself very smart. Perhaps," he says, " it was one of
the Lieutenants old coats, as they then wore blue uni
forms."
35
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Navy blue was then but newly introduced, and was a
novelty in the middle of the century. In a letter from
Captain Keppel to Captain Saumarez, dated London,
25th of August, 1747, he says : " My Lord Anson is de
sirous that many of us should make coats after our own
tastes, and that then a choice should be made of one to
be general, and if you will appear in it here, he says he
will be answerable that your taste will not be among the
worst." What the uniform then selected was does not
appear, nor can any Order in Council be found either in
the Council Office or at the Admiralty, where Sir John
Barrow caused careful search to be made. The gossip
ing wits of the town said that the Duke of Bedford, the
First Lord of the Admiralty, took the idea of blue, with
white collars, cuffs, and facings, from the Duchess of
Bedford s riding-habit. Be this as it may, the adoption
of blue as the Naval color dates from that time. I pre
sume the author means, by that time, about the middle
of the last century. If any modifications in the details
of uniforms were gradually introduced, the record of
these must be found in the portraits of Naval Officers
in picture-galleries, or in the costumes preserved in fam
ily wardrobes and old chests, or in historical relics, such
as the famous Nelson s coat in the show-case at Green
wich Hospital.
In the same work of Dr. McCauley from which I have
just been quoting, I was so much struck with what I
read of the gallantry of seamen under adverse circum
stances that I thought it might not be amiss to relate
here what he says in speaking of one of Anson s fights.
It is as follows : " In the sea-fight between the fleets
of Lord Anson and M. de Jonquiere, in which the for
mer beat the Frenchman, M. St. George, the Command
er of the Invincible, kept his colors flying some time
36
A FRENCHMAN S SURRENDER
after the French Admiral had struck. M. St. George
struck to Alison s ship, the Prince George, and when
he went on board to deliver up his sword to the Ad
miral, all were impressed by the courtesy and coolness
of this French officer of the old, chivalrous type. He
went frankly up to Anson, presenting his sword with
the words: "Monsieur, vous avez vaincu I? Invincible,
et La Gloire vous suit;" referring to the companion
French ship, which was also captured. This neat com
pliment was delivered in a charming manner, and the
scene proved the beginning of a personal friendship
which became very intimate, and ceased only with the
Admiral s death.
CHAPTER IV
Dom Pedro Duelling in the Navy Around the Horn In Valpa
raiso Callao and Lima Sailors Tricks A Conquest of Cali
fornia.
BUT to return to my narrative. Our stay at Kio was
drawing rapidly to a close. Quite a number of the
officers were presented to the Emperor Dom Pedro, I
amongst the number. He was a boy, himself, then, not
much older, if any, than we were. He became distin
guished as a scientific student and philanthropist years
after, and ruled in Brazil with a mild and beneficent
sway. The people became impatient for a Republic,
and could not await the death of the good Emperor,
but dethroned him, and set up a Government of their
own. They would not have had to wait long, even in
the course of nature ; it broke his heart, and he died
soon after he lost his throne.
In those days, duelling was not punished by dismis
sal, as it is now. Midshipmen, upon the slightest provo
cation, would go out and have a crack at each other.
One morning while we were in Rio, a party of friends
of one side and the other went to see fair play, and wit
ness the fight which took place between two youngsters,
one of our mess, and one of the starboard mess. The
distance was, I think, ten paces, and the weapons small
pocket-pistols. The bullet of one of the youngsters
passed unpleasantly near the head of the other, and,
after firing two or three rounds without hitting, the
38
DUELLING IN THE NAVY
seconds made the matter up, and the duel was off. But
the principals never became friends. I presume there is
no reason now why their names should not be men
tioned. One was a very clever man of my class, and
a messmate, A. C. Jackson ; the other, also a class
mate, a very good fellow, of the name of Baldwin.
They are both dead now, and the duel was fought more
than fifty years ago. The cause which brought about
the fight was most trifling, as were the causes of most
of the infantile duels of those days. This pocket-pistol
row, however, resulted in putting a stop to that meth
od of settling difficulties in the Pacific Squadron ; the
Commander-in-Chief, upon hearing of it, which he did
soon after it took place, issued what was then known as
" the duelling pledge." By the provisions of the pledge,
every Midshipman in the Squadron was obliged to sign
it upon pain of being detained indefinitely on board
ship, without any leave whatever. Of course there was
a show of rebellion in the youthful mind, but in the end
we all signed it but one. In some of the ships of the
Squadron which we joined later, it met with great oppo
sition, and I think the midshipmen of the Yorktown all
refused to sign. I fancy, on the whole, Commodore
Jones did well, and may have saved lives which oth
erwise would have been uselessly sacrificed, for even
youngsters did not always fight with pocket-pistols.
Somewhere in the latter part of February, 1842, we
sent down our long poles, sent up our stump top-gallant
masts, bent our best suit of sails, and got under way to
round the Horn, the stormy Cape at the lower extrem
ity of the Continent, which must be doubled before we
could reach our much-desired station. The first week
or two the weather was pleasant enough, but as we ap
proached the Falkland Islands premonitory symptoms
39
MEMORIES OF A RE AR- ADMIRAL
of what we might expect began to appear. We passed
through the Strait of La Maire, and before many
days we were up with the Cape. The winds were gen
erally from the westward, so we banged about for days,
making but little headway, being able to carry but
short sail, and not gaining much on our course as the
days went by. We were approaching the Cape Horn
winter, and the nights were long, dark, and cold. There
was but little to relieve the gloom and monotony. We
saw plenty of albatrosses and Cape pigeons, and before
we reached Valparaiso we caught some of the latter
and made a pie of them, which I remember was uncom
monly good, from our point of view, although the birds
were fishy and strong, and hardly fit to eat. The ward
room officers had laid in a good supply of Madeira when
we were at the Island which produces it, and during the
weary hours of the first watch there came up from
below a sound of revelry that was very cheering, and
helped to speed the tedious hours as we rolled and
tossed and tumbled about off the pitch of the stormy
Cape. I remember well some of the words of a Cana
dian boat-song, which they sang night after night, and
which made such an impression upon my youthful mind
that I have never forgotten it. I never saw it in print,
and remember only the refrain and a few lines of the
song itself. Of course, without the air it loses its effect.
It went something in this way :
"Happy are we, fearless and free,
Rowing our boat o er the deep blue sea.
Ladies, at best, hold landsmen cheap
Pull away merrily, all pull cheerily.
Beauty smiles on the sons of the deep
Pull away merrily, all pull cheerily.
Happy are we, fearless and free,
Rowing our boat o er the deep blue sea."
40
RECOLLECTIONS OF VALPARAISO
The Cape was finally doubled, and we were fairly on
our way to Valparaiso, with the sweetest breeze behind
us, blowing us along at the rate of ten knots or more,
while the air was becoming softer each day as we sped
on our way. The barometer, which had been low for
many days, began to rise, and so did our spirits, for vi
sions of beefsteaks and onions and all the accompani
ments rose vividly before us, and they were to be
within our reach after a few more night-watches had
rolled around. Just before we reached port, the Com
modore killed a pig, and was good enough to send a
portion of it to our mess. It happened to be my watch
on deck, so my share was saved for me until it was
over. When I went below I found it waiting me with
some boiled rice, and although I have eaten a great many
good dinners since, yet none have left such lasting im
pression upon me as did the Commodore s roast pig and
rice. It was about the only fresh grub, except the Cape
pigeons, that I had had since we left Rio. Finally the
land was made, we rounded the Point of Angels, known
as reef top-sail point, on account of the sudden squalls
that strike ships there, and came to anchor in deep water
in the Bay of Valparaiso.
Valparaiso, at the time of which I write, was perhaps
the largest and most important seaport on the Pacific
Coast. The largest mercantile houses, generally in the
hands of English and Americans, were located here,
branches of which were to be found in Lima as well.
The most important were those of Alsop & Co. and
Gibbs, Crawley & Co. To the former firm belonged
Mr. George Hobson, of whom Americans might justly
be proud. He lived in very handsome style, and alto
gether did great credit to the country of which he was
an honored citizen. He had several charming daugh-
41
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ters, who were great belles amongst the officers, and one
of them, Hepsy, afterwards married Eeed Werden, who
died as a Rear- Admiral on the retired list. I have been
very intimate with "Werden and his wife, and enter
tained a very high regard for them both. The Admiral
died a few years ago. Mrs. Werden is still living. I
have had many pleasant talks with her about the old
days in Valparaiso. She passed all of her girlhood there,
and had a very extensive acquaintance with Naval offi
cers, so many of whom had from time to time touched
at that port. We did not remain long in harbor, and in
a few days got under way for Callao. The S. E. trade-
winds prevail along the coast of Chili and Peru, so we
were not many days making the passage. The weather
was fine, and every one was glad at the prospect of
reaching the headquarters of the Station, which Callao
was at that time. There was our store-ship, and it was
there that the Squadron assembled from time to time, to
take on board provisions and stores. Upon our arrival
we found a portion of the Pacific Squadron at anchor
in the harbor ; the Cyane, the St. Louis, the schooner
Shark, and the store-ship .Relief were amongst them.
The Yorktown and Dale we- a- off somewhere on a cruise.
The vessels that I have named comprised the Squadron.
It was not a bad showing o^a Naval force in those dis
tant seas, considering that the nation, since the adop
tion of the Constitution, was only about fifty years old,
but there was a growing American commerce at that
time, and the whaling interests on the Pacific were
large. Besides that, California was looked upon with
envious eyes, both by the United States and Great
Britain, so, after all, the force was none too strong.
Callao is the seaport of Lima, about six miles distant
from that city. At the time about which I write, it
43
GAMBLING AT CALLAO
contained but few inhabitants, and these were near
ly all connected with commerce and shipping interests,
in one way and another. There were two hotels in the
place, and any one who happened to be in Callao in
1842 will probably remember, as he stepped on to the
landing from his boat, a large sign that appeared be
fore him, with these words upon it, " Marine Hotel, by
Zuderell." It was a famous resort in those days for the
officers of the Squadron. Zuderell was a Frenchman, a
handsome, well-dressed fellow, and polite as a dancing-
master. He gave very nice dinners, and when he wished
to be especially polite to any one he would say, " Dine
with me to-day; I engage you" -which meant that
you were not to pay for your dinner. Every night
there was gambling at his establishment, which was al
ways conducted in a most orderly way, for all improper
persons were excluded from his house. The game that
was played there I have never.- seen anywhere else.
There was a green cloth on^he table, crossed in the
centre by two white lines at right angles with each
other. In the alternate angles were marked the letters
A and S. The A s were opposite each other, and the S s
opposite in the same way.- \fphe banker threw a pair of
dice from his hand, and ce$ta in figures of what turned
up were for the A s, and certain others were for the S s.
Of course, when one lettelr won, the other lost. Around
the table could be seen, almost any night, officers of the
Navy of all nations, from Midshipmen up well into the
higher grades. Occasionally there would be a difficulty
between two of the players, but such things were very
rare. I remember one night a Midshipman, a friend of
mine, who had probably been drinking, as he was great
ly addicted to that vice, snapped a pistol at the head of
one of the players. Fortunately, it did not go off. My
43
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
friend expressed to me afterwards his great delight that
the result was not serious. Had the pistol gone off, he
probably would have killed the man, and saddened his
own life for ever. The poor fellow of whom I speak
became a drunkard, was out of the Navy and back
again several times, but I believe the habit became so
confirmed that he never could conquer it. There was
another house of good cheer, which any old Pacific
cruiser of those days will remember. I do not know
that it had any name but " Davy HowelPs." It was
kept by Davy, who married a Spanish wife about three
times his size. I can see her now, after a lapse of fifty
years, hustling about the house, and carrying things
with a high hand, while Davy himself was always meek
and humble, and dared not say that his soul was his own
in the presence of Isodora. This establishment was more
a resort for merchant Captains and Mates than for Na
val officers, but I well remember how, when I was Mid
shipman of the market-boat, I would go there and get a
most delicious cup of coffee and toasted French rolls.
Truly there are some things one never forgets, trifling
as they may be, and, in my case, this is one of them.
There were an abundance of grog-shops for sailors, and
a few little thread-and-needle stores; but what I have
mentioned above was about all there was of Callao in
those days.
The Commander -in -Chief, immediately after our ar
rival, gave orders to the Fleet to provision and water
ship, and prepare for sea. The most experienced of the
Midshipmen were placed in charge of the large boats
of the Frigate, which were filled with water-casks and
despatched to the mole, day after day, until the wa
tering was completed. I mention the watering on
this occasion because of an ingenious way of smuggling
44
HOW MEN-OF-WAR S MEN GOT LIQUOR
liquor on board, that Jack had discovered as the work
proceeded. It seems that the water was conveyed to
the mole through pipes. The fountain-head, which I
believe was a receiver that was filled by a pump served
by the men, was some distance from the mole. When
there was a sufficient head of water in the receiver,
Jacky would place a small skin (intestine), filled with
liquor, in the upper part of the pipe, whence it would
be conveyed by the water rushing through to the mole.
The Jacky in the boat, being in collusion with those at
the upper end, would feel it as it passed through the
canvas hose which led from the mole end of the pipe
into the cask in the boat. The cask was then marked,
and the other Jacky on board, who was striking the
water below, and who was also in collusion with the
others, would thus know where to look for it. So, in
this way, they managed to get a good deal of liquor on
board before the trick was discovered. Men - of - war s
men, in those days, would resort to the most ingenious
devices to get liquor. In a ship in which I served dur
ing the War, before the spirit ration had been discontin
ued, it seemed that the men of the Engineer Depart
ment were getting drunk in the most unaccountable
manner, and as there was no way, at the time to which
I refer, of getting liquor from the shore, an examination
of the spirit -room was made, when it was discovered
that a large cask filled with whiskey butted up against
an iron bulkhead (partition) which separated the spirit-
room from the engine-room. The men in the last-men
tioned place were smart enough to inform themselves
of this fact. They drilled a hole through the iron, and
then through the cask, and then inserted a faucet into
the cask. It is needless to say that they had many a
good spree before the clever trick was discovered.
45
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
While on this subject, I think it will not be out of
place to mention an occurrence which took place in Nor
folk, while we were getting the whiskey on board for
the outward-bound cruise. At such times unusual vigi
lance is practised, and every safeguard possible, to pre
vent the men from getting possession of any of it, is
made use of in the vicinity of the place where it is being
handled. Strange as it may seem, notwithstanding all
these precautions, some clever Jackies managed to roll
a barrel forward. It was late in the day, and no results
appeared until after dark. Then such a bedlam broke
loose as it is difficult to imagine. Nearly every man
forward of the main -mast seemed to be drunk. The
Executive Officer, and, indeed, all the officers, were
obliged to rush forward and knock down and drag out
until a scene of debauchery such as I have rarely wit
nessed could be controlled ; and yet the contents of the
barrel had not all been consumed. Under the guns
and on the berth-deck were found quantities of whis
key in buckets and tin pots, which were captured and
put in places of safety. It must be remembered that
the Frigate had a crew of five hundred men. Many of
them were so drunk that they gave no trouble, but
others had to be roughly handled and ironed, so that
they could do no harm to themselves or any one else.
It was a scene never to be forgotten, and such a one as,
I fancy, has rarely occurred on board a ship of war. By
ten o clock everything had quieted down without any
serious results, although at one time it did look bad
enough. The next morning, when the day of reckon
ing came, there were so many prisoners that it was
thought better to condone the whole thing; so Jack
had his spree and went unpunished.
While the Frigate remained at Callao we were all per-
46
LIMA FIFTY YEARS AGO
mitted to have a run to Lima. I do not remember that
there was any mode of transportation at that time ex
cept on horseback. Short as the distance was between
the Port and the City, the route was infested by high
waymen, so that the trip was attended with considerable
risk. However, our party made the journey there and
back unmolested. Lima, at the time to which I refer,
was one of the most considerable cities of South Ameri
ca. It was beautifully situated on a vast plain, and in
the distance could be seen the snow-clad Cordilleras
towering thousands of feet towards the sky. Through
the city, passing in the middle of the streets, a limpid,
sparkling stream rushed rapidly by on its way to the
sea. The to\vn seemed clean, and well-built in the
Spanish style. The houses, at most, are only two stories
high, built in order to eliminate as much as possible the
danger from earthquakes, which had been very destruc
tive in Peru ; so much so that Callao was at one time
almost entirely submerged. Lima has not kept pace with
the other important cities of South America ; it has been
torn for a century and more by internal dissensions, and
I presume has been a prey to revolutions from its in
fancy. The War with Chili was a tremendous blow to
its progress, from which it has never recovered ; and its
unstable government, that seems the normal condition,
will, unless a radical change takes place, be a constant
impediment to the City s growth and to the progress
and advancement of the people. The hotel at which the
American officers generally put up was the Bolo de Oro.
It will be remembered by any one who visited Lima in
1842 as the best-known house of entertainment. The
fare was good enough, but the beds were infested with
fleas indeed, one might say that every bed in South
America at that time was in the same condition. I have
47
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
slept in a great many of them in the course of my life,
and have always found that to be the case.
The Squadron was now prepared for sea, and one fine
morning the Commodore made signal to weigh, and the
ships formed in column, the flag-ship in advance. We
were close-hauled, and, as we were going to Valparaiso,
which was to windward, were by the wind during nearly
the whole passage. We finally reached there, after a
voyage of nearly a month. Ships going from Callao
to Valparaiso haul by the wind, on port tack, with
the southeast trades, and remain on that tack until
they reach "the variables," about the latitude of Val
paraiso, and to westward of the Island of Juan Fer
nandez, or Eobinson Crusoe s Island ; there they pick
up a strong westerly wind, and boom along towards
Valparaiso at their best speed. With us it was from
eleven to twelve knots, which was fast for those days ;
but it must be remembered that the Frigate United
States was the greyhound of the Navy at that time,
and sustained her reputation for many years. The
Squadron remained in and about Valparaiso long enough
to give the men "liberty," as leave to go on shore was
then called. Jack had not much indulgence of this kind
at the time about which I write, for he was always a
drunkard then, and during the time of the liberty-giving
the ship was necessarily in a state of more or less dis
organization. It is all changed now, and Jack can
go on shore, and behave decently, and come back with
his clothes on, which was not the case in those days, for
he almost always sold his jacket before he returned to
the ship. He was very much given to overstaying his
leave, and we youngsters would be sent on shore with
our swords buckled to our sides to bring him on board.
If he was disposed to be amiable, he would come with
48
PREPARING FOR WAR WITH MEXICO
us; if not, he would resist. It was a curious sight to see
a boy of sixteen managing, and often with great skill, a
six-feet sailor large enough to eat him up. We remained
but a short time at Valparaiso, and then got under way
for Coquimbo, when liberty was given to those of the
crew who did not get on shore at the former place. We
had a good deal of trouble in getting them back, for
they strayed off to Serena, an inland town, and it was
necessary to send our police force after them before they
would return. We sailed from Coquimbo for Callao, and
arrived there in the usual time, which, as the southeast
trade-winds blow continually, is about a week.
Soon after our arrival the Commodore issued orders
for the Squadron again to prepare for sea for a cruise to
the northward. About this time the relations between
the United States and Mexico were very much strained.
Commodore Jones had seen in some newspaper a corre
spondence between those high in authority in both coun
tries, of such a character that he felt sure that war must
inevitably follow. His mind was soon made up. The
first blow to be struck on this coast must be the seizure
of California ; and to that end he bent all his energies
for the next two months. The flag-ship, as well as I can
remember, took the Cyane and Dale in company, and
we all sailed away together for far-off California, which
it took us many days to reach. We were constantly ex
ercising, on our way up, and getting ourselves in the
best possible trim for war. I remember that some of the
Midshipmen gave so keen an edge to their cutlasses that
one could almost shave with them. We never knew the
object of the expedition upon which we were -bound
until we reached the coast of California. One morn
ing, with a fresh top-gallant breeze, the Frigate United
States and the Sloop Cyane swooped down upon two Mex-
D 49
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
lean merchantmen, that were bound to sea from Mon
terey, and we knew that some kind of a war had be
gun. We stood into the Bay of Monterey under Eng
lish colors, turned the merchant vessels back, and they
were for the time prizes to our ships.
And now the war began in earnest. We came to an
chor in the harbor, a mimic army was at once organized,
and we proceeded immediately to take possession of the
place. The army was marched on shore, advanced up
the hill to the Fort, and, finding it abandoned, we hauled
down the Mexican flag which was left there flying when
the garrison evacuated, and hoisted the Stars and Stripes
in its place. I was one of the army of occupation, and
the prospect of a little soldiering in a foreign land was a
most pleasing anticipation ; but, alas, after we had been
there one night, and had had the excitement of the long
roll, as a strange dog came within our lines, we were or
dered on the day following the occupation to fold our
tents, lash up our hammocks, and then to proceed down
the same hill which, twenty-four hours before, we had
marched up so gayly, with colors flying and drums beat
ing, in all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war.
It seems that the Commodore went on shore, after hav
ing disembarked his army, and had a consultation with
the American Consul and the select-men of the town.
Another newspaper was produced, so different in tone
from that which had caused the war, that peace was im
mediately proclaimed, and the army of occupation or
dered back to the ships. It was a bold dash on the part
of Jones, but hardly a wise one. Of course the Govern
ment of the United States was obliged to give satisfac
tion to that of Mexico, so the Commodore was recalled
and relieved from his command. The citizens of Mon
terey were of course very much alarmed at this raid
50
CAPTAIN COOPER
upon their town, and most of them fled to the country.
It was not without a good deal of persuasion that they
consented to return, especially the women, who were
dreadfully frightened at this unexpected descent upon
their quiet and unoffending homes. I think they were
very much influenced to look more favorably upon us by
Captain Cooper, who married a Californian woman. He
had become domesticated here years before, and had
been Captain of a whaler, or an American craft of some
kind, before he finally settled down in California.
CHAPTER V
Winter in Monterey Father Junipero At the Sandwich Islands
Trip to Mauna Loa Lively Times in Honolulu.
THE Commodore now determined to remain in Mon
terey for the winter. It was the winter of 1842-1843.
The people became very friendly, and many a dance
and jolly time did we have at their houses. Indeed, it
was a grand thing for us Midshipmen, this sojourn at
Monterey, for the girls taught us how to dance, and
nearly all took advantage of our opportunities. My
especial instructress was Anita Cooper, the daughter of
the Captain to whom I have referred above. We never
could get the girls to go on board ship ; the custom of
the country would not permit them to go without their
mothers or duennas, who were, I presume, afraid of sea
sickness, for there was almost always more or less mo
tion in Monterey Bay. The old people were always
glad to have us at their houses, and there was a public
room where we would often meet quite informally and
have a dance. The favorite dance was the contradanza,
made up of a great many figures, more than I have ever
seen anywhere else. The country -dance, as it is some
times called, is not uncommon in other parts of the world,
but I have never seen it danced with so much grace as it
was by these simple children of California. There were
other Spanish dances which I had never seen or heard
of before. Any one who happened to be in California
in those days, and who went at all into the primitive
52
BUYING HIDES FROM CALIFORNIANS
society of the country, will remember with how much
grace and ease they would dance the Jota and the Ja-
rabe dances, which were peculiar to California.
The trade in hides, so graphically described by Dana
in his Two Years Before the Mast, came to a close a
short time before the period of which I am now writ
ing. It will be .remembered by those who have read
that most interesting work that the Boston ships that
came to that coast in search of hides and tallow were
fitted as stores, with regular counters like a dry-goods
store on shore, where anything could be purchased from
a cart-wheel to a penny whistle. While the crews of the
ships would be on shore curing their hides and prepar
ing them for shipment to the United States, the Su
percargo and his aids would be selling goods over the
counter on board ship to such customers as would care to
purchase them ; and there were many to whom it was a
great accommodation, for these ships contained amongst
other things the wearing apparel of ladies, such as it
was difficult to find in that far-distant land, and they
would often be thronged with these fair Californian
dames, who were getting what they wished in ex
change for the hides which their husbands and fathers
had sold to the Boston Yankees. There were no
butchers in Monterey, so every day one of us Mid
shipmen accompanied the ships butchers to the sham
bles, to which point a couple of bullocks were brought,
and there we would pass the afternoon. The purpose
of our presence was to see that the butchers behaved
themselves properly, and did not stray away or get
drunk while at their work. We all thought it a sort
of lark, and a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.
If, by any chance, our charge happened to drink too
much, as they sometimes did, in spite of all our vig-
53
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ilance, it was all the worse for us on our return on
board.
The winter was passing away, and the salt provisions
of the Squadron were getting short. As long as we
could remain at Monterey, there was an abundance of
fresh beef, but the time was coming for a renewal of
our cruising, and it was necessary to look to the future.
There were plenty of salt provisions at Honolulu, so the
Commodore shifted his flag to the Cyane, and sent the
Frigate to that point, to fill up with all she could store
and return to Monterey. In less than thirty days we
were back again, much to the astonishment of every
one. It was thought it would take us nearly sixty
days, and when we were seen standing in the bay it
was thought something had happened to us, and that
we were returning without having accomplished the pur
pose for which we were sent. It was the quickest trip
on record at the time, and I do not believe that any
sailing-ship has ever made better time since.
Upon the site of the old fort which we had recently
so ingloriously captured stands, at the present time, a
statue of Father Junipero, modelled out of a solid block
of granite. The figure of the Reverend Father stands
on the bow of his boat with its arm outstretched, grasp
ing in its hand a Cross, emblematic of his mission to
that distant part of the world.
In 1769, Father Miguel Jose Serra Junipero was ap
pointed Superior of a band of Franciscan Priests, who
were sent to California to take charge of the Missions
in that country. After encountering many obstacles,
he reached San Diego on the 16th of July, 1769, where
he founded his first Mission. He afterwards went to
Monterey and founded the Mission of St. Carlos, on the
3d of June, 1770. He then travelled over all California,
54
CALIFORNIA PACIFIED
founding Missions and making many converts to Chris
tianity. Finally he returned to Monterey on the 1st of
January, 1783, and from that time his health rapidly
declined.
The monument to which I have referred was erected
by the bounty of Mrs. Stanford, of California, as a fit
ting tribute to one who, one hundred years before, had
been such a conspicuous figure in the country which af
terwards became her home.
Our work in California was now accomplished. The
people seemed to have forgotten that we came there
with hostile intent, and nothing could exceed the friend
ly feeling that existed between us and the Californians.
We remained long enough to bring about this state of
things, and now it was time to go. It is very difficult
for me, after the long interval of time, to remember the
disposition of the Fleet after we left the coast of Cali
fornia, and I am a little at a loss to remember exactly
where we went, immediately, in the Flag-ship; but my
impression is that we touched at Mazatlan, en route to Cal-
lao, where we arrived after a passage of fifty or sixty days.
As I was in the Pacific on this my first cruise about
five years, and served in three different vessels, I am a
good deal confused about places and dates. To some of
the ports I went so often that I am sometimes mixed
in my mind as to whether events which come up before
me occurred when I was attached to one ship or anoth
er ; and as I write from memory, and am trying to re
late incidents which occurred more than fifty years ago,
I must be pardoned if the narrative seems from time to
time confusing to the reader, as Tvell as to me.
Upon arrival at Callao from our northern expedition,
we immediately made preparations for a cruise amongst
the South Sea Islands. We first went to Honolulu ; I
55
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
do not remember if it was before we started or after
the cruise to the Islands had begun that information
reached us that Commodore Dallas was ordered out to
relieve Commodore Jones. At all events, we were to
be absent from the coast for some time, and it would be
no easy matter for the new Commodore to catch us;
indeed, it did look very much as if we were running
away from him. I remember one day, as we were roll
ing along with a fine breeze after us, we carried away
the maintop - gallant - mast, when the broad pennant
came down by the run, and Lieutenant Avery remarked
that it had been kept up ~by the run for some time. We
reached the Sandwich Islands, after a passage of about
forty days. We first went to Byron s Bay, where the
town of Hilo is situated, and came to anchor quite close
inshore. Everything was very green and beautiful, and
towering over our heads was the great volcano of Mauna
Loa. Close to the town was a charming waterfall, and
a fresh-water stream, which was the favorite bathing-
place of the Kanaka girls, who were like ducks in the
water, and would jump from fearful heights into the
boiling, tumbling waters beneath the falls. We found,
after our arrival, that Lord George Paulet, Command
ing H.M.S. Carysfort, was at the Islands. It seems
he had some difficulty with the authorities, and, like
our Jones in California, took temporary possession of
the country. He removed all the taboos, which pro
duced a good deal of demoralization amongst the na
tives, and undid for the time much of the good work
that the missionaries had done. He soon discovered,
however, that he had made a mistake, and restored the
Islands to their proper owners. At the head of the
missions at Hilo was the Eeverend Mr. Coan. He
seemed to be an excellent man, and no doubt had the
56
VISIT TO MAUNA LOA
interest of the natives entirely at heart. Mr. Coan was
of great assistance to us in fitting out our expedition to
visit the great volcano. He came on board one Sunday
and took the place of the Chaplain, and, although more
than fifty years have elapsed since, I remember the
text to this day ; it was, " The Law of the Lord is per
fect."
Permission was granted to as many of us as could be
spared to join the party that was making up for a visit
to the Volcano of Mauna Loa, one of the greatest natu
ral curiosities in the world. So much has been written
about it and its various eruptions by Mr. Coan himself
that I feel that I could add very little to what has al
ready been said. Our expedition consisted of about
thirty people and about the same number of horses.
Most of the white people had horses, although some
preferred to walk, while the Kanakas, one of whom was
told off to each of us, were all on foot. They carried
immense calabashes in which were stored a change of
linen for us, and such other articles as^we were obliged
to take along. We made a gay-looking caravan as we
emerged from the little village of Hilo. After proceed
ing some hours we came to a halt for rest at a mission-
school, where we refreshed ourselves, and then contin
ued our journey to the edge of the great crater, where
we arrived about nightfall. "We had only time to get
a view of the magnificent scenery that was spread out
before us, and see the lurid light away down in the
crater, before darkness set in, when we made our dis
positions for the night. As the darkness increased, the
great seething, boiling, heaving mass of molten lava, as
it rushed about the great lake of fire, grew brighter and
brighter until the whole heavens were illuminated with
a brilliant red light, that, combined with what I have
57
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
just mentioned, produced a scene exceedingly beautiful.
"We gazed upon it until the fatigue we had undergone
admonished us that we had better turn into such beds
as we could improvise. They were rough enough, but
we were young, and could put up with almost anything.
We made an early start, and did all the exploring
that was possible in the one day that we had allowed
ourselves to be in the crater. We could not approach
very close to the molten lake, but there were little
streams flowing into it to which we could get close
enough to insert our walking-staifs and bring out pieces
of lava which would harden on the end of the sticks.
It was a grand and rare sight to see this lake of liquid
fire, its waves rushing from side to side with no regular
motion, but meeting each other and producing a jet of
lava which would rush many feet into the air with an
indescribable bang and roar. After we had made our
selves tired and weary with seeing and exploring, we
were glad enough to return to our camp on the edge
of the great crater and enjoy our supper, after which
we turned in for the night. The next morning we
started back for Hilo, thoroughly satisfied with our
most interesting and instructive expedition. We re
mained after our trip but a short time in Byron s Bay.
We got under way from there early in the morning of
the day upon which we sailed, and with a fresh trade-
wind rushed through the Islands, passing Lanai about
mid -day, and, as we were making about twelve knots
an hour, we reached Oahu and anchored off Honolulu
before dark.
The Constellation, with Commodore Kearny, was at
the Islands with us. She was the Flag-ship of the East
India Station, as it was then called, on her way home
by way of Cape Horn, having gone out by way of Good
58
A LARGE BALL AT HONOLULU
Hope, thus making the voyage around the world. The
United States and Constellation drew too much water to
enter the inner harbor, and the anchorage outside of
the reef was a rough place to lie. To get from there
to the shore was a long and weary pull. The Cyane
was lying inside, so altogether it seemed like a large
force for our little Navy in that far-distant land. The
presence of so many officers made it gay for Honolulu,
and the town was painted red many times while we were
there together. The Constellation made quite a stay in
port after her long passage across, and her officers had
received a good deal of hospitality. They gave a large
and handsome ball in appreciation of the kindnesses
they had received, to which all Honolulu was invited.
It was a most exciting event for us youngsters, who had
been so much at sea that a large ball was a great nov
elty, and those of us who went enjoyed it immensely.
There were but few young girls in Honolulu at that
time I mean few besides the natives, who could hardly
be said to be society girls at that period in the history
of Hawaii ; but there were there a number of interest
ing married women, who were representatives of all
nations, and, as I remember, they made an excellent ap
pearance. At all events, it made that impression upon
my youthful mind, and I have no doubt that the ball
was a very handsome affair. I remember a nice-looking
girl to whom my attention was called by Temple, who
recently died as a Rear- Admiral. He informed me that
she was the only spinster in the room. I looked at her
with wonder and admiration, but I doubt whether I
knew in those days what a spinster was. Any one who
was in Honolulu during the year of 1843 will remem
ber the charming little hotel in existence at that time,
the proprietors of which were jolly Fred Thompson and
59
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Mr. Carter, both well-known names in Honolulu in those
days. The whole community was indebted to them for
the only public-house that existed at that time.
Honolulu always was, and always will be, one of the
most attractive places in the world. The climate is de
licious. Life is made easy, or was in those days, by
the facilities which rendered house-keeping a pleasure
and an agreeable pastime. It was a dolce far niente
kind of a life which every one led ; servants were
abundant ; houses were never closed when the occu
pants happened to go out, and nothing was ever missed
on their return ; so life passed easily along. The na
tives seemed happy, the foreigners wore an air of con
tent, which indicated that they were satisfied with life
and what Honolulu gave them, and altogether there
was a charm about existence there at that time more
easilv to be imagined than described.
CHAPTER VI
The Marquesas and Tahiti Salute Stories Herman Melville
Flogging in the Navy Change of Commodores A Coast Cruise
Idle in Callao A New Mess Opera in South America Com
modore Sloat The Levant s Company.
IT was not without feelings of regret that we left
this charming spot and got under way for the Island
of Nukuhiva, of the Marquesas group. The sailing was
beautiful, as the trade-winds drove us along from eight
to twelve knots an hour, and, after the usual passage,
we anchored in the lovely Bay of Nukuhiva. This Bay
makes one of the most beautiful harbors I have ever
seen. Completely landlocked, it would be difficult to
discover the entrance were it not for a very pronounced
landmark near it. The mark is a vertical streak of some
discolored matter, which is easily made out, and by sail
ing directly for it the entrance comes full in view. The
natives of the Marquesas group were far behind those
of the Sandwich Islands. I believe, even up to the time
I write, the Missionaries have made no impression upon
them. I am not sure but some of these had beeD eaten,
for the Marquesans were cannibals of the worst kind,
and no one who desired to escape roasting ever vent
ured away from the coast, where, if this horrible cus
tom existed at all, it was in a very modified form. No
traces of it ever came under our observation, but grue
some stories were told of what constantly took place in
the interior.
61
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
We did not remain long at these Islands, where there
was nothing to do but look at a lot of half-naked sav
ages, but got under way and sailed for Tahiti, passing
by numerous islands, which formed a sort of Archipela
go of the South Seas. The islands are of coral forma
tion, many of them already complete and flourishing,
while others were just forming, and showed but a few
feet above the water. In a few days we reached Ta
hiti, where we took a pilot, which I mention only be
cause he insisted in calling Point Yenus Point " Wenus";
I can see him now on the poop, in the most emphatic
manner telling the Captain from time to time that he
must " weather Point Wenus before he could fetch the
anchorage." After working to windward for some time
we finally succeeded in accomplishing that necessary
feat, and anchored in Matavai Bay. This Bay was easier
of access for vessels of heavy draft than Papiete Bay,
although the latter was a better harbor, entirely pro
tected by the reef, which locked it in completely. We
remained a week or ten days at this charming Island,
which we all enjoyed very much. The luxuriant growth
of everything here, the variety of the flora, and the
rich coloring of all that the earth produces were most
pleasing to the eye. One never tired of what was call
ed the Broom Road, which was a green archway, re
sembling, more than anything else to which I can liken
it, a tunnel through the thickest of foliage. This road
was about a mile long, connecting the two villages of
Matavai and Papiete, and the archway was made up
of every conceivable tropical plant. Bits of sunlight
occasionally found their way through the foliage, but
this lovely promenade was always in the shade, and at
all times of the day one could be cool and comfortable
within its green walls. The natives are, I think, the
62
SALUTE STORIES
most comely of all the aborigines who inhabit the Pa
cific Islands. It was here that the mutineers of the
Bounty found the wives that they carried off with them
to Pitcairn s Island. At the time about which I am
writing the French had not yet assumed a protectorate
over the Society Islands, but they did soon afterwards.
There was a Queen who came on board, but I do not
remember whether it was Pomare, well known in the
history of the Islands, or some other Queen. Ladies
of that rank were not uncommon in those days in the
South Seas. At all events, she was a Queen to be
saluted, and we gave her five guns, which made her
very happy. She was very much tattooed, and I re
member she drew up her cotton skirt and exhibited her
leg, covered with India -ink. She was treated with
every consideration by the Commodore, and returned
to her Island feeling more like a Queen than ever.
Speaking of the salute reminds me of the following
story : It is the custom of men-of-war of all nations to
salute the flag of the country whose port they enter.
When there is any doubt about the salute being return
ed, an officer is sent to inform the authorities that a
salute will be fired, provided it is returned. One of our
ships on entering a Chinese port sent word to the Man
darin in command that the Captain would be happy to
salute him if he would return the salute. The reply of
the Mandarin was, that the idea was a very beautiful
one, but that he had no powder. There is another
salute story which I may as well repeat here. An old
classmate of mine was the Aid to a Captain of the
old days, and once accompanied him on a visit to a
Portuguese man-of-war. The Captain, when he got into
his boat, saw some preparations for saluting being made,
when he rushed up the ladder and called out, "JSTo salute !
63
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
no salute !" and when he had again taken his seat in
the boat he said to his Aid, "You have no idea, Mr.
, of the advantages of speaking the foreign lan
guages." The fact is, he knew no language but his
own.
We had now been cruising amongst the Islands of the
Pacific for some months, and were not sorry when the
time came to get under way for the coast. Savage and
half-civilized life become very irksome when the nov
elty is worn off ; after having been a long time in the
eastern part of the Mediterranean, I have felt a sense of
relief upon reaching a place where I could no longer
see a fez. At Tahiti we picked up some seamen who
were there on the Consul s hands. They were entered
on the books of the ship, and became a portion of the
crew. One of the number was Herman Melville, who
became famous afterwards as a writer and an admiralty
lawyer. He had gone to sea for his health, and found
himself stranded in the South Pacific. I do not remem
ber what the trouble was, but he and his comrades had
left the ship of which they were a portion of the crew.
Melville wrote a book, well known in its day, called
White Jacket, which had more influence in abolishing
corporal punishment in the Navy than anything else.
This book was placed on the desk of every member of
Congress, and was a most eloquent appeal to the hu
mane sentiment of the country. As an evidence of the
good it did, a law was passed soon after the book ap
peared abolishing flogging in the Navy absolutely, with
out substituting any other mode of punishment in its
stead; and this was exactly in accordance with Mel
ville s appeal. He said : " Abolish it at once, even if you
substitute nothing for it ; but abolish it."
I do not think that I remember Melville at all ; occa-
64
HERMAN MELVILLE
sionally will flash across my memory a maintop-man flit
ting about the starboard gangway with a white jacket
on, but there is not much reality in the picture which
it presents to my mind. In his book he speaks of a cer
tain seaman, Jack Chase, who was Captain of the main
top, of whom I have a very distinct recollection. He
was about as fine a specimen of a seaman as I have
ever seen in all my cruising. He was not only that,
but he was a man of intelligence and a born leader.
His top-mates adored him, although he kept them up to
the mark, and made every man do his share of work.
Melville has given him considerable space in his book,
and seems to have had intense admiration for him. He
mentions also a number of officers whom it is not diffi
cult to recognize. The Commanding Officer, who had a
very red face, he called Captain Claret ; a small but very
energetic Midshipman, who made himself felt and heard
about the decks, he called Mr. Pert ; the Gunner was
" Old Combustibles." He gives no names, but to any
one who served in the Frigate United States it was easy
to recognize the men by their sobriquets. Melville cer
tainly did a grand work in bringing his ability as a
writer and his experience as a seaman to bear upon this
important matter I mean corporal punishment which
had been the subject of so much discussion in and out of
Congress. He was an eye-witness of the system, and
able to judge of it from personal observation ; he knew
how much it might be abused by an unfeeling and ty
rannical Captain. I saw enough of it myself to be sick
ened with its use and abuse. I saw a man once flogged
around the Fleet, which means that he was taken from
ship to ship, and at each one received a portion of the
one hundred or more lashes which he had been con
demned to receive. Not that he might not have de-
E 65
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
served very severe punishment, but there was something
very painful in having to be an unwilling witness to this
kind of torture.
Herman Melville was so deeply impressed by the in
justice that this system worked, and felt so strongly
upon the subject, that he says, referring to some matter
in which he himself was the person in question and when
this punishment might have been resorted to, that he
had made up his mind, when the worst came to the worst
and there was no escape, to seize the Captain by the
waist and jump overboard with him locked in his arms.
I will dismiss this unpleasant subject by mentioning a
case of peculiar hardship which came more immediately
under my observation on board a ship on which I once
served, because the person in question seemed to have a
special liking for me. He was a man of some education,
and had drifted into the service and away from his home
for some cause which, if I ever knew, I have forgotten
now. I think he was employed as a writer on board the
ship in which I was serving at the time, and made him
self useful in that way. He used often to talk to me
and tell me of his troubles, and I would listen. He had
a sort of literary tendency, and kept a journal in which
he jotted down from time to time events of one kind
and another that had occurred on board. Somehow it
came to the ears of the authorities, the journal was ex
amined, and something was discovered for which it was
thought he deserved to be flogged. I always thought it
a peculiarly hard case, for it seemed to me this man had
as much right to make such notes as he pleased in a pri
vate journal as he had to do anything else in the world.
The poor fellow, whose name I will not mention, dis
played his literary fancies in doggerel rhymes and acros
tics. He once wrote an acrostic to me, some of the lines
A PARTLY REMEMBERED ACROSTIC
of which I remember, and which I will produce here to
show of what curious material the crew of a man-of-war
was, at that time, composed. It ran thus :
" Since thou hast chosen for thy lot
A home upon the heaving main,
May sorrows be by thee forgot,
Unfelt a tyrant s chain.
Each day may conscious virtue bring
Light-hearted joy to cheer thy way,
Refreshing like the flowers of spring
Fierce winter s cheerless ray."
The remainder has passed entirely out of my mind, ex
cept the last three lines, and they ran as follows :
11 Like him, the sage whose name you own,
In journeying down thy pathway, lone,
Ne er heed the shafts of malice thrown."
I lost sight of this poor fellow when I was transferred
to another ship, but he was humiliated and heart-broken,
and I do not think he ever felt the same after the trouble
came upon him which I have just mentioned.
We had an uneventful passage from Tahiti to Val
paraiso, as we bowled along with the fresh southwest
winds. Before we reached our port we sighted the Isl
ands of Mas-d-Fuera and Mas-d-Tierra, a few hundred
miles off the coast of Chili, nearly due west from Val
paraiso. It was one of these Islands upon which Defoe
laid the scene of the story of Robinson Crusoe. In pass
ing them, one cannot help thinking of the desolate life
of Alexander Selkirk, and the dreary years he passed
here in solitude, and everything connected with that sad
but interesting history. He was left here by the Captain
of the ship on which he was serving, in consequence of
a quarrel he had with him, and was rescued some years
67
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
afterwards by Captain Woodes Rodgers, who command
ed a British privateer. Dampier, who was with Rodgers,
had known Selkirk in former years, and pronounced him
an excellent man. He was afterwards given the com
mand of Rodgers s Hospital Ship, and did good ser
vice in his little Fleet. Afterwards he went to England,
where he was made much of, and a monument was
erected at Juan Fernandez to his memory, either by the
British Government or by the officers of some man-of-
war that had been long stationed in those waters.
As I have no journals or notes of any kind to which
I might refer for dates, I can only say that about the
time of which I am now writing we had reached the
middle of the third year from the time when the ship
was put in commission, which would make it 1843.
Upon our arrival at Valparaiso, the first news that
reached us was that Commodore Dallas had arrived on
the Station to relieve Jones. The Constellation hap
pening to be in Valparaiso when we were there, Jones
quietly stepped on board of her and sailed away, round
Cape Horn, for home, leaving Dallas to pick up the
Squadron as best he could, thus avoiding the unpleasant
ness of the ceremony of a regular relief, which under
the circumstances would have been very embarrassing,
as Dallas no doubt felt that Jones had gone off on his
Island cruise in order that he might retain his command
for a longer period. It was thought that a meeting at
that time might have led to serious consequences, and
that a duel might have been the result ; so it was better
as it was. Poor Dallas died soon after, and Jones lived
to command the Pacific Squadron for the second time.
After the departure of Jones, the Frigate United
States sailed for Callao, now ceasing to be a Flag -ship.
Upon our arrival we found the Frigate Savannah, which
DEATH OF DALLAS
had been sent out to be the Flag-ship of the new Com
modore. We were not permitted to remain long in the
harbor, for Dallas sent us on a long cruise to the coast
of Mexico. The object of the cruise was, I think, to see
if we could pick up what was then called freight, which
meant the conveying of silver from Mazatlan to some
point where it could be shipped to England. We made
the trip, and returned to Callao. Nothing could have
been more uninteresting than this long and tedious voy
age, which occupied more than a hundred days. As we
were standing in for anchorage and began to make out
things in the harbor, we discovered a long line of boats
in procession pulling in for shore. Then we saw the
Pennant of the Flag-ship at half-mast, and then heard
the booming of minute-guns. Poor Dallas was being
conveyed to his last resting-place. He had not enjoyed
his command long, having been upon the Station only
about four months. He was a popular officer, and had
many warm friends that sincerely mourned his loss.
The command of the Squadron now devolved upon Cap
tain Armstrong. He immediately transferred the com
mand of the United States to Captain Stribling, and
took command of the Savannah himself, and also of the
Squadron, as Senior Officer on the Station. The Frigate
United States was ordered to prepare for the homeward-
bound cruise. The Store-ship Relief was lying at Callao
in want of watch-officers. As an inducement to me and
others to volunteer to remain out, it was held out to us
that we should have regular charge of a watch, and that
ail the duties and responsibilities of a watch-officer would
devolve upon us. Wilcox and I were very warm friends,
and we agreed to remain.
The Relief was commanded by Lieutenant H. K.
Hoff, and was a fixture in the harbor of Callao. What
69
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
I did during the idle months which I passed in her there
it is now difficult for me to conceive. We had a pleas
ant mess, consisting of Hammersley, a Passed Midship
man, who was Acting Lieutenant, Wilcox, John K. "Wil
son, and myself, Midshipmen. Purser Storer and his
clerk were also in the mess, although the former had a
room in the cabin. The Purser, Mr. Storer, passed most
of his time in Lima, so I saw but little of him. After
several months of this lounging, idle life, the Relief was
ordered to Valparaiso for some purpose, either to show
the flag or to get stores. We sailed accordingly, and
after a rather long passage came to anchor off the city.
We had now reached the year 1844, more than two years
after I first visited Valparaiso, during which time it had
advanced considerably in population and importance.
A new and exceedingly fine opera-house had been con
structed ; the best kind of Italian opera was given by
first-class artistes, and the opera-house and all connected
therewith was the absorbing topic. All the world went,
and the two prime donne were the heroines of the day.
So great was the impression they made upon my youth
ful mind that although I have seen and heard many
singers since, whose names at the time were very famil
iar to me, yet they have many of them passed entirely
from my mind, while the names of Tadolini and Rossini
are still fresh in my memory. One was a contralto, the
other a soprano. I had no personal acquaintance with
them, but I looked upon them with that sort of admira
tion with which I might look upon a Queen now. The
operas that they most frequently figured in were "I
Puritani" and "Lucia"; and when I could hear them
in these I used to think my happiness was complete.
Up to the time about which I write there had been
no hotels in Valparaiso worthy of the name. Two young
MR. OLIVER O DONNELL
Americans, Thibault and Pollard, and an Englishman
of the name of Townsend, supplied the deficiency by
establishing one, which I presume might be called a first-
class house. It was certainly excellent for that day, but I
heard afterwards that they went into it too extravagant
ly, and soon came to grief. In those days we saw many
more merchant vessels flying the American flag than
we do now ; then our sails whitened every sea ; now it
is a rare thing to see one. There were several at Val
paraiso at the time the Relief was there ; one that I
recall distinctly, the Seaman, of Baltimore. Her Cap
tain was Captain My rick, who had his wife on board ;
and we of the Relief visited them frequently. There
was also on board, either as a passenger or Supercargo,
Mr. Oliver O Donnell, of Baltimore, with whom I was
very intimate. He was a handsome, charming young
fellow in those days, and we all became very fond of
him. He afterwards married the sister of Governor
Carroll, of Maryland. The Governor is now one of my
most intimate friends, of whom I see a great deal in the
winter at Washington. I often see also the daughter
of my old friend O Donnell, who is a charming girl. I
mention these things because they are associated in my
mind with those of far-off days in Valparaiso, when we
Americans used to spend our evenings together, gener
ally at the opera. One of our party, whose image comes
back to me now as I write, was a delightful young fel
low from Virginia, son of our Minister to Chili, Mr.
Crump, who was a highly creditable representative of
our country, and one of whom all Americans could be
proud.
We were soon obliged to tear ourselves away from
these pleasant scenes and make our way back, to resume
the dulness and monotony of life at Callao, where we
71
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
anchored after the usual eight or ten days passage.
Our ships made it in that time, running as they did be
fore a fair trade-wind. We resumed our idle life, which,
happily, was not destined to be of long continuance.
Commodore Sloat soon afterwards arrived, and assumed
command of the Squadron ; and the Levant happening
in about that time, I was, at my own request, ordered
to join her. On board of the Levant were two of my
most intimate friends, Midshipmen Welsh and Wells. I
was made very happy by this change, not only on that
account, but because I longed for more active service,
and she was a cruiser that was always on the go.
We were not long idle, but were sent off at once to
Panama, as much for the mails as anything else ; for
the facilities for getting letters in those days were very
poor. I was once without them, during my cruise, for
a period of eighteen months. We would miss them at
one place and then another, and they were forwarded
along, so they would follow us all around the Pacific.
We made an extraordinarily long passage, having en
countered a succession of calms that persecuted us for
many days. We had all this calm weather in the Bay
of Panama, which can probably beat the world for
the stillness of its surroundings; I never have known
any re-ion where calm continues so great a length of
time. The officers of the Levant were Commander H. N.
Page, Lieutemv ^ Handy (commonly known as Bob), Joe
Adams, Alexander Murray, Louis McLane, and Dorsey
Read. The Surgeon was Gilchrist, and the Purser Rit-
tenhouse. My impression is that Louis McLane and I
are the only survivors. Welsh died young. Wells lived
to be a Rear- Admiral, as also did Murray. They both
died only a few years ago. They were fine fellows,
and it is pleasant to be able to look back upon my ser-
LOUIS McLANE
vice with men so agreeable as were my shipmates of
the Levant. Louis McLane left the Navy soon after
the Mexican War. He was successful in business in
California, and made a large fortune ; he stands, very
high both socially and in the business community of
Baltimore, where he now resides. I have known him
off and on for more than fifty years, and have never
known in all respects a higher type of man. He was a
great loss to the Navy, as< he would have been to any
calling in which he might have been engaged. He was
the leading man in the Levant, and would be such in any
position in which he might be placed. McLane belongs
to a distinguished American family. His father was
Secretary of the Treasury and Minister to England.
His brother Robert has been our Minister to France,
and has filled other distinguished positions. The strain
which produces such men is largely developed in Louis.
-rn*.
CHAPTER VII
In Panama A Nicaraguan Journey In the City of Leon Begin
nings of the War with Mexico Fremont and Kit Carson An
other Capture of Monterey Brazilian Midshipmen Stay at Rio
Home Again.
WE did not remain long at Panama. I went on shore
several times, and found it interesting, inasmuch as it
differed entirely from the other South American cities
with which I was familiar. The houses seemed to me to
be three or four stories high, and there was an appearance
of antiquity about them that was very alluring. Every
thing else I had seen in the Southern Continent seemed
new and fresh. The passage back to Callao was long
and tedious. It had to be made against a light head
wind with an adverse current. I can conceive noth
ing in all sea -going life more dull than beating up
the coast of Peru for Callao. Some days we would
make nothing to windward ; some days we would lose,
and be worse off than we were the day before ; and
then again, by keeping in-shore, we would get a slant
and make a good leg along. We finally arrived at
Callao, and rejoined our Squadron.
Commodore Sloat soon dispersed the ships, and scat
tered them through the North Pacific. My friends
Welsh and Wells were to be examined for their promo
tion, and as we were now in the year 1845, and their
examination took place in 1846, they left us, and went
home for instruction at the Naval Academy, which was
74
EXPEDITION INTO NICARAGUA
soon to be established at Annapolis. I had now only
one messmate, Midshipman Gordon; he and I shared
the port steerage together, so that we had the greatest
abundance of room. We were excellent friends, but
one day we had a quarrel, and did not speak for some
time; but a visiting Midshipman came on board who
was a friend to both of us, and, soon seeing the situa
tion, said: "What is the matter? The whole mess
seems to be in a row." And so, in this playful way,
the matter was made up. We remained intimate friends
ever afterwards. My cruising, henceforth, until the re
turn of the Levant to the United States, was in the
North Pacific. We went to the Sandwich Islands,
which made my third visit to that interesting group ;
we cruised along the coast of Central America, and re
mained for a while at Eealejo, where there was then a
snug little anchorage, in the mouth of the river, which
now is, I think, the site of the present Corinto.
From this point a party was made up for an expedi
tion towards the interior of Nicaragua. It had no ob
ject but that of seeing the country and enjoying a little
relaxation from the monotony of life on board ship. It
is, I find, very difficult after this long interval to remem
ber who composed the party besides myself, but I do re
member one charming fellow who was with us ; he was
known in those days as little Dorsey Eead. He was
our Sailing-Master bright, high-spirited the life of
the party. Purser Blttenhouse also accompanied us.
Any one who ever knew him remembers this kindly,
genial gentleman. I shall never forget the beautiful,
bright morning that we started from the ship ; it was
not yet daylight ; the stars shone brightly as we pulled
along the banks of the beautiful stream towards the
point where we were to take our horses for the trip.
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
The weather was warm at Kealejo, but I shall always
remember the freshness of the morning air as we sped
along to our destination, where our guide with the
horses saddled them, and every preparation was made
for a start. We soon found ourselves passing through
a beautiful country, with the finest forest trees I have
ever seen. I did not then know what they were, but,
as the mahogany-tree grows to a great size, I presume
that many of them were of this beautiful wood. As
we proceeded, the weather became hot, so that we were
obliged to discontinue our journey and lie by during
the heat of the day. We always found some hospita
ble hut, where the family and the chickens seemed all
to live together, and where we could always be provided
with a comfortable meal. In the evening we would re
sume our journey, and continue on late into the night.
We then stopped for a few hours to rest, stretched on
the hide beds of the country, for there were no such
things as mattresses. We were tired men, however,
and the sleep was most refreshing. Long before day
we would be off again, and continue until again arrested
by the heat. I often dropped off to sleep as we rode
along, and then would wake up surprised to find that I
had not fallen from my horse.
We continued in this way for two or three days,
through a beautiful country all the time, never tiring
of the lovely scenery by which we were surrounded.
We passed through many interesting little villages, the
inhabitants of which were a mixture of aborigines and
Spaniards ; for in Central- American countries the races
mingled more than they did with us, and, although
native characteristics were predominant, yet Spanish
was the language spoken throughout nearly all the
land. My impression is that the original language
76
JONAS DIBBLE
had entirely died out, for it must be remembered that
Spanish influence had been felt there for several cen
turies. We finally reached the city of Leon, which was
practically the end of our journey. There were no hotels
in the city, so we billeted ourselves upon an Englishman
named Jonas Dibble. He had married a wife of the
women of the country, who was very pretty, and did
the honors of his establishment very gracefully. lie had
been so long in the country, and was so unused to hear
ing English spoken, that he had almost forgotten his own
language, or rather, I should say, did so to that extent
that he would use English words that conveyed a mean
ing which he did not intend. I do not remember that he
was engaged in any particular occupation, but he seemed
happy enough, although he complained that the Kevolu-
tionists sacked and ransacked, to use his own expression,
from time to time, so that he felt very poor, and was full
of apologies for the plain manner in which he was obliged
to live. However, he was very kind and hospitable, and I
do not know what we should have done without the food
and shelter which he gave us during the two or three
days we were at Leon. The day after our arrival we
visited the lake of the same name. It was a fine sheet
of water, and when the Nicaragua Canal shall have been
in operation for a century its shores will no doubt be
studded with villas and its waters ploughed by steamers
and yachts and water-craft of every description.
We returned to the ship much in the same manner as
we came from it, and, although we had a charming trip,
we were, nevertheless, glad to get back to our ship s home
and the comforts which surrounded us there. It is al
ways found after a sojourn on shore that a ship has a
great many comforts which one not accustomed to ship-
life can hardly understand, especially when she is on a
77
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
foreign cruise and the ship is one s own home. I am
reminded, as I write, of a little incident, apropos of this
subject, told to me by my friend Lieutenant-Commander
Ames, long since dead. There was an old seaman who
was employed at Annapolis, in a better position than
he had probably ever occupied in his life. He had
saved some money, had built himself a house, and was
altogether comfortable. He went to Ames one day and
said : " Mr. Ames, I am getting a kind o tired of this
here kind of life, and I feels, sir, as how I d like to be
off again. To be sure," he went on to say, " they pays
me well, and treats me well, and I has a house, sir a
good house. Why, Mr. Ames, my house has all the
comforts of a ship into it, sir, but I ain t happy here
nohow, and I wants to be off." So Jack has an appre
ciation of the comforts of a ship as well as his master.
We sailed from Kealejo, and soon after found our
selves at Mazatlan, where the rest of the Fleet was as
sembled as a sort of Squadron of observation. The year
1846 had arrived, and the Mexican War was close upon
us. While we were at Mazatlan, Lieutenant Gillespie,
of the Marine Corps, arrived with despatches for Fre
mont and Mr. Larkin, our Consul at Monterey. He
traversed Mexico from Yera Cruz, having passed himself
off as a merchant. Strange to say, his real character
does not seem to have been suspected by the Mexicans,
so he came through unmolested. Commodore Sloat, in
order to avert suspicion, sent him to Monterey by way
of the Sandwich Islands. In January, 1846, Fremont,
who was upon one of his exploring expeditions, found
himself about one hundred miles east of Monterey in
the San Joachim Valley, when he required rest for his
horses. He went in person to Monterey to see General
Castro, who was in command there, in order to get per-
78
FREMONT IN MEXICO
mission to remain in the Valley during the winter. Cas
tro granted his request, but, as it was not approved by
the Mexican Government, he took opposite ground, and
tried to rouse the people to look upon Fremont and his
party as public enemies. The American settlers in the
Valley wished Fremont to assume the offensive, offering
to assist him, but as he knew nothing yet of a state of
war existing between the two countries, and not wish
ing to compromise his own, he declined. However, he
marched his small party, consisting of sixty backwoods
men, to within thirty miles of Monterey, when he took
up a position on the Sierra Nevada Mountains, raised
the American flag, and prepared for resistance.
Castro marched out towards Fremont s party, but did
not attack them. Finally Fremont, thinking there was
no immediate probability of war with Mexico, started
on his march for Oregon. He had not proceeded very
far when he was overtaken by Gillespie, who followed
him up through a hostile Indian country and delivered
his despatches. Fremont now lost no time in retracing
his steps, and in about a fortnight reached the Valley of
the Sacramento, near Sutter s Fort, a place of defence
which had been established by Captain Sutter, a Swiss,
who had been settled in the country for some time.
From that point Fremont sent Gillespie to San Fran
cisco for provisions. When he reached there, Captain
Montgomery, of the Portsmouth, sent Lieutenant Hunter
in charge of a launch to meet Fremont, which he did on
the American Fork. Hunter was accompanied on this
expedition by Purser Watmough, afterwards Paymaster-
General of the Navy, and Assistant Surgeon Duval, who
desired to visit Fremont s camp. A sort of warfare had
at this time begun between the Californians and the
American settlers. Some of our people had captured
79
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Sonoma, and brought in as a prisoner General Vallejo.
So the Revolution, as it was called, was inaugurated. I
do not think that the parties on either side yet knew
that war existed between Mexico and the United States ;
the settlers asserted that they were driven to revolution
in self-defence.
Some fighting took place, and a proclamation was is
sued by a settler, setting forth the causes of the war, and
declaring California independent of Mexico. A flag was
adopted, which was a grizzly-bear upon a white field. A
very interesting character at that time was Kit Carson,
Fremont s second in command ; indeed, his whole force
formed a most attractive group as they camped on the
green where they had established their bivouac for the
night. A party of us went out from Monterey to call
upon them. We were amply repaid for it, for they
talked with us pleasantly for a long time, and what
they had to say could not be otherwise than most inter
esting, for each one was unique in his own particular way.
They had come all the way from the borders of our
Eastern civilization, and this of itself surrounded them
with a sort of romantic interest, which I have never felt
to the same extent in any other group of men. Kit
Carson paved his way to a commission in the Arm y. I
never knew what became of the others.*
While all this was going on, war was actually in ex
istence, and Commodore Sloat had arrived in Monterey.
The conduct of the war in California is a matter of his
tory. I was one of the landing -party that took pos
session of Monterey, and expected to belong to Purser
Fauntleroy s troop, which was being formed as a sort of
* For that part of the narrative in which Fremont, Gillespie, Cas
tro, and Vallejo figure, I am indebted to General Wilcox s History of
the Mexican War. S. R. F.
80
COMMODORE BIDDLE S SARCASM
web-foot dragoon corps ; but McLane was going to be
one of that force, and Captain Page was not willing
further to deprive his ship of officers, so I was not per
mitted to go. The troop was actually formed, and did
good service, and not until Commodore Biddle took
command of the Squadron was it disbanded, and the
officers ordered back to their ships. I heard afterwards
that Biddle, upon his arrival to take command, sent for
the officers who composed this troop, and put the ques
tion to each one: "Well, sir, what are you Colonel
or Major or Captain ?" and when he would get the reply
he would say : " Well, Major, you proceed on board
your ship and report to your Captain as a Naval of
ficer." I believe Biddle was very much given to sar
casm, and what I have just stated is an illustration of
that peculiarity.
Soon after the occupation of the ports on the coast
of California, and while the war was progressing tow
ards a successful termination, the Levant was ordered
to return to the United States. About this time Sloat
was relieved by Stockton, and, later, Biddle appeared
on the coast in the Columbus and assumed command.
My recollection of the events which occurred between
the taking possession of Monterey and the time the
Levant sailed for home is very vague. The names of
some of the streets in San Francisco recall to my mind
some of the officers of the Squadron Avho figured at
that time ; as. for instance, Stockton Street, Powell
Street, Montgomery Square, etc. Some of these officers
figured in the efforts to establish civil government in
California at that time. They were Alcaldes of towns,
etc. Powell was the Surgeon of the Warren, Mont
gomery the Captain of the Portsmouth, and so it went ;
and thus it was that the impress of these names was
p 81
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
made upon the infant city of San Francisco, which
soon became the metropolis of the Pacific. I am
under the impression that we conveyed Commodore
Sloat to Panama, and that he returned to the United
States in that way. I remember that we went there,
and took with us Lieutenant Trapier of the Cyane,
who was going home to resign, to become an Epis
copal clergyman. Such a transformation was so rare,
that the fact of his being with us on our homeward-
bound trip fixed itself in my mind so firmly that I
remember him, while I do not positively remember the
presence of a more important person, the Commodore
himself.
We had a long passage to Valparaiso, where we
touched en route to the United States. While we were
there the Columbus, with Commodore Biddle, came in.
She was a splendid specimen of the line-of-battle ship
of that period. She had been a long time in commis
sion, and was commanded by Captain Wyman. Her
Executive Officer was Commander Selfridge, now liv
ing, upward of ninety years of age. There were no
finer officers, each in his particular way, than the three
I have just mentioned in our Navy, or, indeed, in any
other at that time. Biddle found orders for himself
here to proceed to California and assume command of
the Naval forces there, which he accordingly did, as I
have stated above.
I had by this time done so much cruising and had
so much experience at sea that I was entrusted with
a Lieutenant s watch, and became one of the regular
watch-officers of the ship. I do not remember what the
occasion was, but the Captain told me one day that he
had as much confidence in me as he had in any officer
on board. I felt, of course, very much complimented,
EDUCATING BRAZILIAN MIDSHIPMEN
and I felt also that I had not entirely wasted my time
during the five years of my cruising in the Pacific. A
number of my classmates, who were on board the Co
lumbus, were transferred to the Levant, in order that
they might go home and prepare for their examina
tions. Amongst them was a fine fellow Whiting. He
was a watch -officer on the way home as well as my
self. Whiting always stood well in the service, and
became Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. He finally
grew blind, and was obliged to retire as a Captain.
Congress, however, as a reward for good service, made
him a Commodore on the retired list. He died but late-
ty, in consequence of an accident. There was another
Midshipman of my class who came on board, a man
named Forrest. He was a peculiar fellow ; had some
thing the matter with his eyes, and when any one used
the pepper-box at the table he jumped up, as if he
were shot, and felt that he had met with a personal
affront, so much did he dread getting the pepper in his
eyes.
The Columbus had on board for instruction five or
six Brazilian Midshipmen who were transferred to the
Levant for passage to Kio. They did not seem to have
profited much by the cruise, as only one of them had
acquired English, and that in a very small way. They
had been taken on board at Eio by the Columbus, on
her way out, and had had the benefit of their cruise to
China and back to Valparaiso. As we were at war
with Mexico, it was embarrassing to have foreign offi
cers on board, so they were sent home with us. They
were young men of good Brazilian families. When we
were at Rio, on our way home, we received a good deal
of attention from their relations and friends. While
on board the Columbus, they of course messed with the
83
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Midshipmen, but, somehow or other, they did not get
on well, and, with two or three exceptions, managed to
make themselves very unpopular. When they came to
us they labored under the disadvantage of coming not
pleasantly recommended.
We had a comfortable passage around the Horn. As
it was the summer season, we had abundant daylight,
so we crept up close to the stormy Cape, and had stud
ding-sails set while in sight of it. This is something
that can rarely be said of Cape Horn, for one is much
more likely to be under short canvas all the time while
cruising in those seas. We reached Rio de Janeiro in
due course of time, and came to anchor in its beautiful
harbor. At the time of which I write, our Minister at
Rio was Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, who had been a
Member of Congress, and was well known. He had
been the second of Graves when he killed Cilley in the
celebrated duel which was fought a few years before.
Cilley had a son in my class, and it is said, with how
much truth I do not know, that the son was at Rio
while Mr. Wise was Minister, and that he was in charge
of a boat that conveyed Mr. Wise to the ship on board
of which Cilley was serving as a Midshipman. The
Minister s house was the headquarters of the officers,
who visited there very pleasantly. One of his daugh
ters was married afterwards to Dr. Garnett of the Navy,
who happened to be attached to a ship which I presume
was a good deal at Rio. There was another American
family there, that of the Naval Store-keeper Mr. Fergu
son. He belonged to what had been a very useful class
of officers in their time. They were Masters not in the
line of promotion, employed as Naval Store-keepers on
foreign stations, and, indeed, wherever they could be
found useful. Mr. Ferguson was a man of high char-
84
HOME AT LAST
acter, strictly attentive to his duties, and filled with
great ability the position which he occupied. I mention
him so particularly because I had such high respect for
him. His daughter, who was then Miss Kate Ferguson,
married Paymaster Watson. They had three children ;
one is now a Commander in the Navy, and the daugh
ters married, one Lieutenant Miller, and the other Pay
master Rand. Mr. Ferguson was very precise in his
manner of talking, and I shall never forget his descrip
tion of some empty barrels which had once contained
flour. I was a member of the survey upon what these
barrels once held. In Mr. Ferguson s description of the
articles he said, "These barrels once contained flour;
they have been perforated by rats, and the contents
thereof destroyed." It struck me at the time as being
such a precise and quaint way of putting it before us
that I have never forgotten it.
We soon finished our preparations for the homeward-
bound passage and sailed for Norfolk, having a delight
ful journey home through the trade- wind region. One
incident of the trip is worth recording ; it is this : It
was my morning watch. The weather was lovely, the
trade-winds blew fresh, and we were rattling along at
about eight knots an hour, when a flying-fish missed his
calculation, and, instead of passing over the ship in his
flight, landed at my feet. It was a beautiful sight for
one who had not tasted anything fresh for twenty days.
It can be well conceived that I lost no time in captur
ing him and sending him down to the cook to be pre
pared for breakfast. I need not say that I enjoyed the
meal. We were a very happy party when Cape Henry
was sighted. I had been absent from friends and home
for more than five years, and when I landed in Norfolk
I felt like a stranger in my own land. And now my
85
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
long cruise was ended, and my Midshipman days prac
tically over ; the next thing was my examination. What
I may term the first part of my career was closed when
the Levant went out of commission and the crew were
paid off.
CHAPTER VIII
At the Naval School Life at Annapolis Fifty Years Since After-
Fortunes of the Class "Reform Banquets" Coast- Survey Ser
vice Washington Society.
I WAS granted three months leave of absence, and
went to York, Pennsylvania, where I passed the sum
mer of 1847 with my mother, who resided there. A
portion of my class was at that time at the Naval
School at Annapolis, preparing for examination. They
had been there since October. Those of us who had
just returned to the United States would have lost the
advantage of half the time which was allotted to us
if we had gone immediately there upon our arrival in
the country. We were given the option of either going
to the school or waiting until the coming October.
Most of us, if not all, adopted the latter course. I re
mained at home until October, and then reported for in
struction at Annapolis.
The " date " of 1841 was so large that it was thought
best to divide it into three sections; the first section
was graduated in 1847, the second in 1848, and the
third in 1849. The Naval Academy was then in its in
fancy. Two classes only had been graduated there that
of 1840 and the first part of that of 1841. We former
ly spoke of a class as a " date "; this referred to the year
of our entry into the Navy. Since those days it has
been called " class," and the class of such and such a
year means the year in which it is graduated. The
87
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Superintendent of the Academy in 1847 was Captain
Upshur. He was a very worthy man, possessed of a
kindly nature, and exceedingly conscientious and zealous
in the performance of his duties, and in all respects a
most creditable Superintendent. Pie had an unruly set
of devils to manage, for we were no longer boys, most
of us being more than twenty-one years of age. We
often tried the old gentleman sorely by our youth
ful pranks of one kind and another, for, although there
was an effort at discipline, we were just at that age
when we were hard to control. I shall never forget
one occasion when there had been a row in town be
tween some roughs and some Midshipmen who were
out on a lark. Word was passed to those inside, and
nearly the whole class, armed with pokers and other
weapons which were near at hand, rushed out to the
scene of action. However, by the time we reached
there quiet had been restored, and nothing more seri
ous than a broken head or two resulted from the fray.
The next morning the Superintendent called us all up,
and delivered to us a lecture upon the impropriety of
our conduct. He began to lecture in such a precise and
peculiar manner that the first phrase was long remem
bered and quoted by those who desired to be funny at
the old gentleman s expense. It ran thus : "Raining
as it was, and sick as I was, I was aroused from my
bed," etc.
The professors of the Academy at that time were,
Chauvenet in Mathematics, Lockwood in Navigation
and Infantry tactics, and Giraud in French ; Dr. Lock-
wood lectured to us in Chemistry, and some one taught
us Ward s Gunnery. I went to the Academy with the
advantage of having been through a course of Mathe
matics extending through Analytical Geometry, and in
88
MY TEACHERS AT ANNAPOLIS
Navigation, and through Nautical Astronomy. I had
therefore a fair knowledge already of the subjects in
which I was to be instructed. I at once took a good
standing in the first section, and maintained it during
the time I was at the Academy. Professor Chauvenet,
our instructor in Mathematics, had the faculty of im
parting what he knew to others in a higher degree
than any man I have ever known, and he had also the
peculiar faculty of discerning whether a man at the
blackboard knew what he was talking about or not.
He became, in time, perhaps the first mathematician in
this or any other country. I have always retained for
him a most profound respect and esteem. His tran
scendent talents soon placed him beyond the compara
tively obscure position of a Professor of Mathematics
in the Navy, and he was transferred to a higher sphere
of usefulness in some Western institution of learning of
high standing, where I believe he remained until he died.
Professor Lockwood, who was associated with Chauve
net as an instructor in the early days of the Academy, is
still living. He is a graduate of West Point, and was
my shipmate in the Frigate United States. He taught
me about all I knew, up to the time I went to the
Naval School, and I have always felt under deep obli
gations to him for the pains and trouble he took to
instil into me the rudiments of Mathematics, which I
found afterwards so useful. He was associated with the
Academy, more or less, from the time it was established
until he was retired, with the exception of the time
when he was with the Army during the Civil War, in
which he served as a General officer of Volunteers.
Professors Chauvenet and Lockwood were very impor
tant factors in the building-up of the Naval Academy,
and were largely instrumental in starting it with the
89
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
high character it has ever since maintained. The Pro
fessor of French, Mr. Giraud, was an excellent instruc
tor, and during the nine months we were taught by him
we became sufficiently well grounded to enable us to
pursue the study of the language afterwards with great
advantage.
When the class as I shall henceforth call it, in defer
ence to the custom now in use assembled at Annapolis,
it was placed in four sections, arranged for conven
ience alphabetically. After a few days, when the Pro
fessors had learned enough about us to satisfy them as
to our qualifications, we were arranged in four sections
still, but now it was according to the knowledge we had
displayed. It was my good-fortune to be put in the first
section, not because I deserved to be there on account of
special merit, but because I had the advantage of a Pro
fessor on board ship, while many of those in the fourth
section had had no such good -fortune. Indeed, there
were amongst the men in that section, Midshipmen of as
much natural ability as those in the first, but they had
served in small vessels which had no Professors, and
so had not had the advantages that we had. The whole
system of Naval education in those days was rough and
crude, and did not seem altogether fair ; the wonder is that
we got on as well as we did. My room-mates were John
Yan Ness Philip, George E. Morgan, and William Mer
cer. The first two have been dead for many years.
Philip left the Navy, but entered it again when the
Civil War broke out. He died of yellow-fever as Execu
tive officer of the R. R. Cuyler. His Captain, known in
those days as Frank Winslow, died also. Strange to say,
they were the only two cases on board that proved fatal ;
the rest of the officers and crew escaped entirely. Mor
gan died before the War, on board some ship of which
90
SOME OLD SCHOOLMATES
he was the Navigating officer. Mercer resigned, and I
think is now living in some place on the Hudson Eiver.
We occupied room No. 1, in what was then called Apollo
Row. It should be known that the Academy is upon
the site of what was once Fort Severn, and the only
accommodations for the Midshipmen were the barracks
formerly occupied by the soldiers. These barracks were
situated in different parts of the enclosure, which in
those days was called " the Yard," borrowed, I pre
sume, from Navy -Yard. They were in disconnected
groups. Each group had its designation. Ours was
Apollo Eow; then there was Eowdy Row and Brandy-
wine Cottage and the Abbey. These names all had
some significance. Brandywine Cottage was so called
because it was occupied by Midshipmen who had recently
returned from a cruise in the Frigate Brandywine. The
Abbey was named by some elegant fellow who wished
to have a high - sounding title to his temporary home ;
and Rowdy Row was so called because it somehow hap
pened that the noisy and boisterous element always con
gregated there. I never knew why Apollo Row was so
called.
Most of the men who were with me at the school have
passed away. There were many fine fellows amongst
them, men who made their mark in the world, and be
came distinguished not only as Naval officers, but in the
walks of civil life as well. The names of men who come
vividly before my mind now are Pembroke Jones, Billy
Parker, Allan McLane, John Upshur, Nag Hunter, Gus
McLaughlin, and others who stood prominently in the
foreground. Jim Jouett was also there ; he was a gallant
fellow, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile
Bay, and captured with the Metacomet, under his com
mand, the Confederate gunboat Selma. And there was
91
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Eoe, who distinguished himself in a naval engagement in
Albemarie Sound, by gallantly dashing his wooden gun
boat, the Sassacus, into the ironclad Albemarie, in an at
tempt to sink her. Both of these latter became Rear-
Admirals, and both are still living. Of the men whom
I have mentioned, the one in whom I have taken the
most interest is Parker. He is still living, having occu
pied during his career many places of trust and respon
sibility. Parker went South when the Civil War broke
out, or he would have been a Eear- Admiral on the re
tired list. He is a charming fellow altogether, and full
of talent. I meet him now from time to time, and al
ways with a great deal of pleasure. Pembroke Jones
also served in the South during the War. I do not re
member whether he resigned before the beginning of
hostilities or not; he was one of the best men at the
school, and it was always a pleasure to hear him recite, he
was so clear and thorough. Chauvenet rarely asked him
a question, but when he finished would, in his quiet
way, say, " That is sufficient, sir." We always knew
that Jones s mark was about perfect. In those days
the marks ranged from 10 to 0. Now they range from
4 to 0. Allan McLane was a member of a distinguished
Maryland family, to which I had occasion to refer when
speaking of his brother Louis in another part of this
narrative. He was a fine, manly fellow of great good
sense. He did not remain long in the service after he
passed his examination, but became identified, in one
way or another, with the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany, and rose, by regular gradations, to its Presidency.
When he retired from that position he went to Wash
ington, built a fine house there, and made that city his
place of residence until he died, only a few years ago.
He had amassed a large fortune, made, like that of his
92
LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS
brother Louis, by his individual exertions. McLane was
a man of excellent standing in the community in which
he resided, and was in all respects a man of the highest
character. Gus McLaughlin, as he was always called
by his friends, was a lovely fellow. I was his grooms
man when he married.
Life at the school was pleasant enough for those of
us whose standing in our classes warranted the feeling
that there was no doubt about the final result of our
examination. With those in the fourth section, where
there was a great deal of doubt in the minds of many,
the nine months at the school were not passed on a bed
of roses. I remember hearing a man say one day that,
if he did not pass, Chauvenet s wife would be a widow.
Of course this was an exaggeration, but it proved to
me that the state of mind that many of them were in
during those trying days was not a thing to be envied.
There was a good deal of dissipation at the school at
the time I was there, for checks upon our freedom of
action were very few. There was not much discipline,
for, as I have said before, we were all grown men, most
of us of twenty-two years of age and upward. About
this time the Chartists were holding their mass-meet
ings in London. There was no parallelism between what
we called our " reform banquets " and the Chartist meet
ings, but I remember that it was these meetings which
suggested the name. Every Saturday night, for several
months, we assembled at the room of some choice
spirit, where we were regaled with whiskey and cigars,
and crackers and cheese, and swapped yarns and sang
songs until nearly midnight. Towards that hour but
few of the revellers were left. Those who were sober
enough remained, and finally separated, each one going
his way towards his quarters ; and thus ended the " re-
93
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
form banquet." I happened one Sunday morning to
be passing by a room where there had been a banquet
the night before. Lieutenant Sidney Smith Lee a
brother of Eobert E. Lee who was Executive Officer
of the school, was passing at the same moment. He
called my attention to this " banquet - hall deserted,"
and, raising his hands with an air of intense disgust,
asked me if I had ever witnessed such a sight. Empty
bottles were lying about the floor, half-smoked cigars
were scattered in all directions, chairs were turned up-
sidedown, and everything in the room indicated that
it had been the scene of rollicking dissipation. Lieu
tenant Lee was an amiable man, and, while he deplored
the existence of such irregularities, he seemed powerless
to prevent them. As I have stated before, there was
little or no discipline at the school in those days. The
autumn, winter, and spring passed away. The days
resembled each other very much, and I was glad when
the time for our examination was at hand. The nov
elty had worn off, and was succeeded by a monoto
nous, school-boy sort of life, varied by some outside so
ciety and the Saturday nights which I have described
above.
The Board which examined us assembled in June.
As well as I can remember, the President was Commo
dore Morgan. Two of the Captains were Gwin and
Armstrong; there were others, but they have passed
out of my mind. The examination in Mathematics was
by printed questions, to which we wrote out answers.
They had to be handed in from our desks in the exam
ination hall within a fixed time. The consequence was
that, if we found much difficulty in any one question
that was likely to detain us, we were obliged to give it
the go-by in order to answer a reasonable number of
94
GRADUATION AND AFTER-EMPLOYMENT
the others. In the examination for Seamanship, each
Captain would take a Midshipman and give him a long,
exhaustive sitting in that branch. To any one who had
given much attention to the subject, it was not very
difficult, for there were but few questions in Seaman
ship at that time with which an intelligent Midshipman
was not more or less familiar. There was no Professor
of Seamanship at the school, as there is now, but we
drilled each other, and so became pretty well posted
during the six years of probation that we had had be
fore going to the school.
The examination was over, and a feeling of exhilara
tion came upon me that it is difficult to describe. I had
been cramming for nine months, and the delight at be
ing able to throw everything off my mind was some
thing to be experienced but not described. We were
all happy except the "bilgers." These poor fellows
had not only the mortification of failure, but the pros
pect of another nine months at the school, for it was the
rule to give the " bilger " a second, and I think some
times a third, chance. My recollection is that we were
all granted one month s leave, and that we were ex
pected to report for duty at the end of that time. I
was detailed for the Coast Survey, and about the middle
of the summer joined the party of Lieutenant S. P. Lee.
We worked off shore to the southward of Cape Henlopen.
In the spring and autumn we would work in the Ches
apeake Bay, and in the winter be stationed in Washing
ton. We had a very pleasant party ; some of the mem
bers of it were men who were well known in their day.
Frank Winslow was our Executive Officer. Alexander
Murray, Whiting, Simpson, Preble, McLaughlin, and
others, who have passed out of my mind, also belonged
to it. Most of these men became Eear- Admirals, and
95
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
did good service. The Chief of the party, Admiral Lee,
and I, I believe, are the only survivors.
The people who lived on the coast of Maryland and
Delaware in those days were but one degree removed
from savages. They were a cross between the small
farmer and the wrecker. They never cast their eyes upon
a vessel but that the glance was accompanied with the
thought of what a fine prize she would be. I heard one
of the principal men amongst them say one day, upon
looking at our steamer: "How I would like to wrack
her." "We were obliged to live with these people while
we were at work on the coast, as we could rarely com
municate with the vessel after the day s work was over.
We did attempt camping out at times, but our appli
ances were very crude, and it was, if anything, a rougher
life than that of living with the natives. When, how
ever, our stations were near enough to make it conven
ient to meet after our work of the day was over, we
found it on the whole pleasant to rough it in camp and
do our own cooking. There was one family with which
we lived that exceeded in roughness anything I have
ever known in all my experience. One day at dinner
one of the young women of the family was helping to
some string-beans. I saw her examining the spoon with
which she was serving them with much interest. It
seemed to occur to her that it wanted washing; where
upon she inserted it into her mouth, and it came out
washed. I asked the person to whom the beans were
served, and whose head was turned away at the time, if
he knew what had occurred. When I told him what it
was, he said : " Oh, you ought not to see such things."
One of the young women of this same family, relating
to me how a schooner had come from Philadelphia and
landed some excursionists near their place, said that the
96
MRS. LAMB S BOARDING-HOUSE
schooner had "fifty head of girls on board." I mention
these things to illustrate the crude condition of the peo
ple who occupied these shores fifty years ago. Since
then, there is no doubt the school - master has been
amongst them, and a watering-place Rehoboth Beach
has risen where we then had our stamping-ground. Al
though these people were wreckers, they never attempt
ed to extort from us, which will be at once seen when I
mention the fact that we boarded for thirty-seven and
a half cents a day on fairly good food. When we could
manage to camp together, the outside work was pleas
ant enough ; but when I was alone with an attendant,
and was obliged to trudge two miles every evening after
the day s work was over, and then sleep in a feather-bed,
eaten up by mosquitoes, it was wretched enough.
When the working season was over, our party was
transferred to the Coast Survey Office in Washington,
where we passed the winter. Simpson and I took rooms
together, and made ourselves very comfortable. We
lived at Mrs. Lamb s boarding-house, opposite Willard s
Hotel. The hotel in those days was a sort of head
quarters for officers of the Army and Navy, a kind of
club, at a time when Washington had np clubs worth
mentioning. We had a good many visitors in our
quarters, for it was a convenient place to drop into from
across the street. Amongst others that we used to see
a great deal of were the brothers Hull and John Quincy
Adams, both charming men, each in his way, but totally
unlike. John died many years ago; he went down in
the Albany, which ship was never heard of after leaving
port. She disappeared somewhere in the West Indies,
and her fate is unknown to this day. Adams was a bluff,
sailor-man sort of a fellow, a thorough gentleman, al
ways well dressed, and was in all respects a thoroughly
Q 97
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
good man-of-war s man. As an illustration of his sailor
way of putting things, I will relate an incident which
occurred in Florence. He and I formed a portion of a
party that went to the city for a stay of a few days.
When we arrived there everybody was immediately
making suggestions as to going here and there at once,
whereupon John Adams spoke up and said: "Now if
you will give me this evening to get the bearings and dis
tances of things, I will go to hell with you to-morrow."
We all agreed that he was right, and acted upon his
suggestion. Hull Adams was the reverse of John ; the
latter hated society, while Hull was devoted to it, and
was always one of its greatest favorites. He was full of
talent, and if his lot had been cast in another direction
he might have reached a position of prominence in the
country, in common with many of the members of the
distinguished family to which he belongs. One of his
great attractions was the sweetest of tenor voices. I
can hear him now, as he used to ring out the words :
" O that a Dutchman s draught might be
As deep as the rolling Zuyder Zee !"
He and his sister, Elizabeth Adams, never married.
They have been the warmest of friends and companions
for many years. I am strongly of the impression that
they are both now living. If they are, she must be
nearly ninety, and he cannot be very far behind her.
Both Hull and John were great favorites in Washington
that winter amongst the hosts of fine fellows that formed
the male portion of the society of the city.
I went very little into society myself during the win
ter. I believe I was a subscriber to the Assembly Balls,
which were held in the old Globe Building, somewhere
in the neighborhood of Four and a Half Street, on Penn-
WASHINGTON SOCIETY IN THE FORTIES
sylvania Avenue. It was the only dancing-hall in Wash
ington at the time, except Carusi s Saloon, as it was called,
and that was a small affair. I remember well some of
the girls who figured at those balls, and who are now
living. They were charming girls then, they are lovely
old ladies now. If this narrative should ever meet their
eyes, they may recognize themselves. They are hardly
old enough yet, however, to be called old ladies, perhaps
they never will be. I remember dining with Mr. and
Mrs. Gales that winter. Mr. Gales was one of the firm
of Gales & Seaton of the National Intelligencer. There
were present at the dinner besides the host and hostess,
Miss Gales, Miss Anne Lizzie Buckler, and Miss Anna
Clarke. They are all three now living. Miss Gales,
who at that time was one of the leaders in society, is
now a translator of French and Spanish in the State
Department. She has accepted the change in her cir
cumstances with the greatest good grace, and seems as
bright and cheerful now as she did in those far-off days.
Miss Buckler, of Baltimore, married Kolando, of the
Navy, who died years ago. I had the pleasure of seeing
her only a few days since. Miss Clarke is a daughter
of Matthew St. Clair Clarke, one of the greatest wits
of his day ; she married my brother, General Franklin.
These ladies, as I said before, are all living now, and
are in fairly good health. They are warm and devoted
friends to this day.
CHAPTER IX
On Foreign Service The Spragues of Gibraltar Commodore Mor
ganMess of His Flag -ship Winter Quarters On Leave in
Home Early Impressions.
ASIDE from the Assembly Balls and one or two dan
cing-parties, my recollections of that winter are very
vague. It came to an end, however, and time for active
work on the Survey was again approaching. The par
ty reassembled somewhere near the mouth of the Pa-
tuxent Eiver, and began running lines of soundings
in Chesapeake Bay. We had not been employed many
days at this work when orders came detaching me from
the Coast Survey and ordering me to the Eazee Inde
pendence. The Independence was fitting out at Nor
folk to be the Flag-ship of the Mediterranean Squadron ;
and while I was pleasantly located with the familiar
surveying-party, I could not help feeling that the pros
pect of a cruise in the Mediterranean was more allur
ing than the work upon which I was then engaged. I
soon reported at Norfolk in obedience to my orders.
Captain Conover was the Commanding Officer, and Tom
Craven, as he was called in those days, the Executive.
The ward -room was full to overflowing. Beaumont,
who was the Second Master and Junior ward -room
Officer, was without a room. " Beau," as we called him,
was a very amusing fellow, the life of the ward-room
mess, but was given to saying sharp things, and occa
sionally made enemies ; he was liked, nevertheless, by
100
GOING ON FOREIGN SERVICE
nearly every one. Beau and I were great friends dur
ing the cruise. We had one little difficulty, but we
soon made it up.
We sailed from Hampton Koads about the middle of
the summer of 1849. The steerage was composed of
two messes, the Passed Midshipmen occupied the port
steerage, and the Midshipmen the starboard. We had
a comfortable mess and lived well. The conditions had
changed very much since my first cruise, when we were
all boys. Now we were men verging on twenty -five
years of age. I do not remember whether any of my
messmates ever attained to Flag rank. Two of the
ward-room officers did, as did also one of the Midship
men. The three to whom I refer were Craven, Beau
mont, and Skerrett. The Civil War intervening, sent
some of them South ; they became scattered, and I lost
the run of them.
We had a passage of about twenty days from Hamp
ton Koads to Gibraltar. The weather was pleasant, and
nothing of especial interest occurred during the run.
At that time the Consul at Gibraltar was Mr. Sprague,
father of the present incumbent. Father and son have
filled the Consular office at that place for about seven
ty years. I do not remember the father, but tradition
has handed him down as a man of the highest char
acter, who filled the position he occupied with rare abil
ity. His son, Horatio Sprague, I have known more or
less intimately for many years, and it gives me much
pleasure to say that I have never in all my experience
known a Consulate that stood higher than that of
Gibraltar as administered by Mr. Sprague. He has
always been a great favorite with the British officials,
as well on account of his high character as a gentleman
as for the ability with which he discharges the duties
101
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
of his office. To the travelling Americans who happen
to go to Gibraltar he is always kind and courteous;
and when we have sick officers or seamen in the Gov
ernment Hospitals, he very rarely permits a day to pass
without visiting them in person and seeing that all
their wants are attended to. I trust that he will live
yet many years to do honor to the country which he
represents with so much credit and ability, as well as
to the Consular Corps, of which he is an old and distin
guished member. Mr. Sprague was always doing some
thing that made him agreeable to me during the many
times I visited Gibraltar in the course of my cruising ; it
was either a dinner at his house, or a picnic at his coun
try-place, or something to make my time pass agreeably
at the Rock. He was always invited to the official dinners
that were given to our Admirals, and no dinner given to
us at the Rock ever seemed complete without the pres
ence of Mr. Sprague. If our Consular Service was made
subject to the Civil Service rules, and its members formed
a permanent Corps, our interests would be much better
cared for, and men like Mr. Sprague would be more
frequently encountered. Any one who has had much
to do with our Consuls abroad is entirely satisfied that
the system as at present administered is a dismal failure ;
and, as long as these offices continue to be the refuge
of the spoilsmen, the inefficiency of the incumbents will
continue. I am glad to know, however, that there is a
project on foot to improve the system, and to place it
upon a basis calculated to reflect credit upon its pro
moters as well as upon the country.
The Independence did not remain long at Gibraltar.
We sailed for Spezzia, which was then the headquar
ters of the Squadron. Here we found the steam Frig
ate Mississippi, with Commodore Morgan on board. He
102
COMMODORE MORGAN
shifted his flag to the Independence, and henceforth she
became the Flag-ship. Commodore Morgan was one of
the most interesting Naval characters of the day. He
had served in the War of 1812, on board the Constitution,
and had many curious stories to relate of those historic
times. I do not know what his age was, but he seem
ed to me, as I look back, very old for his years, or for
what ought to have been his age. He was extremely
gouty, and moved about with difficulty ; but as no great
activity was necessary to command a Squadron in time of
peace,! presume he made what in those days might have
been considered a very fair Commander -in -Chief. He
seemed to me to be a man of intelligence, had a good
deal of humor, and was a good judge of character. His
letters to the Department were all well written and the
subjects well thought out. He was personally attrac
tive, and any one who was intimately associated with
him, as I was, could not help liking him. I was at one
time on his staff, so that I saw a good deal of him and
his family. At this time he was married to his second
wife, who was a charming woman, the daughter of Mr.
Eitchie, who had been our Consul at Madrid. She had
been intimately thrown with Washington Irving, and
in my conversations with her about him she conveyed
to my mind a most pleasing impression of that distin
guished writer. There were two children by this mar
riage, and although there was considerable disparity in
years between the Commodore and Mrs. Morgan, yet,
on the whole, it was a very happy, interesting family.
The Mediterranean Squadron at this time consisted
of three large Frigates the Independence, the Cumber
land, and the old Constitution the Steamship Missis
sippi, and the Sloop Jamestown. The coming together
of the Squadron produced a great many changes. Some
103
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
officers were invalided home, and Passed Midshipmen
were promoted to fill vacancies thus created. Amongst
others so promoted was Nelson, who became a General
of Volunteers during the Civil War. Every one at all
familiar with those times will remember that he was
shot to death by Jefferson C. Davis. Nelson was pro
moted from the Mississippi and ordered to the Inde
pendence as Second Master, Beaumont becoming First.
Nelson stood more than six feet in his stockings, and
was otherwise very large. Lieutenant George Chap
man, one of the greatest wits of the day, used to speak
of the two as Beaumont and Flesher. I was very fond
of Nelson, but I do not think he was popular with his
comrades. He knew a great deal himself, and had a
very unpleasant way of telling others how little they
knew. I presume it was this peculiarity which caused
him to meet his death in the manner he did. I think, in
his quarrel with Davis, he told him that he was sur
prised that a graduate of West Point should possess so
little knowledge about the military point which they
were discussing. I cannot help thinking that if Nelson
had lived he would have greatly distinguished himself
during the Civil War. Mr. Lincoln used to speak of him
and the late Admiral Carter as his web -foot Generals.
Nelson was a great talker, and had at command a good
deal of native wit. No one surpassed him in an after-
dinner speech, and, take him all in all, he was an exceed
ingly clever man. I could never understand whether
he was getting off a practical joke upon our Minister
at Naples, or whether he thought that he was giving
him the proper advice ; at all events, he told the Min
ister that when he went to court he should wear his
sword on the right side, emblematic of his peaceful call
ing, which I believe he really did. Nelson was fond of
104
JOE BRADFORD
a joke, for I remember being with him at a party in
Naples when some lady standing at his side, and hav
ing nothing more interesting to say, asked him who I
was; whereupon he replied: "Why, do you not know
who that is ? He is the grandson of our great Benja
min Franklin." " Ah, yes," she replied, " I see the like
ness at once." One or two rather amusing stories were
told of him when he was in Washington on the eve of
the Civil War. Being a Kentuckian, he was supposed
to have Southern sympathies. On one occasion somebody
said to him : " Now, Nelson, you are from Marysville,
Kentucky ; suppose you were ordered down there to fire
into your native town." Nelson replied, without hesi
tation : " Nothing would give me greater pleasure than
to knock that place down, for it is the d dest, meanest
place in the whole country." On another occasion he
was in the company of some South Carolinians who
were expressing their views about the situation very
freely, when he said, "If the President will give me
one thousand men and as many shovels, I will go down
and shovel South Carolina into the Atlantic Ocean."
One of my messmates, whom I remember with a great
deal of pleasure, was Joe Bradford. He was a sort of
connection of the Commodore, and was one of my pred
ecessors on his staff. He was a gallant fellow, and
had fought a duel with a man whose name I think was
Comegys ; Bradford had a very narrow escape, and
came near losing the number of his mess. He was
struck in the chest, but the bullet glanced from his
breastbone without penetrating. It was a close call,
and he carried the scar to his grave. Although a fine
character, he was not very popular with his messmates.
He was at times bitterly sarcastic, and was withal a
good deal of what we call on board ship " a growl." I
105
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
remember the caterer of our mess threatening one day
to get a dog and tie him to the stanchion as a set-off
against his growling. Bradford did good service dur
ing the Civil War. He was Chief of Staff to Admiral
Dahlgren, and served with great energy and ability. I
often met him after the cruise was over, and always
with a great deal of pleasure. We were once at the
Old Sweet Springs in Virginia together; one day he
took it into his head that he wanted to drive over to
the White Sulphur. He had some difficulty in getting
a conveyance, when as a last resource he asked the son
of the proprietor of the hotel, who was a great swell, if
he could assist him in getting a buggy. I presume that
the young man thought that Bradford took him for a
livery-stable man, for he replied : " Do you wish to in
sult me ?" whereupon Bradford replied : " I would like
to know who you are before I answer that question."
The young man then said : " My name is Norval." Brad
ford at once replied by asking him if he was a son of
the man who fed his flocks on the Grampian Hills. Of
course young Norval was very much infuriated by this
time, and told Bradford that he was not, but that he
was a fighting man, whereupon the former said : " I
am not a fighting man, but am in the peaceful pursuit
of a buggy." The matter was noised about the Springs,
Bradford s ready reply about the Grampian Hills took
with every one, and he was the lion of the hour. There
is another anecdote about Bradford which I cannot help
relating. We were beating up the Adriatic against a
strong wind called a Bora. He was officer of the deck,
and was working the ship very satisfactorily. The First
Lieutenant was an officious fellow that Bradford did
not like. He happened to see him through the corner
of his eye letting go a rope. The Lieutenant did not
106
DUVAL AND ROCHELLE
know that he had been seen, so Bradford gave himself
a little time, when, turning to one of the mizzen-top
men, he said, " What d d chuckle-head let go that
weather vang [rope] ?" " Oh ! I did that," said the First
Lieutenant ; when Bradford said, " Oh ! I beg your par
don," knowing of course all the time who had done it.
Some one heard the Lieutenant say a few moments after
wards, " These Passed Midshipmen are a d d sight too
smart." Bradford did not long survive the Civil War. He
died of heart disease, from which he had suffered for years.
Before proceeding with this narrative of the cruise, I
must mention, for my own satisfaction, my old class
mates, Duval and Rochelle. Duval was a good deal
older than the rest of us, and it was said that he had
been a Postmaster before he was appointed a Midship
man. He was an immense man, and was one of those
always trotted out when any one wanted to see the
little Midshipmen ; a man of genial, kind temperament,
as all will testify who knew him in those days. I lost
sight of him after the beginning of the Civil War. He
was from North Carolina. Eochelle was a gallant fel
low, a Virginian, who, like Duval, went with his State.
He had a certain amount of dry humor, and when we
spoke of the President s message at any time, and were
discussing its merits, he would say, " That is all very
well, but wait until you read the message of the Gov
ernor of Virginia." I heard of him during the Civil
War, and think he did good service in the Confederacy.
The Independence did not cruise much during the
autumn of 1849. She went into winter quarters in the
harbor of Baias, a small seaport not far from the Bay of
Naples. Here we made every preparation for a pro
tracted stay, for it was not usual for the ships of war of
any nation to cruise during the winter in the Mediterra-
107
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
nean unless there was some urgent necessity ; they were
kept in harbor, for it is a stormy sea from December to
March, and the wear and tear upon cruisers was very
great. In the summer the weather is fine, and the
cruising is done in that season. It was formerly said
that the Mediterranean had but four harbors June,
July, August, and Port Mahon. The winter at Baias
was dull enough. The trip to Naples was attended with
a certain amount of trouble and expense, so with us
Passed Midshipmen it was not often made. I took a
month s leave of absence, and went to Home, accom
panied by a classmate, Gilmor Hoffman. There were
no railroads, and it was necessary to choose between a
poor steamer to Civita Yecchia and the diligence direct
to Rome. "We chose the latter method. It took a lori
o
time to go, travelling by night as well as by day. Be
sides Hoffman and myself, William Butler Duncan, who
afterwards became a prominent banker in New York,
was one of our party. There was a Mr. Ronalds, of
whom we saw a great deal while in Rome, and I have
always been under the impression that he afterwards
became the husband of the famous Mrs. Ronalds, who
was well known in Europe some years ago, and was re
markable for her beauty.
When we reached Rome, Hoffman and I took rooms
in the Via Condotti, and dined at the Hotel d Angle-
terre. Our hostess was a pretty little Roman matron,
who took excellent care of us, and gave us the freshest
of eggs and the best of coffee for breakfast. We passed
our time, as most tourists do, visiting churches, and
ruins of baths, and picture-galleries without end. We
always brought up about one o clock in the Piazza del
Popolo, where there was a place of refreshment, well
known in those days, the name of which I have now
108
RECOLLECTIONS OF A WINTER IN ROME
forgotten ; it was a place to see everybody. We always
took a curious kind of luncheon, consisting of delicious
pastry and brandy -and -water. After this we would
sally out again in the afternoon, and always finish with
a visit to St. Peter s. I think it is the rule with tourists
to visit St. Peter s every day ; at all events, it was at
that time. It seemed to me to grow in grandeur every
time I passed its portals, and I never tired of roaming
about this vast structure, filled with so much that is
beautiful in painting and sculpture, the grandest monu
ment on earth to the great Church which erected it.
The Holy Father was not in Rome, but an exile in Na
ples. All Europe had run wild with revolutionary
frenzy, and while Pius IX. was most liberal in his views,
the revolution went beyond him, and he was obliged to
fly to Portici, where the King of Naples had placed one
of his palaces at his disposal. The French, under Gen
eral Baraguay d Hilliers, were in charge of the Govern
ment. The Roman revolution had been put down, but
the French Government had not yet found the time ripe
for the return of the Pope. This was in the winter of
1849-50. I think he went back soon afterwards.
We happened to be in Rome during the Carnival, and
witnessed the procession of carriages in the Corso, the
throwing of confetti, etc. While we were looking on
from our balcony, we saw the Corso instantly cleared
by the military. The cause of this was that an infernal
machine of some kind had been thrown into the car
riage of Prince Canino. The Prince, who belonged to
the Bonaparte family, had taken sides with the Liber
als. He had been warned, I believe, not to take part in
the procession, and was told that if he did, something
terrible might happen. He did not heed the advice, and
the consequence was what I have just stated. Fortu-
109
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
nately, no one was hurt, although the torpedo exploded
upon impact in the carriage. I believe the matter was
dropped, for I never heard of it again.
Our Minister at Rome at this time was Mr. Cass, son
of Lewis Cass, the well-known American statesman. He
was very much respected, not only by the authorities,
but by the Americans residing in and passing through
Rome. It was during this visit that I first knew Mr.
Hooker, then a young banker just rising into promi
nence. I met him years afterwards, a well-known, pros
perous man, very much respected and liked by every
one. He died only a few years ago. I fancy that most
Americans who have visited Rome during the last forty
years knew Mr. Hooker, and many of them have been
the recipients of his kindness and attention.
The time had now arrived for returning to the ship.
I had seen the Eternal City ; and although I have visited
it several times since, I feel that the impression made
upon me then has been more lasting than that of any
of my more recent visits. The greatest cathedral in the
world stamped itself upon my mind so firmly that its
image has never been effaced, while the memories of the
Apollo Belvedere, the Laocoon, the Transfiguration, and
the Beatrice Cenci have been a joy forever. I have
seen them often since, but this first sight of them in my
youth fixed them indelibly upon my mind. The work
of art of all others which seemed to have taken the
strongest hold upon me was the Apollo Belvedere. I
often went to the gallery of the Vatican, and would find
myself continually returning to this beautiful statue, to
have another look at it before I left the Palace. It
seems to me that this instinctive yearning to see over
and over again a great work of art is of itself sufficient
evidence of the great merit which it possesses.
110
CHAPTER X
In the Adriatic A Royal Visit Fun at Spezzia Leghorn and Flor
ence Naples under Bomba Balls at the Academy The San Carlo
Pompeii and Vesuvius A Mournful Accident.
DURING the following two years we cruised about the
Mediterranean, going as far west as Lisbon, and as far
east as Trieste. I shall not undertake to follow the ship
in her passages from port to port, for, as I write from
memory, it would be a difficult thing to do, nor would
it be especially interesting to any one who should hap
pen to peruse these pages. In those days of sailing-
ships (with the light summer winds of the Mediterra
nean) it took a long time to get about, and we visited
the same ports over and over again, our cruising being
confined principally to the coast of Italy. I think there
was some diplomatic reason for our going to Lisbon ;
I remember that our Minister, Mr. Clay, who was a son
of the great statesman Henry Clay, took passage with
us into the Mediterranean when we left there.
The cruise up the Adriatic as far as Trieste was
made owing to some misunderstanding which occurred
between the Captain of one of our ships and the Aus
trian authorities, while that ship was on a visit to
Trieste. The Commodore considered the matter so se
rious that he felt it necessary to go there in person, in
order to do away with the unpleasant impression that
had been made by his Captain. The old gentleman suc
ceeded in making himself very agreeable to the Aus-
lll
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
trians, and when we left the entente cordiale had been
entirety restored.
It was not common for so large a vessel as the Inde
pendence to visit Trieste. Thousands and thousands of
people from all around the country came on board, to
see what they considered a great curiosity. Peasants
who had never before seen such a sight came from
Croatia and Dalmatia, and the numerous provinces
around the head of the Adriatic. Not only did the
peasantry come, but we had also many distinguished
visitors, among others the King of Saxony and the
Ban of Croatia, the same prince who assisted the Aus-
trians so effectually in putting down the Hungarian
Kevolution. He brought with him his wife, a very beau
tiful woman ; and the Commodore, as he escorted her
around the ship, moved his gouty legs over the ground
with much more agility than was his usual custom. The
old gentleman had been a great gallant in his youth,
and this beautiful Princess seemed to have inspired him
with some of his old-time sprightliness. The King of
Saxony again stirred the old gentleman up to extraor
dinary exertions. We were all in full uniform to re
ceive the King, and while assembled at the starboard
gangway, expecting him to come on that side, the Com
modore, discovering suddenly that he was making for
the port ladder, rushed about as wildly as his legs would
let him, and " shooed " us all over to the other side with
an exclamation " Don t you see the King coming on
that side ?" The yards were manned, and all the proper
honors were paid, and I think His Majesty went away
very much pleased. The Commodore, as I have inti
mated before, was a very queer character. It was often
difficult to determine whether he was joking or in ear
nest. He had been accustomed to the usages of good
112
MORGAN AT TRIESTE
society all his life, but in showing the King around the
ship, instead of addressing him according to the well-
received usage in communicating with majesty, as " Your
Majesty," he would say, " Step this way, King, if you
please "; or, " Let me help you down this hatch, King."
I never could quite understand whether it was droll
ery on his part or not. The Commodore was a great
tobacco-chewer, and one day when he was going to dine
with His Majesty I happened to be the officer of the
boat which was conveying him to the shore. Drayton,
his Flag Lieutenant, I observed, was watching him with
great interest, and the reason was that we were getting
very close to the place where he was to dine with the
King, and yet he was chewing tobacco, with all the evi
dences of it around the corners of his mouth. Drayton
could stand it no longer, and called his attention to it.
The old gentleman apologized, and, with the aid of sev
eral pocket - handkerchiefs, made himself presentable.
He dined a large number of Austrian officers one day,
as a sort of wind-up to the festivities prior to our sailing
away for the coast of Italy. They were all pretty well
filled with wine by the time dinner was over, and ad
journed to the poop-deck. He presented a most comical
appearance, with his wig slued one side, and his eye,
which always looked as if it were glass, rolling around
in the most quizzical manner. He was surrounded by
Austrians, who seemed all to be talking to him at the
same time. He was backing away from them, as they
were gesticulating at him, until he reached the end
of the poop, and could go no farther without going
overboard, when he threw up his hands in despair,
exclaiming: "I don t understand a d d word you
say !" I do not know whether they understood or ap
preciated what he said, but to me, as I looked on, it
H 113
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
seemed as if he was tired to death with their German
talk.
The Independence passed a good deal of her time at
Spezzia. The Squadron was continually going there for
provisions. The Sardinian Government had placed at
the disposal of our Government some unoccupied build
ings at the Lazaretto, which were generally well stored
with beef and pork and other provisions, as well as
Naval stores of all kinds. Our Store-keeper was a most
efficient man of the name of Spaulding. He, as well
as his successor (Colonel Long), will be long remembered
by any Naval officer who happened to be there at the
time under mention. There was very little to interest
us in Spezzia. It was an exceedingly dull Italian town,
though beautifully situated on a Bay of the same name,
surrounded by the most beautiful scenery. From the
ship the white marble of the quarries of Carrara was
full in sight, and its contrast with the soft blue tinge
of the Italian mountains formed one of the finest bits
of scenery I have ever looked upon. There was but
little to tempt us to the village itself ; but at the Laza
retto, where we generally anchored, about five miles
from town, there resided a family of the name of Bolero.
The Commessario, as he was called, had charge of the
Lazaretto, and the dwelling in which he lived consisted
of a number of very large rooms, and was indeed a sort
of an Italian palazzo. So, instead of going to Spezzia,
we passed nearly all of our evenings at the house of the
Commessario. The family consisted of Madame Bolero
and four daughters, who were interesting, pleasing girls.
We would take some of the bandsmen just enough to
play dance-music with us, put them in one of the large
rooms to which I have referred, and dance in any other.
AVe would keep it up night after night until eleven or
114
LEGHORN FIFTY YEARS AGO
twelve o clock. How the four girls stood it I cannot
imagine, for there were generally ten or twelve of us,
and the girls were obliged to do duty for all. Catta-
rina, whom I remember now with a great deal of pleas
ure, who was the prettiest and brightest of all, was my
especial favorite, and as she seemed to appreciate my
liking for her, I think I had more than my share of
the dancing. The old people fell into the American
ways, and permitted their daughters to walk with us,
even going so far as to let Cattarina correspond with
me. They all learned more or less English, and Catta-
rina s letters were very quaint in their broken-English
style. She became engaged to an Italian Naval officer,
a very nice fellow, the son of an Admiral ; but this en
gagement was broken, and she afterwards married the
Captain of a transport, which was employed soon after
in conveying troops and stores to the Crimea. After
leaving the Mediterranean, I never saw anything of the
family again, and entirely lost trace of them.
Occasionally we anchored off Leghorn. The break
water had not then been constructed, so it was neces
sary to anchor a great way off, and we generally found
it very rough getting to and from the shore. It is a
blowy hole, and the passage back and forth, when the
boats were crowded, was attended with considerable
risk. Since then an extensive mole has been built,
and it is now one of the safest and best harbors in the
Mediterranean. Leghorn, many years ago, was settled
by a rough set, but no traces of its rowdy origin seemed
to be left at the time of our visit, and the sea-bath
ing is perhaps more celebrated than any other in the
Mediterranean. People go from all parts of Italy to
bathe in the beautiful blue sea which washes its shores.
Leghorn can also boast of one of the finest hotels in
115
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Europe the Grand Hotel. It was built and is owned
by a friend of mine, Signer Fabricotti, and although it
does not pay expenses in the winter, yet he keeps it open
all the year round, and the London Times can be read
there every day of the year. Fabricotti built this hotel
rather as a monument to his family than with the expec
tation of making money out of it. He is a very rich
man, and his family have been the possessors of the
quarries of Carrara marble for more than five hundred
years.
In the year 1850, and perhaps some years before that,
there was a railway from Leghorn to Florence. I think
every one took advantage of the easy way in which this
beautiful city could be reached. I was one of a party
to make the journey to which I have referred before in
speaking of my friend Lieutenant John Quincy Adams.
In those days there were but two prominent hotels in
Florence, the Hotel du Nord and the Hotel de York. I
do not remember at which of these we stopped, for,
somehow, my ideas of that trip at this distant day are
very much mixed up. It seems to me that our short
sojourn there rests in my mind now a sort of medley of
the Yenus de Medici, the Arno, the Uffizi and Pitti
palaces, flower-girls, the cafe where we took our coffee
and eggs in the morning, and the Cascine. The time
of our stay was very short, and everything we did and
saw was so hurried that the resultant of all must neces
sarily be very confusing. But I could never forget, even
if I had not seen them since, Eafael s Madonna della
Segglola, Titian s Flora, and the Yenus de Medici
three of the most beautiful works of art, each in its
way, that have ever been produced by the hand of man.
The winter of 1850-51 we passed in Naples. In those
days ships were obliged to anchor in the open
116
AT NAPLES IN 1850
where there was little or no protection against the
strong winds and heavy seas which drove in from the
southeast. Now, there is a well -placed mole behind
which they lie, and are as safe as if they were moored
in a basin. At the period when we were there, many a
chain was parted and many an anchor lost ; there were
times when the ship was in considerable jeopardy. By
great good-luck we generally managed to get our an
chors, but there was one gale during which two bower
anchors were on the bottom without chains attached to
them, and we were relying upon the two sheets, both
of which were down ; one of them with a hemp-cable
bent to it. Often we could not communicate with the
shore, so heavy was the sea thrown in the Bay by the
southeast gale. At this time one of the Bourbon Fer
dinands occupied the throne of Naples, or the Two
Sicilies, as the kingdom was then called. The King was
known as "Bomba" all over Europe. Pie was a fat,
heavy, coarse man, whose throne was then tottering un
der him, destined soon to fall to pieces. His Govern
ment was an absolute despotism. The prisons were full
of political prisoners, and people were dragged from
their homes and from the cafes upon the information
of police spies, and incarcerated in the most loathsome
dungeons. It was said, in those days and I believe
with truth that the most refined men would be chained
to common felons in these horrible holes. Mr. Glad
stone appeared in Naples about this time, and pub
lished to the world these horrible atrocities, so that
when Naples fell, as she deserved to, there was no voice
throughout the universe raised in her defence.
There were three brothers of the King who flourish
ed in Naples in these days, and who were very much
in evidence at the grand balls, at the theatres, or driv-
117
MEMORIES OF A RE AR- ADMIRAL
ing an English drag on the Eiviera di Chiaja. I would
say that they were all the superiors of their brother,
which would not be saying much for them either. Prince
Luigi was a handsome fellow ; he could be seen almost
any afternoon driving on the Chiaja and Villa Reale, his
drag filled on the outside with his friends and boon
companions. I think he aped the English, and liked to
do things as they did. The Count of Syracuse was a
coarse, heavy man. Count Trapani, the youngest broth
er, seemed to be a harmless sort of fellow ; he was a
great theatre-goer, and might be seen almost any even
ing at the San Carlo or the other Royal theatre, the
Fonda. He was the only one of the brothers married
at that time, and his wife, a delicate -looking Princess,
always accompanied him on these occasions. I do not
think it ever was a pleasant sight for these Bourbons
to see the American flag flaunted before their eyes dur
ing the three winters that we passed there. Indeed,
while they were obliged to make a show of civility,
they placed all sorts of obstacles in the way of our go
ing and remaining there, by long quarantines and other
methods ; but we went and remained all the same.
Naples was then probably more attractive to foreign
ers than it has been at any time since. Americans had
their Minister to protect them, and were quite inde
pendent of the system of espionage which was conduct
ed in all parts of the city, from the smallest wine-shop
to the luxurious hotels of the Chiaja. We were always
invited to the grand balls that were given by the Acad
emy of Music and Dancing. They were the most ele
gant entertainments I have ever seen; there was no
such thing as a supper, as we understand it, but at a
buffet in one corner of the room coffee and tea and their
accompaniments were served by powdered lackeys. The
118
GRAND BALLS AT NAPLES
elegance of these balls consisted in the selectness of the
guests, in the superb costumes, and in the orderly man
ner in which they were conducted. No one could en
ter this charmed circle unless he could show quarterings
on his shield, and even such as could were not admitted
if they presented themselves at the entrance without
slippers with silver buckles. The exceptions to this
rule were the foreign military and naval men, who went
in uniform, of course, and were not supposed to wear
slippers in that dress. ISTo dances were permitted ex
cept the deux-temps waltz and quadrilles. All others
were considered vulgar in the eyes of this aristocratic
circle. There was always an American contingent to
be seen, nor were the Americans the least elegant of
the many stylish women who graced these assemblies.
They were generally arrayed in their best gowns, for
the reputation of these balls was known throughout
Italy, and as our countrywomen are renowned for their
beauty and good taste all over Europe, we never had
reason to fear that we should not be well represented.
I have now in my mind s eye a lady whom I knew then,
and with whom I often danced at these entertainments ;
it is Mrs. Hoffman, wife of Mr. Wickham Hoffman, a
well-known American, who has served as Secretary of
Legation in the most important capitals of Europe, and
was afterwards our Minister to Denmark. Mrs. Hoff
man was a very pretty woman, and was always exceed
ingly well dressed. I have had the pleasure of meeting
her very often since. She now resides in Washington,
and although, like myself, she is not as young as she
was in those days, she is still an exceedingly attractive
woman.
The San Carlo Theatre was at that time in the very
heyday of its glory. Next to the Scala at Milan, it was
119
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the largest in Europe, and its audiences were esteemed
the most critical in the world ; a prima donna, having
passed the ordeal of an appearance on the boards of the
San Carlo, might sing without hesitation in any opera-
house in the world. The German music had not yet
taken the high position which it now maintains, and the
Italian composers held sway. Yerdi s operas, with those
of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Mercadante, and others of
less note, were alone produced on the stage of that day.
It is wonderful how well they were gotten up, consider
ing the small price paid for a place at the opera, which
was, in our currency, thirty -two cents for a reserved
seat. The ballet at the San Carlo was probably, at that
time, the finest in the world ; Europe was ransacked to
find the best dancers. I have often known the opera
to be neglected, but after the curtain dropped and the
ballet began, the people would flock in crowds to see
the dancing.
Of course, I visited Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Vesu
vius. I read Bulwer s Last Days of Pompeii for a sec
ond time, and was prepared to feel an especial inter
est in the buried City. Indeed, no one can roam among
its ruins without a feeling of sadness, as he reflects upon
the awful doom which so suddenly fell upon it and its
inhabitants. As I write, I am reminded, in connection
with this subject, that there is but one step from the
sublime to the ridiculous, by the remark of an American,
who on visiting the ruins said that it was a great shame
that the King of Naples permitted Pompeii to remain so
long in want of repairs. I remember very little about
Herculaneum. Indeed, there is but little to see. Its de
struction was caused by molten lava, while that of Pompeii
was the result of a shower of ashes, which lasted long
enough effectually to do its work. My visit to Vesuvius
120
AN ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS
was but a counterpart of all excursions to that inter
esting point. I was young and vigorous then, and I
thought it would be an easy matter to ascend the Cone.
I saw that the guides hung about me, knowing, with
their large experience, what was sure to happen, and in
my case did happen very soon. I struggled for ten min
utes, sliding back one step for every two that I took for
ward, until, weary and exhausted, I took not only one
guide, but two, one to boost me from behind, and the
other to pull me in front. Let no one ever attempt this
feat thinldng he is going to succeed, for ninety-nine out
of a hundred are sure to fail. The descent is quite an
other affair. One has but to plant his feet in the ashes
and start down, when he goes to the foot of the Cone by
his own gravity.
While the Independence was at Naples a very active
eruption of Vesuvius took place. All Naples went to see
it. Amongst others was one of my messmates, Passed
Midshipman Charley Bayard, a cousin of our late Am
bassador in London. He stood looking on as the scoria
was darting up into the heavens and flying off to lee
ward, apparently in no more danger than thousands of
others, when a piece of red-hot lava, deviating from the
course that the other pieces were taking, struck him on
the shoulder, setting his clothes on fire, and inflicting a
wound which lacerated his flesh in such a terrible man
ner that it became necessary to amputate his arm at the
shoulder. The shock of the blow, together with the am
putation, was too much for him: lockjaw set in, and
he died in a few days. He was a charming fellow, and
one of my most intimate friends. The affair produced
the most profound feeling of sympathy throughout the
whole of Naples, for it was known to every man, woman,
and child in the city. Bayard had a cousin on board
121
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the Independence who was a messmate of mine ; he was
then Carroll Tucker, but later he changed his name to
Tucker Carroll. Poor Bayard s death was an especially
heavy blow to him. Tucker was the Commodore s clerk,
and Bayard was his aid. They two lived on shore, and
were constantly together. Carroll, like his cousin Bay
ard, was a lovely fellow, for whom I formed a very
strong attachment.
CHAPTER XI
Baths of Lucca Pedestrian Efforts The Store-keeper at Spezzia
Return to Naples A Promotion Louis Kossuth Austrian Rule
Venice, and Porpora s Theatre End of the Cruise.
THE winter of 1850-51 passed away, and the Indepen
dence started off on her summer s cruise. I did not go in
her, but joined the Commodore, of whose staff I was
then a member, at the Bagni di Lucca. The military
family consisted of Lieutenant Percival Drayton, Flag
Lieutenant, Francis de Haas Janvier, the Commodore s
Secretary, and myself. The Commodore was accompa
nied by his wife and two children. The old gentleman
was trying the waters for his gout, but it was a hopeless
case. I fancy he was never any better. The Baths of
Lucca was a much more fashionable resort in those
days than it is at present. The place belonged to the
Dukedom of Tuscany, and the Grand Duchess made it
notable by her presence there every summer. She al
ways gave a ball during the season ; we, of course, at
tended the one given while we were there. I remember
it well, because I was introduced to an English girl, a
Miss Franklin, who took me for a countryman of hers.
She at once asked me if I was not attached to the
Thunderer, then lying at Leghorn. I replied that I was
an American, when she said, " Why, you do not talk
like an American," which was no compliment, for I think
we take fewer liberties with the English language than
the English do themselves.
123
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Dray ton and I took our breakfast at a cafe, and dined,
part of the time, at Pagnini s Hotel, and part of the time
at a restaurant. I remember that our breakfast cost
just eleven sous, which gave us a couple of eggs each
and all the coffee and bread and butter that we wanted.
The dinners at Pagnini s seemed to me much more
stylish in those days than they did when I went there,
as a Eear-Admiral, many years afterwards and lived at
the same Hotel. I had the curiosity, during my last
visit, to look at the hotel register, where I found the
names of many of my shipmates who had visited the
Bagni nearly forty years before. Drayton and I were
both good walkers. "We scoured the country around,
and climbed many a mountain-peak in our pedestrian
excursions. The tops of the hills were generally crowded
with little villages, which resembled wasps nests when
viewed from a distance more than anything else to
which I can compare them. Strange to say, although
these places were separated from each other only by a
few miles, the inhabitants of one would speak a different
language from that of their neighbors, having the Ital
ian language as a base.
The Commodore and his family left the Baths of
Lucca by carriage ; Drayton and I went on foot. We
were travelling through the Apennines, and, as the coun
try was hilly and rough, we were enabled to keep up
with the carriage most of the time. "We all arrived, in
good condition, in Pietro Santo, Drayton and I having
made about twenty-five miles in very good time. We
were, of course, somewhat foot-sore upon our arrival.
The carriage party were fatigued from their long drive,
so we remained at Pietro Santo for the night to rest.
The next day we went to Genoa en route to Spezzia,
where we were all going, to await the arrival of the Flag-
124
WALKING FROM GENOA TO SPEZZIA
ship. Drayton and I were so proud of our late pedes
trian achievement that we determined that we would
walk from Genoa to Spezzia, a distance of from seventy-
five to eighty miles. "We accordingly started off, in fine
condition, as we thought, for the trip, and it turned out
that Drayton was, but that I was not. He had become
hardened to that kind of work in Switzerland, where
he had walked a good deal, and I was a comparative
novice. The first day we walked twenty-eight miles in
seven hours and a half, little short of four miles an hour ;
but I was so stiff and used up that it was impossible for
me to proceed on foot the next day\ I consequently
was obliged to take a carriage for the rest of the way.
Drayton, however, continued, and made the same time
the following day, and came into Spezzia the next. We
found upon our arrival that the Flag-ship had not yet
reached there, and we all took up our quarters at the
Hotel Croce di Malta. It was dull enough. We were al
most the only occupants of the house. Day after day we
awaited the arrival of the ship, but she did not come.
The winds were light, so we were obliged to wait pa
tiently. I was anxious to get afloat again, and was tired
of roaming, away from my companions and shipmates.
One day I was made very happy by the arrival from
Alexandria of one of my classmates McCauley. His
father was our Consul-General there, where his son had
been on a visit to him. It brightened up our little party
to have some new blood infused into it, and we got on
very well afterwards, until the arrival of the ship. Mc
Cauley and I were very intimate during the rest of the
cruise. He died a few years ago, a Rear- Admiral on the
retired list. The monotony of our life w T as somewhat
relieved by the arrival of an Opera Company at Spezzia.
I was very much surprised to find that an unimportant,
125
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
dull, uninteresting place like this could attract so good
a Company. I took a season-ticket, for which. I think I
paid ten francs, and found that I was much more than
repaid for my outlay. The opera that I especially re
member was " Lucrezia Borgia," and although I had seen
it at more pretentious theatres, I do not remember that
I ever enjoyed it more. An Opera Company travelling
in Italy, where even the peasants may be musical critics,
cannot afford to be bad. It may be bad compared with
companies of the very highest class, but to be successful
at all the artists must be good.
If these pages should happen to meet the eye of any
Naval man who was in Spezzia during the years of
1851-52, he cannot fail to remember Colonel Long, the
Naval Store-keeper who succeeded Mr. Spaulding. As
I recall him, he was a North Carolina politician, pure
and simple. I doubt if he had ever been beyond the
precincts of his Congressional District before he came
abroad. He was doubtless given the position as a re
ward for political services to the party in power in his
own especial locality. While he was a most kindly man,
high-toned and honorable, and of the strictest integrity,
he was hardly calculated to fill the post of Naval Store
keeper at Spezzia. The kind of life that he was now
called upon to lead, his contact with a people whose
habits and customs were so entirely different from those
to which he had always been accustomed, were so em
barrassing that the only wonder is that he got on as
well as he did. Fortunately he brought out a clerk who
was a linguist, and who therefore was of great assist
ance to him in his intercourse with the Italians. The
old Colonel kept open house, and was the soul of hospi
tality. His establishment was a sort of headquarters
for the officers of the Squadron. A bottle and glasses
126
COLONEL LONG S STORMY VOYAGE
always stood on the table in the centre of his reception-
room. The Colonel was once ordered to send some
stores to the Squadron at Naples. In those clays the
only way of getting material from a point where steam
ers did not touch was by means of small sailing-vessels,
which I think were called Bobos. So the Colonel char
tered a Bobo, and filled her with provisions. He was
very conscientious, and felt it his duty to see, himself,
that they were delivered in good condition to the Fleet.
There was no other way of doing this, according to the
Colonel s mode of thinking, than by going in the Bobo
himself to see that no harm came to the stores for
which he held himself responsible. So he went on board
with his clerk, and they sailed away for Naples in their
tiny craft. All went well at first, but a gale of wind
came on, and the little vessel was belabored so sorely
that they almost gave themselves up for lost. The
skipper fell on his knees and implored protection from
on high for himself ; he had but little concern for the
cargo, while that was, of course, the Colonel s chief in
terest. The latter then made him a speech in his best
North Carolina style, and implored him to go to work
and try and save the vessel and cargo. The skipper was
at last moved to make a final effort, so, with the assist
ance of the Colonel and his clerk, he managed to get the
Bobo once more under control. The gale soon after
wards abated, and they arrived safely in Naples with the
Colonel s precious cargo. The kindly old gentleman
never passed through such dangers before, and he was
henceforth a hero in the eyes of his old friends in the
Fleet, who were glad to welcome him after the perils he
had encountered on his stormy voyage. I lost sight of
him when I returned to America, but I shall never for
get his kindly, genial nature. Everybody liked him, in
127
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
spite of his odd ways, his stump-speech style of conver
sation, and his manner of dress, which was always pecul
iar ; he was dressed for dinner from morning to night ;
in other words, the Colonel lived in a swallow-tail coat,
as many other Americans did at that time.
We were all glad to be once more in Naples. The
winter of 1851-52 was to be our last. The Commo
dore had promoted me to fill a vacancy as Master, or,
as it is now called, Navigator. I had, therefore, but
little to do while the ship was in winter quarters. I
passed a good deal of my time on shore, going to the
Opera in the evenings, and occasionally to a ball or
evening party. I did not go much into society. In
deed, with the exception of the large affairs, the visiting
part of what is called society was confined principally
to the boxes in the opera-house. It was there that we
generally visited our friends, and between the acts the
boxes presented a gay scene of well-dressed men and
women. As I stated before, I was very intimate with
McCauley. There was another McCawley, the junior
Marine officer of the Independence, with whom I was on
the same intimate terms; though of the same name
they spelled it differently. We had a large room to
gether, where we could all sleep, so that if the weather
were bad, or we were up late at a ball, we always had
a place to which we could retire. Our room was at a
lodging-house in the Yia Carmenelli, kept by an old
woman who was a great talker. Dray ton used to say,
notwithstanding, that she spoke no language under
the sun. She took good care of us, however, gave us
clean beds, and our coffee and eggs when we cared to
breakfast in our room. Of my room-mates, the Navy
McCauley died as a retired Eear - Admiral, and the
Marine officer McCawley became the Colonel Com-
128
FESTIVITIES AT NAPLES
mandant of the Marine Corps. They were both fine
fellows, and we passed many happy days together.
Besides the balls of the Society of Music and Dan
cing, which I have before described, very handsome
entertainments were given by the Bankers Muricoffre.
At these balls could be seen all the distinguished
strangers in Naples, as well as the resident society. I
remember seeing there the great singer Lablache, well
known in musical circles in those days. He left a
stronger impression upon my mind than any other per
son, on account of his great size. Another entertain
ment which was largely attended was the fortnightly re
ception of the French Minister, Odillon Barrot, or his
brother, I am not quite sure which. I remember dis
tinctly the easy manner in which he received his guests,
and the graceful ways of his wife, who stood by his
side. These receptions, next to the grand balls to which
I have before referred, were the most recherches assem
blages I have ever attended in Naples. Barrot was the
representative of the Prince President, Louis Napoleon,
and a man of charming personality. He bore, as every
one familiar with the history of those times knows, a
name which stood very high in France during the as
cendency of Louis Bonaparte, at all events during the
part of it about which I am now writing. His recep
tions were always well attended by the best people in
Naples. Louis Kossuth was at this time one of the
most prominent characters in Europe. The Govern
ment of the United States had placed at his disposal a
ship of war, to convey him and his followers to the
United States. It will be remembered that they had
asylum in Turkey, and the Government of that country
agreed to turn them over to the United States. The
Steam Frigate Mississippi was sent to Constantinople
i 129
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
for them, and appeared at Spezzia while the Flag-ship
was there. Commodore Morgan had an interview with
Kossuth, at which I was present, and which I found
extremely interesting. Kossuth had learned English
from a dictionary, and from a copy of Shakespeare
which he happened to have in his possession, and took
advantage of his long sojourn in Turkey to make him
self familiar with the language. I must confess I was
very much surprised to find with how much fluency and
eloquence he spoke it, and how beautiful his language
was. He addressed Mrs. Morgan as " Your ladyship,"
thinking, I presume, that as she was the wife of a Flag
Officer, she ought to have some title. I was very much
impressed with the grandeur of this wonderful man.
Had he been successful, he would have stood very high
amongst the world s patriots, as indeed, he does now.
The Austrians were successful for the time, but Hungary
has emerged from her downtrodden condition, and has
taken her place as the equal of her ancient oppressor.
At the time to which I refer Austria exercised her
power in Italy in an offensive and disagreeable manner.
As an example I will mention an occurrence which took
place when the Independence was in Trieste. I was one
of a small party of officers who visited Venice. Our
passports were vised in due form by the authorities, so
that we should have been put to no inconvenience what
ever. When we were about to leave, the passports of
the party were sent for, as customary, by the people of
the hotel at which we were staying. For some un
known reason mine did not arrive with the others, and
I was informed that I must appear in person at the
police station and receive my passport there. I do not
remember that there was any explanation, or that any
apology was made for putting me to this inconvenience.
130
IN VENICE
I felt very much inclined to kick somebody, but I pre
sume if I had indulged in this luxury I should have
found myself in additional trouble, so I contented my
self with grumbling and looking savage, and returned
to the hotel, where I rejoined my party. This visit to
Venice, aside from the little episode to which I have
referred, was exceedingly pleasant. The city was a
place of much less importance then than it is now, for it
has become one of Italy s great Naval Arsenals, which
makes it a port of great consequence. In 1850 it was
a place of resort for those who desired to see the unique
city of the world a city whose streets are water-ways,
and whose ve icles are swift-gliding gondolas. It was
a novel and interesting experience to be conveyed for
the first time from point to point in comfortable float
ing carriages, but it was a strange feeling to be travers
ing a great city and hearing no noise but the cry of the
gondolier as he approached a street corner. This cry is
given in order to advise those who were passing on the
cross-street to be on the lookout. On one occasion our
gondoliers were not on the lookout, and we were run
into right amidships, without any especial damage be
ing done to the gondola. Our men, however, were both
precipitated into the water, but they immediately swam
back and resumed their places on the bow and stern of
their strange, peculiar craft, and went on rowing as be
fore. A short time before this visit to Venice I had
been reading George Sand s Consuelo, and had become
much interested in the theatre of San Samuele, which
in its day was the famous theatre of Venice, where the
great Maestro Porpora was accustomed to bring out
such pupils as he was educating for the stage. The
book was so cleverly written that it invested this theatre
with a peculiar interest, and I could not feel satisfied to
131
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
leave Venice without seeing it, if it was still in exist
ence. So Drayton and I searched until we found it.
The theatre had been out of use for many years, and
now looked like an old storehouse that might be the
receptacle of its departed glory ; for, as I looked into
it, I could see nothing but a wreck of scenery, broken
benches, and the debris of what once had been the
Grand Opera-house of Yenice. Judging from the sur
prise of the old woman who seemed to have charge of
this pile of rubbish, I doubt if any one had ever visited
the place before with the same object that we had.
The cruise of the Independence was now drawing to a
close, and we began to make preparations for the home
ward-bound passage. The Commodore came on board
with Mrs. Morgan and the children, and we squared
away for Gibraltar. When we reached the Spanish
coast the wind blew strong from the westward, so that
we were obliged to beat up against it. We finally reached
the Eock; after resting awhile, so to speak, under its
lee, we succeeded in beating far enough to windward to
fetch the anchorage finally, but it was hard work, and
about all the old Independence could do. Apropos of
getting into Gibraltar from the eastward, on another
occasion the Independence was being towed by the Mis
sissippi^ when the latter signalled that she was getting
short of coal, and if the wind continued strong was
doubtful of her ability to tow us through. My friend
Beaumont was talking to Drayton, who was making
signals on our part, and finally asked him what they
were talking about; whereupon Dra}^ton replied in a
playful way, " That is none of your business." Beau
mont said, " I know what it is the Mississippi says :
"If this wind does not abate,
I cannot tow you through this strait. "
132
SECOND CRUISE ENDED
" And you say :
" As long as you have wood and coal,
Tow away with heart and soul. "
It so happened that what Beaumont put so happily in
verse was practically what they were saying.
We sailed for home in June, 1852, and had a pleasant
run down the trade- winds, towards the West Indies,
then kept away for New York, where we arrived on
the Fourth of July, having made a full three years
cruise. I had but little to do on the passage over, for,
being the Second Master, I was not responsible for the
navigation. I plotted the position on the Commodore s
chart each day, which gave me an opportunity of fre
quently seeing Mrs. Morgan, who, as I have before
stated, was a charming woman, and with whom I had
almost daily chats. In a few days after we anchored
at the Navy- Yard, the ship was paid off, the officers
were granted three months leave of absence, and so my
second cruise was at an end.
CHAPTER XII
Deep-Sea Soundings An Abortive Cruise The Dolphin in a Hurri
cane In Peril from Water and Fire At Rest in Lisbon Coast
Survey In Annapolis as Prof essor Captain Goldsborough A
Practice Cruise White Sulphur Springs.
I WAS not permitted to enjoy my leave of absence
very long. Before three months had expired I was or
dered to the Steam Frigate Saranac, very much against
my inclinations. She was to go to the Station from
which I had so recently returned. These orders, under
different circumstances, would have been very agree
able, but I was not anxious to return to the Mediterra
nean so soon. I did not sail in her, however, being de
tached and ordered to the Brig Dolphin. About this
time the Dolphin was being fitted for a cruise in the
jS orth Atlantic, to take deep-sea soundings between the
coast of America and the coast of Ireland, with a view
of ascertaining if a plateau existed which would render
feasible the laying of a cable between the two shores.
She had been already once employed in this arduous
service. The appliances for this kind of work were very
crude at that time, and I do not think the methods then
employed could have been very satisfactory. Since
those days deep-sea-sounding instruments have reached
a high state of perfection. In addition to this work, we
were directed to examine the ocean for dangers that
were marked doubtful, with a view of erasing them from
the charts, and also for determining surface and deep-
134
BEGIN CRUISE IN BRIG DOLPHIN
sea currents. It always seemed to me most absurd to
start a small vessel, which in bad weather had all she
could do to take care of herself, across that stormy area
of the North Atlantic Ocean extending from New York
to Ireland, just at the beginning of the season when
gales were to be looked for, which it was but reasonable
to suppose would, in all probability, continue to blow,
with short intervals of moderate weather, more or less
violently for the following six months. I understand
that the reason given for this by the Observatory was
that the Dolphin, having already been loaned to that in
stitution for this especial work, would have been placed
by the Navy Department on regular cruising duty if
this examination had been deferred until spring. The
result of the cruise goes to show how unwise it was, and
how little forethought was exercised.
We sailed in October, bound on a cruise northeast,
and, as might have been expected, were dashed into gale
after gale ; and, although we made some attempts at deep-
sea sounding, I doubt if any of the work done during the
cruise was of the least service. "We continued on, how
ever, when, upon reaching a point about the middle of
the North Atlantic Ocean, we encountered a hurricane
which gave us our coup de grace, and caused us to square
away for Lisbon, about the nearest point where we
could find a harbor sufficiently secure to repair damages.
Before proceeding further with my narrative, I will
mention the names of the officers of the Brig Dolphin.
Her Commander was Lieutenant Berryman ; I was, al
though a Passed Midshipman, the Executive Officer and
Navigator ; the watch-officers were Truxtun, Morris,
and Kennon, Passed Midshipmen, and Garland, who was
a Midshipman ; the Surgeon was Dr. A. A. Henderson.
On the night when the hurricane struck us I was ly-
135
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ing in my bunk, and although I knew that it was blowing
fresh, I had no idea of the violence of the wind until
Truxtun, who had kept the first watch, came down to
turn in. As he was marking the strength of the wind, I
said, " What do you mark the wind ?" " Twelve," he
replied. " "Why," I said, " twelve means a hurricane."
He then said, " If this is not a hurricane, there never was
one." But the wind continued to increase, and at day
light it was blowing harder than I had ever known it to
blow in my experience. We were lying to, under the
shortest possible canvas we could show I have forgot
ten whether it was the fore trysail or main stay-sail.
At all events, it was all she could stand, and with this
she was heeling over nearly on her beam ends. The
Captain suggested getting her before the wind. I ad
vised him against it, and he did not insist upon it. My
opinion then was that she would swamp, and I think so
now. I told him I did not think we could do any better
than we were doing under the circumstances. But the
Brig continued, if any thing, to heel more than ever,
and every now and then we would ship an ugly sea.
The Captain and I then held a consultation, and we de
termined to throw the lee gun overboard. Our battery,
which was on a peace footing, consisted of only two
32-pounders. I accordingly went to work with a gang
of men, and had nearly all the preparations made when
the Brig made a deep lurch, and at the same time
shipped a tremendous sea, which swept me and my men
down into the lee scuppers. I thought I was gone, and
while I lay in the water for a very brief instant I felt a
sort of indifference as to whether I was ever going to
get up again or not. However, the Brig righted almost
instantly, and to my surprise I found myself on my feet
again. I then jumped up on to the cabin trunk, put my
136
THE DOLPHIN TAKES FIRE
arm around the main-boom, and with the assistance of
my gang of men, who by this time were also on their
feet and at their stations, the gun was launched into the
ocean. We were obliged to throw overboard also a
great many deep-sea-sounding reels, made very heavy
by the twine with which they were bound ; and as they
were stowed in the launch, amidships, and high above
the rail, they made a good deal of top-hamper. The
Brig now became a great deal easier, and I felt that the
worst was over. One of the heavy seas which struck us
stove in the Brig s side to such an extent that eleven of
the stanchions which supported the bulwarks were car
ried away, and one of the seams near the water s edge
opened to a considerable extent.
After we had escaped from what at one time seemed
almost certain destruction, when the Brig was in immi
nent danger of foundering and if she had done so no
one would have been left to tell the tale a new danger
threatened us, which seemed even more alarming than
that which we had just passed through. When the cy
clone was at its height, a tank of linseed-oil had been
wrenched away from its securings and the contents
thereof discharged into the hold. There was so much
to be thought of during the storm that no one seemed to
think of what the consequences of this drifting oil might
be. The wind and the sea had both abated, so that we
took advantage of it to strike our only remaining gun
down into the hold. After this had been done I went
below, and was trying to get some much-needed rest in
a hammock, when I heard all hands called to quarters. I
immediately rushed on deck, and was met by the officer
of the watch, who informed me that the Brig was on
fire. I went forward at once, thinking that the linseed-
oil might have saturated the sails in the sail-room, there-
137
MEMORIES OF A REA&-ADMIRAL
by producing spontaneous combustion. I had the sail-
room broken out and the sails placed on deck, and found
no traces whatever of fire. The smoke continued to
ascend from the fore-hold, and it was evident that the
origin of the fire was there. We hoisted barrel after
barrel, and found nothing until a barrel of pitch came
up all blackened and charred, showing that the fire had
made some headway where this pitch-barrel came from.
The next hoist brought up a crate of oakum which had
been entirely saturated with the oil, and was partly con
sumed from spontaneous combustion. Had it been in
close contact with the pitch but a short time longer
the fire would have been communicated to the pitch,
when I think we could not possibly have escaped de
struction. We threw the burning crate overboard, and
then made an examination of the hold. By this time
the heat had decreased considerably, yet we continued
to deluge the place with water, and persevered in doing
so until it became evident that we had reached the seat
of the trouble when we found the crate of oakum. It
was a very close call, for the staves of the pitch-barrel
were nearly burned through, and discovery before this
was entirely accomplished was all that saved us. The
fire was very demoralizing, and caused a good deal of
consternation ; and as I was working my way back aft
along the weather bulwarks for the gale had not yet
entirely subsided I heard a poor devil of a Marine, who
was in a great state of alarm, say to his surrounding
comrades that the gale was bad enough, but the fire was
much worse than the gale ever was. There was now
nothing to do but abandon our northern cruise, which
the commanding officer at once determined to do. For
tunately the winds favored us, and we ran along nearly
two hundred miles a day, reaching Lisbon, which was
138
GOOD TIMES IN LISBON
about fifteen hundred miles off, in about eight days. "We
went to work at once to repair damages, which occu
pied a period of about six weeks.
In the meanwhile we enjoyed a season of rest, which
was very grateful after the trying times we had since
leaving the United States. The winter weather was
very delightful in Lisbon in that year, and we enjoyed
it thoroughly. Lisbon is not a very gay capital, and
there was but little to do but go to the Opera. It so
happened that there was an excellent company there at
that time. They were giving Italian operas, and I used
to listen to " La Sonnambula " night after night with a
great deal of pleasure. Our Minister to Portugal at that
time was Mr. Shaddock, a New England man. and a very
creditable representative of our country. He had stay
ing with him a charming niece Miss Kimball. Her
presence made the Legation a very attractive house to
visit. I passed more time there, perhaps, than any of
my companions, and we became great friends. I found
her to be very attractive, and she helped me to spend
very pleasantly much of my time at Lisbon, which oth
erwise would have been dull and uninteresting. She be
came the wife of General Berdan, a well-known officer
of the Civil War, who died only a few years ago. They
had two charming daughters. One became the Countess
D Aunay, and the other the wife of Marion Crawford.
I have met Mrs. Berdan frequently since those far-off
days, and we are yet great friends. She is still a hand
some, attractive woman.
Our repairs were now finished, and we bade good-bye
to our friends and the Opera, and sailed away from the
Tagus. We touched at Teneriffe and communicated
with the Consul, saw the famous Peak, and then made
the best of our way for Madeira. There was no especial
139
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
hurry for our getting home now. The cruise had been
a failure, and we might as well show the flag here and
there, and trifle away a little time before approaching
our own coast while the stormy season was still upon
us. We were not much of a man-of-war, to be sure, as
one gun of the two with which we started was at the
bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and the other in the hold.
We passed a few days agreeably at Madeira, and then
ran into the tropics, and made a sort of zigzag course to
the westward between the parallels of twenty and thirty
degrees north latitude, doing some work in our line, but
nothing, I fancy, that was ever of any use. We finally
reached Norfolk, I think, some time in March, 1853,
after the most uninteresting and uneventful and useless
cruise that one could possibly conceive of. I went to
Washington, visited the Navy Department, and was de
tached in about the time it takes to tell it.
During the rest of the year of 1853, and until Octo
ber, 1854, 1 was employed on the Coast Survey. Lieu
tenant Maxwell Woodhull commanded the party with
which I served. He had under his command the schoon
ers Gallatin and Madison. Woodhull commanded the
Gallatin^ and Rutledge the Madison. We worked in
the neighborhood of Wood s Hole, and did some work
on the coast of New England, and also in the neighbor
hood of Sandy Hook. Rutledge, our Captain, was a
typical South Carolinian of that day, a high-toned, hon
orable fellow, of a sensitive nature, and easily offended.
One of the officers of the Madison said at the table one
day, when the servant handed him the rice, that he had
no respect for any man that ate rice ; he said it thought
lessly, but it gave mortal offence, as Eutledge, in com
mon with all South Carolinians, thought that rice, of all
vegetable foods, was the best. He never spoke to this
140
ANOTHER COAST-SURVEY EXPEDITION
officer again, nor would he take enough notice of him to
call upon him for any duty ; he utterly ignored his pres
ence on board ship. During the foggy or blowy weath
er we passed most of our time at Monomoy Point, where
we were well sheltered; but it was the dullest of all
holes. Our Surgeon, who had nothing in the world to
do, was constantly singing a sort of refrain :
"How it gives my bosom joy,
To be once more in Monomoy."
We ceased from our labors in the autumn of 1853, and
the party removed to Washington for the winter work.
There was not really much for any one to do, except
the draughtsmen, so the members of the party scattered
and spent their time as they pleased.
In the spring of 1854 I joined another Coast-Survey
party, which was under the command of Lieutenant
Stelwaggen. We had a steamer called the Bibb. Fox-
hall Parker was our executive officer; in the party
were Quackenbush, Stout, and my old friend Truxtun,
and some others. We had a very agreeable mess. Our
work was in the neighborhood of Nantucket Shoals. We
made our headquarters at Edgartown, on Martha s Vine
yard, where we were frequently detained by fogs and
weather that was unfavorable for outside work. The
work was not very interesting, but the mess was pleas
ant, and the summer glided happily away. My brother,
General Franklin, was the Engineer Light-house Inspec
tor of the extreme Eastern district ; indeed, he was the
only Inspector. The establishment was in its infancy,
and the system of having Inspectors of both services in
each district had not yet begun. After the summer
work on the survey was over I made him a visit at Port
land, which seemed rather a remote region in those days
141
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
to one who had lived always in the neighborhood of
Mason and Dixon s Line ; but I found my sojourn there
very agreeable. There was a charming little society in
Portland, and I soon came to know the people very well.
It was while on this visit to my brother, in Octo
ber, 1854, that I received orders to Annapolis, to report
for duty to the Superintendent of the Naval Academy.
I was at once placed in the Executive Department,
which was then a sort of Department of discipline and
order. The Academy had not yet emerged entirely
from the condition in which it was when I was a stu
dent there, but matters were very much improved. The
four-years system was in full operation, but there was
still a nine-months class of unruly devils, about twenty-
one years of age, that we found ve^ difficult to man
age. The reins were drawn a good deal tighter than
they had been on us, for we had not been supposed to set
an example to others, while they were, and they were
very restless under discipline and restraint. If I remem
ber aright, this was the last class to go to the Academy
under the old system. They belonged to the class of
Admiral Kirkland, Skerrett, and others of about that
time. I found the duties of the Executive branch of
the Academy but ill-suited to my tastes. It seemed to
me that we were a sort of police force, and I could not
get quite accustomed to the kind of espionage which was
expected of us, so I seized an opportunity which soon
offered of being changed into the Department of Ethics
and English studies. The Chief of the Department was
Professor Nourse ; and while his name is before me I
cannot resist telling of a remark of Jimmy Howison. as
we used to call him, who was then Secretary to the Su
perintendent. The Superintendent and his Secretary
were walking together one day, when the latter saw
142
CAPTAIN LOUIS GOLDSBOROUGH
Professors Nourse and Coffin approaching them, where
upon he said : " Captain, there you behold the begin
ning and the end of life."
The Superintendent of the Academy at this time was
Captain Louis Goldsborough, a man of immense size,
who must have weighed not far from three hundred
pounds, an able and accomplished officer, with manners
somewhat rough, so that he would almost frighten a
subordinate out of his wits, but he was au fond an ex
ceedingly kind-hearted man. His bark was a great deal
worse than his bite. He was a good talker, though,
like most men of his kind, apt to use a good many su
perfluous words. I remember, in an order for the instruc
tion of the officer left in charge for the summer, in re
ferring to the steam-boiler he said, " If the water gets
low, and cold water is admitted to the boiler, it will in
fallibly burst." He had given an order that we Assist
ant Professors should not be absent more than twenty-
four hours. I desired to go to Baltimore, to be absent
longer than the permitted time. In reply to my appli
cation he said, " Understanding that Lieutenant Frank
lin desires to go to Baltimore for the purpose of consult
ing a physician, he has permission to be absent more
than twenty-four hours." I replied that Lieutenant
Franklin did not wish to go to Baltimore for the pur
pose of consulting a physician. He then, in his reply,
said that, " Notwithstanding this very proper correc
tion, Lieutenant Franklin has permission to be absent
beyond the time usually allowed." On another occa
sion, during the summer, when I was about to return to
Annapolis, to take my turn in charge of the Academy,
the wife of the officer whom I was to relieve, who was
very anxious to get away, said to him the evening be
fore, "I am so afraid Mr. Franklin will not be back
143
MEMORIES OF A REAR- ADMIRAL
in time for us to leave to-morrow." "Did he say he
would, madam ?" was his reply. She said, " Yes, sir,
he did." His rejoinder was, "Then, madam, he will
certainly be here." I mention this to show what entire
confidence he had in any one in whom he had confi
dence at all. I cite the other anecdotes to illustrate his
redundancy of language when fewer words would have
answered as well. Louis Goldsborough, as every one at
all conversant with the Naval History of the Civil War
knows, came out of it with great credit and with so
good a record that he was a prominent candidate for
the position of Yice-Admiral when that gallant seaman
and lovely character Kear- Admiral Eowan was elevated
to that high office. Goldsborough received the thanks
of Congress, and remained, in consequence, on duty long
after the usual age of retiring. He died as a Eear-
Admiral, well along in years.
The second in command at the Academy was Com
mander Joseph H. Green. There were a number of
Greens in the Navy, so, to distinguish him, he was al
ways known as Joe Green. He was the Commandant of
Midshipmen, and was at the head of the Department of
Seamanship as well as of Discipline. He bore a very high
character, both as an officer and a man, and he managed
his branch of the Academy with great ability. The
Professors at this time, as well as I can remember, be
sides those I have mentioned, were Chauvenet, Lock-
wood, Giraud, Roget, Hopkins, and Seager. Some of
them were very able men. My associates amongst the
Assistant Professors were Parker, Yan Ness, Philip,
Wainright, Scott, Wilcox, Mayo, and Buckner. There
may have been others who have passed out of my mind.
They were generally fine fellows, some of whom I re
member with a great deal of pleasure. There was a
144
PRACTICE-CRUISE ON THE PREELE
very pleasant society at Annapolis at that time. It was
small, and composed of some of the old Maryland fami
lies which had been distinguished in the early days of the
Colony; amongst the most prominent were the Randalls,
Hagners, Gills, Pinkneys, and many others. I was very
intimate with the Gills, and, if this narrative should
ever reach the eyes of any of the family, I desire them
to know how highly I appreciate all the kindness I re
ceived at their hands.
The Purveyor of the Academy at this time was Colo
nel Swan, for whom everybody had a high respect. He
not only provided for the Midshipmen s mess, but made
those of us who were bachelors very comfortable by
running our mess for us. Swan continued in this posi
tion for many years, and hundreds of Naval officers can
testify to his ability in the conduct of his business, and
to his gentleman-like and kindly character.
The winter of 1854 was not especially interesting. It
was a daily routine of much the same kind of existence.
I endeavored to teach the boys, and incidentally was
teaching myself. I was very glad to have this sort of
mental training, for it brushed up what I had already
known, and taught me a good deal besides. About the
beginning of summer, preparations were made for the
practice-cruise of the Midshipmen. Parker and I and
some others were detailed for the cruise, and were trans
ferred to the Preble, which was commanded by Com
mander Green. Wyman was the Executive officer ; he
eventually became a Rear-Admiral. He had a stroke
of apoplexy in Riggs s Bank one day, and was car
ried to the house where we were both living. He
was too ill to be taken up to his room, so he was
placed in my bed, which was on the first floor, where he
died.
K 145
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
The cruise was not a very eventful one. The prac
tice-ship cruising was then in its infancy. Proper pro
vision for care and well-being of the Midshipmen was
not then made, and the poor boys had a very hard time
of it. They were ill-fed, and were not well cared for.
This, of course, has all been changed since, but at that
time there had been but one little experience in that
line. We sailed from Annapolis towards the middle of
June. Our final destination was Eastport, Maine, but
we touched along at most of the important points lying
between Annapolis and that port. The Midshipmen
were instructed in Seamanship, Navigation, and Gun
nery during the cruise, but all the other studies were
suspended for that time. So the summer passed away,
and the early autumn found us again in Chesapeake
Bay. We had been entertained at various places during
the cruise, so that the youngsters had opportunity of
seeing something of polite life, as well as having the
rough-and-tumble experience of a seaman ; Mrs. Little,
a prominent lady of Portland, gave them a ball, which
they enjoyed immensely, and there were lesser enter
tainments as we cruised up and down the coast, which
helped no-t only to amuse but improve them. We an
chored in the Patuxent Eiver, and remained there sev
eral days. While there, the foremast was stripped, and
the Midshipmen were instructed in the practical part of
rigging ship. This was always considered the finishing-
up part of the cruise. When that was completed we
got under way and went to Annapolis, and the practice-
cruise was at an end. The routine of the Academy
work again began.
The winter of 1855-56 passed without any special
incident. The practice-ship sailed away again, but I
did not go in. her. I went off on leave, a part of which
146
AT WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS
I passed at White Sulphur Springs. There I met my
old friend and shipmate Joe Bradford, and we took a
room together in what was then called Alabama Eow.
This was in the days before the hotel which is now
there had been built. The Caldwells were the owners
of the property, and they pretended to keep a hotel, but
we had to scratch very hard for a living, for they took
the ground that it was the water and not the food for
which they charged. My visit at these Springs at this
time has left a very indistinct impression upon my
mind; I do remember very distinctly, however, a Mr.
Montcure, who always wore knee-breeches and top-
boots ; as I thought of him then, he was the most aris
tocratic-looking American I had ever seen. In getting
to the Springs, much of the trip had to be made by
stage. It was a slow but agreeable way of travelling
then; now it would be intolerable. Many gentlemen
from the Southern country went there in their own car
riages, taking their slaves with them to take care of the
horses and wait upon their masters at the hotel table.
I remember so well that there was an old darky at the
stable who had been there a great many years. It was
his especial business to see that the servants went to the
stables at a certain time to feed their horses, and then
to see that they returned to the hotel ; so he could be
heard calling at the top of his voice three times a day
the following :
Come up, come up, come up and feed,
And then go and wash your hands
And your faces, and go and wait on your
Masters and your Mistresses."
And your faces, and go and
Masters and your Mistresses.
But the railroad drove this old custom away. Fami
lies found it more convenient to go by rail, and when
147
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the new hotel was finished the whole establishment was
conducted on a very different plan.
Bradford and I left the Springs together, and he ac
companied me to Annapolis. My leave of absence had
expired, and my tour of duty in looking out for the
Academy during the recess had commenced. I re
mained there until the return of the practice-cruise,
when we all came together, and the Academy was in
full blast. I did not remain very long there after this.
Teaching boys had become a very irksome task.
CHAPTER XIII
la the South Atlantic Lieutenant Rodgers " Sandy Welsh " In Rio
Again Bahia A Slave-Trader s Palace Montevideo Agreeable
Society Paraguay and Its Dictator Buenos Ayres End of the
Cruise.
TOWARDS the end of the year of 1856 I was detached
and ordered to the Sloop-of-war Falmouth. She was
fitting out at New York for the South Atlantic Station.
The prospect of a three years cruise on the coast of
Brazil and the river La Plata was not very alluring,
but there were worse places, so I made up my mind
that it was not so bad, after all. The commanding offi
cer was Commander Eben Farrand, a very kind-hearted
and amiable man, who did all he could to make us hap
py during the cruise. He insisted upon our using his
cabin as our smoking-room, of which we were often very
glad to take advantage. George Eodgers was the First
Lieutenant, one of the finest seamen that ever stepped
a ship s deck, and in all respects a man of the highest
character. He converted the old Falmouih from a
snub-nosed Sloop-of-war to one of the triggest ships in
which I have ever served. Poor Eodgers was killed in
the Civil War. He was gallantly fighting his ship at
Charleston, when a projectile struck the grating-cover
of the pilot-house of the Monitor which he commanded
and shattered it to pieces. One of these pieces drove
deep into poor Eodgers s brain, and he was instantly
killed. A number of the officers who sailed on this
cruise became Eear- Admirals, and are now holding that
149
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
rank. They are Skerrett, Brown, Walker, Eamsay, and
Kirkland. Skerrett is on the retired list, and the others
are all now on duty. They were then Passed Midship
men, with the exception of Skerrett, who was a Junior
Lieutenant.
The winter of 1856-57 was extremely cold. "When
the Falmouth was ready for sea she had to be cut out
of the ice at the Navy- Yard, and towed down to the
open water in the Bay. While we were fitting out the
ship the officers would go on board every day and at
tend to the work, but it was too bitter cold to attempt
to form the mess until we were compelled to do so
at the last moment. Meanwhile most of us, including
the Captain, lived at the Mansion House, in Chambers
Street, New York, kept by Stelle & Letson. I mention
this because it was an old Navy house, where officers
could be exceedingly well cared for at reasonable prices.
The proprietors owned a farm not far from the city,
from which most of the supplies of the hotel were
drawn. There were a number of these old-fashioned
establishments in New York then, well known to Naval
officers. Prominent amongst them was a restaurant kept
by a man known as " Sandy Welsh." Apropos of his
name : Admiral Thatcher once told me that some lady
wishing to have her husband ordered to a certain ship,
he said to her : " Why don t you write to Sandy Welsh ?"
having the name in his mind, but meaning Charles W.
Welsh, Chief Clerk of the Navy Department, who ran
things there generally at that time. So she wrote the
letter and addressed it to " Sandy Welsh, Chief Clerk,"
etc., etc. She received an immediate reply, as follows :
" MADAME, Your letter has been received, but your request can-
DOt be complied with.
" (Signed) CHAS. W. WELSH (not SANDY)."
150
AT RIO DE JANEIRO
The day we sailed from New York was bitter cold,
but soon we ran into the Gulf Stream and thawed out.
We had been so long in the ice at the Navy- Yard be
fore sailing that the nail-heads of the copper about the
water-line were worn off, and on the passage to Rio so
much of the copper was torn away that, as there was
no dry-dock in South America at that time, it was found
necessary to return to the United States to have the
ship docked. We remained but a short time on the Sta
tion, and sailed for home to have this very important
matter attended to as soon as possible, going to Ports
mouth, N. H., where the ship was docked immediately.
We were soon ready for sea again, and returned to our
Station. The Squadron on the coast of Brazil then con
sisted of but two ships. The St. Lawrence was the
Flag-ship. Commodore French Forrest was the Com
mander - in - Chief of this small fleet. Our cruising-
ground was rather limited. The only ports which we
visited during the cruise of two years and a half were
Bio, Bahia, Montevideo, and Buenos Ayres. The most
important of these was Rio de Janeiro, capital of the
Brazilian Empire. It was constantly growing in im
portance and increasing in population. Brazil was a
mild monarchy, where the people were as free as the peo
ple of the United States. The Empire was just then be
ginning to build railroads, and had taken up the march
of improvement in every way, and the country has been
developing ever since. In a former part of this narra
tive I have referred to the beauties of this magnificent
Bay, but one never tires of calling them to mind, and
the Organ Mountains, as they overlooked the harbor,
seemed more beautiful than ever. Up in these moun
tains is a celebrated watering-place called Petropolis.
It has much the same relation to Brazil that Simla has
151
MEMORIES OF A RE AR- ADMIRAL
to India. To this place flock in the hot summers the
wealth and fashion of Brazil, and thus escape the in
tense heat of that tropical region. I never visited Pe-
tropolis, but passed several days at another watering-
place not far from Rio, called Tajuca. It is by no
means so high as Petropolis, but is still high enough to
cause considerable relief from the sweltering heat of the
City. The view from there is superb ; indeed, one can
not go amiss, in this particular, from any point that
overhangs this lovely Bay.
There was not much to attract us to the shore, except
to be rid for a while of the monotony of ship-life ; there
was absolutely no society. Our Minister, Mr. Meade,
was a Virginian, who lived at Boto Fogo, a beautiful lit
tle suburb of Rio. He had quarters at the Hotel Grande
Bretagne, a house containing large, cool, airy rooms. To
this place a party of us would frequently go and pass
the day and night. The sea-breezes would draw through
the large rooms of this comfortable hotel, and we found
we could spend twenty-four hours at a time very happily
without going outside of the four walls. We would
have our game of poker, our good dinner, and a com
fortable night s rest, and would return on board ship
the next morning very much refreshed, and go at our
work with renewed vigor. Mr. Meade was a dignified,
quiet gentleman, and a very creditable representative of
our country. I do not know whether he was married or
not, but he had no family with him. The name of the
Consul at this time was Scott. We did not see much of
him. I believe he made a good Consul, and had the
commercial interests of the United States very much at
heart.
We did not remain at Rio much of the time during
our cruise. That dreadful scourge, the yellow-fever,
152
COMMODORE FRENCH FORREST
had fastened itself so firmly upon the place that it was
no longer the resort it had been for ships-of-war in for
mer years. "When I first went there, I think the fever
was unknown, but at the time of which I write I be
lieve Kio was never without some cases. The Purser
of the Flag-ship was invalided home, which sent our
Purser (Abbot) to her. The Commodore was very anx
ious that I should take his place, so he appointed me an
acting Purser; the disbursing officers of ships still re
tained the old title, which has since been superseded by
that of Paymaster. The office exempted me for the re
mainder of the cruise from night-watches, and event
ually gave me additional pay. I was very intimate
with the Commander-in-Chief, and went about with
him a good deal on shore. He was an amiable man,
who took life very easy, and caught at pleasure as it
flew ; I enjoyed being with him, for he had a sort of
personal magnetism which made him an attractive com
panion. The Commodore had no Flag Lieutenant, but
Assistant Surgeon Peck was such a constant companion
of his that we called him Flag Lieutenant. Peck was
a very good fellow, and a very loyal friend of Forrest s.
The Falmouth visited the Port of Bahia; and, al
though the City is not very interesting, this visit was
one of the most pleasing incidents of the cruise. Our
Consul was a very charming man named Gilmer,
who had filled the position for many years. He was
also a merchant, and lived very comfortably in a large
house on the hill, which is the resident part of the town.
He had a very agreeable wife, and altogether their home
was most attractive. They were good enough to invite
the Captain and me to be their guests during our stay
at Bahia, and we were very glad to accept the invita
tion. Bahia is composed of two distinct cities. The
153
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
business part, which is on the water-front, does not pos
sess a single dwelling-house, while that on the hill is
without a single commercial establishment. To go from
the business to the dwelling part is like going into the
country, and yet the distance between the two is not at all
great, but the hill, which it is necessary to mount, is very
precipitous, and in those days there were no means of
being conveyed there except in sedan-chairs. These
were suspended on a long pole, at either end of which
was a stout negro, generally of the purest Congo blood.
The motion of the sedan-chairs is not unpleasant, but
quite unlike that of any other mode of conveyance. I
went about a good deal in them in getting back and
forth from my home at the Consul s. The negroes of
Bahia were the finest of the race that I have ever seen.
If the slave-trade did not then exist, it had only re
cently been discontinued, so that the specimens I then
saw must have been lately imported. They were as
black as ebony, their forms almost perfect, and the ex
hibition of strength in their muscular development was
something wonderful. It could be easily seen, as they
wore nothing but clouts about their loins. It was really
a beautiful sight to see eight or ten of these fellows at
the two ends of a pole, with an immense cask of sugar
or molasses slung between them, singing as they trotted
along with a load which seemed to me enough to crush
them, saluting us as they passed by, varying their song
to a sort of grunt, and giving us a pleasant smile as
they lifted their feet from the ground all together, look
ing as if they meant to say, " We don t mind it."
One of the most interesting sights which I witnessed
while I was at Bahia was the palace of a slave-trader
a negro who had become immensely rich through traf
fic in people of his own race. He had a number of
154
IN A SLAVE-TRADER S PALACE
wives, whom he left in Africa. As his children grew
up he would bring them, to Brazil and have them edu
cated. On the day that we were at his palace there
happened to be but one of them at home. She was a
nice-looking, bronze - colored girl, with good features,
well dressed in some simple, cool garment, suitable to
the climate. Mr. Gilmer requested that she might be
brought into the parlor where we were seated, where
she soon made her appearance a little shy, but not
enough so to make her appear at all ill at ease. She
had apparently been brought up in luxury, and had
perhaps learned good manners from governesses, or
those who had had charge of her. The Consul, who
seemed familiar with the usages of the establishment,
asked her to play, when she sat down to the piano and
rattled off some of the choicest bits of " II Trovatore."
We were all delighted with this performance, for it was
so exceedingly well done. Her father, the owner of the
palace, was absent on the Coast of Africa, gathering
a fresh cargo, with which to add to the wealth accu
mulated in this nefarious trade in his own race, and
possibly his own blood. I have never forgotten the
remark of the Consul as we emerged from the building :
" Gentlemen," he said, " this is all the result of wool
and ivory."
Besides sugar and coffee, I was very much surprised
to find that tobacco of an excellent quality was also an
article of commerce. The cigars seemed to me but
slightly, if at all, inferior to those of Cuba ; indeed, I
do not remember to have smoked better anywhere.
They were well made, and of a delicious flavor. The
wonder is that they have never been exported to the
United States. At the time of which I write there
were some very rich men in Brazil. There were diamond
155
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
and coffee millionaires with them then, just as there are
railroad and Standard Oil millionaires with us now. I
was told by Colonel Garnett, an American who was there,
employed in railroad building, that in the rich Province
of Matto-Grosso there lived a princely Brazilian who
owned vast estates, upon which he worked his slaves in
thousands. He had his Catholic Chapel and his superb
band of many instruments, and governed his people
more like a ruler than a subject of the Emperor s. He
was far removed from the seat of power, and as the
Provinces were almost independent then of the central
Government, he managed things pretty much according
to his own whims. In 1858 the House of Maxwell,
Wright & Co. still existed in Rio. It had made many
fortunes for its people, but I think it was then approach
ing its end, and I believe it has now ceased to exist
altogether. It had been a great power in the mercan
tile world ; its hospitable doors were always thrown
open to Americans, and, as in the great houses in China,
there were spare seats at the dinner-table every day,
which officers were expected to fill without formal in
vitation whenever it suited their convenience.
Most of our time during the cruise was passed in the
River La Plata. Montevideo was at this time a con
siderable port, but by no means equal in importance to
what it has since become. It was then torn by revolu
tions, which were of very frequent occurrence, but in
spite of this disorganized condition it has been steadily
increasing, until now it has grown to be a large and
handsome city. The Flag-ship St. Lawrence was obliged
to lie three or four miles from the landing, and even
then her draught of water was so great that she was
frequently in the mud. The Falmouih, by her less
draught, was enabled to lie quite in the port. We
156
AGREEABLE SOCIETY AT MONTEVIDEO
anchored near Gowland s Wharf, and made prepara
tions for a long stay. Soon we became quite domes
ticated,, and mingled freely with the inhabitants, many
of whom were very agreeable people. I have in my
mind as I write the very interesting family of Don
Juan Gowland, whose lovely daughter, Consuelo, mar
ried Kirkland, the present Rear- Admiral. We went a
great deal to Mr. Gowland s house, where we had music
and dancing, and practised our Spanish. The Senora
and her charming daughters always gave us a hearty
welcome, and there is no family that I have met abroad
of which I have a more pleasant remembrance. I have
met Mrs. Kirkland since, and she is a lovely woman
now, as she was a lovely girl then. She is the mother
of several children, one of whom I know; she also
was a lovely girl, and is now a lovely woman.
I remember but one American who resided in Mon
tevideo at that time. His name was Usher. He had
been, I think, a Midshipman in our Navy, and was af
terwards a Commander in the Brazilian Navy. He
married a woman of the country and had an interesting
family. His house was a great resort for the officers of
the Squadron. We could hear our own language spoken
there, and there we also practised our Spanish and drank
mate, or Paraguay tea. This beverage is served in a
sort of gourd, generally mounted with silver, into which
is inserted a silver tube. It is drunk as we drink a julep.
The hospitality of a house in that part of South America
is not considered complete until the mate is brought in.
Each one partakes of a few mouthfuls, and then passes
it to his neighbor. The tube is sometimes too hot for
comfort, but the Orientates, as Uruguayans are called,
first sip it, holding the tube with their teeth, without
touching their lips to it. In the long-run the teeth
157
MEMORIES OF A HE AR- ADMIRAL
suffer from this practice, and I have noticed frequently
in South America that the beauty of a face has been
marred by the injurious habit. I do not believe, how
ever, that any true Orientate or Portena could be in
duced to abandon the custom; I believe they would
make almost any sacrifices rather than give up this
cherished luxury. I contracted the habit to some ex
tent myself, but never became enthusiastically fond of
it. Lauriana Usher, who was the beauty of the family,
was a great favorite with us all. She spoke English
very well, but was always most patient in teaching us
her own language. She was a pretty, attractive girl,
and a beautiful, graceful dancer, very amiable withal,
and ready to do what she could to make the time of her
half-countrymen pass pleasantly. She married a citizen
of Uruguay, as I afterwards learned ; since then I have
entirely lost sight of her. There were a great many
Naval officers at Montevideo about this time, owing to
the arrival of Commodore Shubrick in his Flag -ship,
the Sabine, with a squadron of small steamers, about
which I shall have something to say further on. Many
of the officers who were there then will no doubt recog
nize some of the Montevideo names that I am about to
mention the Lafones, the Garcias, the Castillanos, the
Jacksons, and others whose names I have forgotten.
They were all prominent people then, and they added
very much to the pleasure of our sojourn at Montevideo.
There was a German there by the name of Bushenthal,
perhaps the best-known, and probably the richest, man
in the city. He was the first one to establish a good
hotel in Montevideo. He placed in charge of it his
butler and cook. It supplied a much-needed want, and
we enjoyed its comforts very much. It was admirably
conducted in every way, as I had ample opportunity of
158
PARAGUAY BROUGHT TO TERMS
knowing, for I took up my quarters there when it was
opened and remained there a long time. As I was
Purser, I lived on shore, and fully enjoyed its comforts.
Bushenthal, to whom we were indebted for all this com
fort, was an elegant " dude " of about fifty, an excellent
talker, and always faultlessly dressed. He had a lisp,
owing to the loss of one of his front upper teeth. This
vacant space was his especial vanity. He fancied that
it distinguished him from others, and gave him an air
peculiarly his own, so he never had the tooth replaced.
He was an interesting man. I never tired of hearing
him talk, and always liked him very much.
The Kepublic of Paraguay was at this time a sort
of military despotism. It was as much a state within
itself then as Japan was. The Dictator Lopez dis
couraged all intercourse with foreigners, and wished to
have nothing to do with the outside world. He was
represented as a cruel, blood-thirsty tyrant. His pred
ecessor, Francia, was said to be such a monster that
people grew pale even at the mention of his name. An
American surveying-vessel, while examining some of the
tributaries of the La Plata, passing near a Paraguayan
fort, was fired into, and I think one of the crew was
either killed or badly wounded. For this outrage the
Dictator declined to give any satisfaction to the Gov
ernment of the United States. After waiting patient
ly for a long time, it was determined finally to send a
Commissioner, backed up by a fleet, to demand repara
tion at the cannon s mouth. The Commissioner s name
was Boland ; his Secretary was the celebrated Sam
Ward, afterwards " King of the Lobby " at Washing
ton. The fleet was commanded, as I stated before, by
Commodore Shubrick. The steamers of the fleet were
a lot of broken-down hulks, unworthy of the name of
159
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ships of war, and a laughing-stock to other nations ; still,
I suppose it was the best we could do, and as they
frightened Lopez into making the terms we demanded,
they answered our purpose as well as a better-equipped
force. The Minister and his Secretary ascended the
river in a vessel of war, and the result was that Lopez
acceded to all our demands. I happen to remember a
funny thing that Drayton, who was Commodore Shu-
brick s Chief - of - Staff, told me at the time about Sam
Ward. Everybody who knew anything about the great
lobbyist will remember what a very high opinion he
had of his own importance. "When the vessels were or
dered to be ready to sail at three o clock in the after
noon, he said to Drayton, "Why, they cannot sail at
that time !" " Why 3" said Drayton ; and Sam replied,
" Because my washed clothes would not be in at that
hour." " Do you suppose they are going to wait for
your washed clothes?" said Drayton. A failure to do
this, Sam Ward thought, would be a very hard case in
deed; I do not remember whether they were left be
hind or not. Since the creation of the rank of Flag-
officer, without any especial title, we had been in the
habit of addressing our Commander - in - Chief as Ad
miral, to which he took very kindly. When Commo
dore Shubrick, whom everybody called Commodore,
arrived on the Station, we were confronted with an
embarrassing problem. Our own Chief was the junior,
and yet he had the title of a superior officer. It was
anomalous, to say the least of it. I do not remember,
however, that any friction was caused by it, for Shu-
brick soon sailed for home, taking his lame ducks with
him.
We soon settled down again to the routine duties of
the Station. The " Admiral " took the Falmouth and
160
GOOD TIMES AT BUENOS AYRES
went with us to Buenos Ayres. It was an uncomfort
able place to lie at that time, for we were obliged to
anchor three or four miles from the shore. It made
but little difference to me, for, as Purser, I took up
my quarters on shore. The " Admiral," Dr. Peck, and
I established ourselves at the Hotel de 1 Europe, an
excellent house indeed, the best at that time in Buenos
Ayres. We found the Consul living there, so we formed
at table &partie carree, and always dined together very
pleasantly. The Consul was William Holley Hudson,
an excellent officer, one of the most strikingly hand
some men I have ever seen ; indeed, I have often known
people turn around in the street to gaze at him ; nor
do I wonder at it, for he was a pleasant sight to look
upon. He was as good a fellow as he was a handsome
man, and I was very much indebted to him for what
ever enjoyment I had at Buenos Ayres. We saw a good
deal of Mrs. Chandler, the wife of Chandler, who died a
Rear-Admiral. Chandler was at the time attached to
the surveying-vessel we had in these waters, command
ed by Thomas Jefferson Page. Mrs. Chandler inter
ested herself in getting up entertainments for us, and
contributed largely to our pleasure while we were in
the city. There was a very beautiful Portena (which
means a native of the Port of Buenos Ayres) there at
this time, named Carmencita Saavedra. She was a great
favorite with all American Naval officers, and finally
married an American merchant of the name of Zimmer
man. I never saw her, I think, but once, yet her im
age is still impressed upon my mind as if it were yes
terday, so very beautiful was she at that time. The
women of the River La Plata always seemed to me far
superior to the men. They were as fine specimens of
women as one would find in any part of the world, and
L 161
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
generally made excellent wives and mothers. It was
my good-fortune to be intimate with a family at Mon
tevideo, where no English was spoken, so I was obliged
either to keep my mouth shut or to speak Spanish,
which I did, bad as it was. In this way I learned the
language rapidly, and by the time I left the Station was
a fairly good Spanish scholar.
A great change has taken place in those waters since
the days of which I write. Ships can go right up to
the city and load at wharves, while at that time the car
goes were taken out to the lighters in the river in horse-
carts, and then lightered out to the ships in the stream.
There were no railroads then ; now a railroad extending
from Buenos Ayres to Santiago is nearly completed, if
not entirely finished. Buenos Ayres is now a great
city, probably the metropolis of South America. These
cities of the southern half of the continent do not seem
to be retarded by revolutions, but grow in spite of them.
Even Patagonia and Terra del Fuego, which were con
sidered a few years ago fit abodes only for the lowest
grade of savages, have now become sheep-raising and
gold -hunting countries, and have held out inducements
strong enough to cause colonists from distant parts of
the globe to settle within their borders.
The cruise of the Falmoutli was now drawing to a
close. "We had reached the middle of the year 1859,
and had been absent from home about two years and a
half. The terms of service of the crew were about ex
piring, and it was nearly time to pay them off. I do
not remember whether we were ordered home by the
Department, or whether the " Admiral " gave us the
order. Flag-officers in those days had to act a great
deal more on their own responsibility than they do now,
being, as they always are, at the other end of a tele-
162
RETURN FROM THE SOUTH ATLANTIC
graphic cable. Forrest told me once that he had not had
any communication from the Department for a year.
Such a condition of things would seem impossible now.
We accordingly sailed for home, and reached New York
about the middle of the summer. The ship was paid
off, and we all went to our homes with three months
leave of absence. As I was Purser, I was delayed sev
eral days in New York after the others left, but, as soon
as I had paid off the crew, I followed, glad enough to be
rid of the ship and to have finished the cruise, which
had become very tiresome.
CHAPTER XIV
"Ordnance Duty" The War Cloud Friendships Broken On the
Macedonian Key West and Pensacola War-Time The Priva
teer Sumter La Guayra and Caraccas In Chase of the Sumter
Home Again.
AFTEK my leave of absence had expired I sought em
ployment, and was ordered to the Washington Navy-
Yard, where I reported for duty in the Ordnance De
partment. There were several of us there, and I
presume the idea was that we should pick up such infor
mation as we could, but I do not remember that any one
took the trouble to teach us anything. Naval officers
had no such advantages then as they have now. There
were no "War Colleges or Torpedo Schools ; there was no
Bureau of Intelligence indeed, there were but few in
ducements held out to us to get above the level of the
routine Naval drudge. This is all changed now, and the
modern men have opportunities which, well availed of,
should make them the most accomplished Naval officers
in the world. I soon tired of this Ordnance duty, as it
was called. The only thing I ever did was to work out
by rule of thumb some problem connected with the ten
sile strength of iron. I never understood it, and no one
ever took the trouble to explain to me the principle of
what I was doing. I soon had my station changed to
the Observatory. The facilities held out here for im
provement in the higher branches of the profession were
no greater than they had been in the Ordnance Depart-
164
CIVIL WAR THREATENED
ment of the Navy- Yard. I do not mean to say that I
would have availed myself of them if they had been,
but I think the older officers should have shown more
interest in the improvement of their subordinates in the
scientific departments than they did at that time. I am
glad to be able to say that it is so no longer. The work
that the Superintendent gave me was to take from a lot
of log-books the record of the thermometer and barom
eter for each day, extending over a period of many
months. This sort of thing, if kept up much longer,
would, I feel sure, have dulled my intellect. A person
who could barely read and write was quite equal to this
humdrum work. I did not, however, remain long at it.
I was detached, and went on leave of absence.
It was now the summer of 1860. The country was in
the fever heat of a most exciting political campaign. It
was evident then that if Mr. Lincoln were elected there
was trouble ahead. I passed a portion of the summer
at White Sulphur Springs. Since 1856, when I had vis
ited the Springs before, great changes had taken place.
A new hotel had been built, commodious enough to
take in all who were likely to patronize it. The man
ager was an ex -Naval officer of the name of Hum
phreys. Of course there was a great improvement upon
the old days. People could drink the waters, and en
joy the comforts of a good hotel besides, which was
more than they could have done for years before.
There were a great many people there from the South,
but not many from the North. Indeed, Northern peo
ple were quite out of place ; they were on Southern
soil, and, with the feeling at that time, the Southerners
considered it was peculiarly their own, and seemed to
look upon us as intruders upon their domain. I had
been a good deal in Washington, and some of the bitter-
165
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
est partisans were amongst my most intimate friends.
Dr. G win s family were there, and I had been in the
habit of visiting very frequently at their house when I
was in the city. Another of my intimate friends was
Ben McCullough, the former Texas Ranger. Then
there was Tod, of the Army, who was intimate with all
of us (although I cannot call him a bitter Southerner) ;
Mrs. Myers, whose husband was at that time an officer
of the Army, in the Quartermaster s Department, was
also there. We formed a very pleasant little coterie at
the Springs, and although the times looked dangerous,
none of us believed we were so near the most terrible
Civil War that the world had ever known. Most of us
separated then, not to meet, except for a short time in
New York, until the restoration of peace. Many of
those with whom I was intimate then survived the War,
and I have been on more or less pleasant terms with
them ever since. Mrs. Gwin is now living in California.
I saw her only a few years ago in San Francisco ; her
daughters, Mrs. Coleman and Miss Carrie, are there
also. William Gwin, her only son, is, I believe, some
where on the Pacific Slope. Mrs. Myers died only a
few years ago. She was a lovely woman. She did not
very long survive her husband, who was one of the most
thorough gentlemen I have ever known. When he was
about to die he named his pall-bearers, and I felt it a
distinguished honor to be chosen as one of them. The
others of the company were Eobert McLane, General
Joe Johnston, and a few more whose names have passed
out of my memory. Tod, of the Army, died while at the
Arsenal at Jefferson Barracks. He was in the Ord
nance and in charge of the works at that place. He
had but little to employ his time, and amused himself
raising blooded stock. One day, while driving one of
166
A STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR
his own teams, he lost control of the horses, was precipi
tated to the ground, and instantly killed. Dr. Gwin
did not live many years after the War. I was a fre
quent visitor at his house in San Francisco. He was a
charming talker, to whom I always listened with the
greatest pleasure. To my mind, Judge Jerry Black and
Dr. Gwin were two of the most interesting men this
country has produced.
Most of us, after separating at the Springs, met again
in New York. The Gwins, Tod, Ben McCullough, and
I were inseparable. Miss Lucy Gwin and Ben McCul
lough used to think that Tod and I were Abolitionists,
and Miss Lucy, who hated one as she did a rattlesnake,
was constantly chiding us with it, but she was not cer
tain enough about it to let it interfere with her friend
ship for us. But these pleasant friendships were soon
broken up. Mr. Lincoln was elected and the troubles
began to come. The Southern people went mad. and
got the worst of it. But the War has been long over,
and there are no better Americans at this day than our
Southern brothers. I am reminded just here of a story
told me by a friend, Captain Parker (commonly called
" Billy " by his friends). The scene is laid in Norfolk ;
the occasion was a small tea-party, and the subject under
discussion the late Civil War. After some exciting talk,
one of the ladies said, "The South has been defeated
for the time, but she will rise again" Whereupon Cap
tain S , formerly a Lieutenant in the Navy, said,
" There is no rise in me." Which goes to show that the
people who did the fighting knew what it was, and had
no desire to renew it.
I was ordered to the Frigate Macedonian late in the
year of 1860. The Secessionists had taken possession of
the Navy- Yard at Pensacola, and we were ordered to
167
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
that point to form part of a Squadron of observation,
for regular hostilities had not yet begun. The Macedo
nian was fitting out in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
where the weather at that time was intensely cold. By
a piece of bad management the crew was sent from
Boston on Christmas Day. The Navy- Yard was closed,
as it was a holiday, and it was impossible to get even a
candle with which to light the ship, or indeed any other
necessary article. The crew was hustled on board, and
we were obliged to take care of them as best we could.
Of course Jackie was drunk he always gets drunk on
such occasions, or, I should rather say, he did in those
days and as we had no organization whatever, Lieu
tenant Summer ville Nicholson and I were obliged to
organize ourselves into a police force. We were com
pelled to rush in amongst a crowd of drunken sailors,
and knock down and drag out until we succeeded, final-
\y, in restoring order. It was one of the most uncom
fortable nights that I ever passed in all my Naval ex
perience. The next day things shook down a little, and
in a week we were in fairly good running order.
The captain was u Jimmy" Glynn. I hardly ever
heard him called by any other name, so I will let it
remain so. Marine was the Executive officer. Sum-
merville Nicholson, a dashing fellow, was Second Lieu
tenant. Ward, who left us and went South, was one of
the Lieutenants, and a nice little fellow, whose name
was Babcock, was another. The Navigator was Bunce,
who now commands our fleet on the coast. The Marine
officer was McCawley, who afterwards became the Com
mandant of the Corps. The two medical officers were
Grier and Iglehart. The former became Surgeon-Gen
eral, and is now living, not far from eighty years of age.
Iglehart went South. He was a nice fellow, and I was
168
BOUND FOR PENSACOLA
sorry to lose him. Most of these officers are now dead.
Those only that I know are living are Grier, Nicholson,
Bunce, and myself.
When the ship was ready for sea we sailed for Key
West, where we arrived after a reasonable passage.
"Jimmy" Glynn performed as pretty a piece of sea
manship when we entered Key West as I have ever seen.
He took the ship right up to the wharf under sail and
secured her there. Take him altogether, I think he was,
perhaps, about the best seaman with whom I have ever
served. To be sure, he ran the ship ashore several times,
but he did not seem to mind that, and would say, " It
was good practice for the officers and men to get her
off." At Key West we re-stowed the hold, and, having
finished that and some other work, we sailed for Pensa-
cola, taking the Tortugas en route. In the latter place
we found the late General Meigs in charge. Floyd,
Buchanan s Secretary of War, had sent him there to
get him out of the way, but Floyd did himself more
harm than good, for Meigs did excellent work there,
and soon established for himself a reputation in the
Army which made him eventually Quartermaster-Gen
eral, one of the very best the country has ever had. He
came on board the Macedonian several times whilst we
were there, and many years after the War he told me
something which had long since passed out of my mind.
He said that he saw me one day drilling my division at
the guns ; that I had my ordnance manual in my hand,
and that as I explained to the men their duties they
exhibited so much intelligence, and seemed to be so
anxious to take in all that I was telling them, that it
made an impression upon his mind that had never been
effaced. Somehow or other, strange to say, I seemed
to recall the occasion to which he referred. I say,
169
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
strange to say, for these drills were an every-day occur
rence with us.
We finally reached our destination off Pensacola. A
singular state of affairs existed there then. The ]STavy-
Yard was held by the enemy, while a Squadron of ob
servation cruised off the harbor. The United States
mails were still coming through, and one of our small
steamers, flying a flag of truce, was constantly plying
between the cruisers and the Navy- Yard. We did not
remain here very long, not long enough to see the de
struction which followed by the burning of the Navy-
Yard by the enemy. About this time the European
Powers, notably France, were taking advantage of the
big contract we had on our hands to interfere in the
affairs of Mexico, which resulted in the accession of
Maximilian to the throne as Emperor of that country,
and his final overthrow and execution later on. In view
of the situation it was thought proper by our Govern
ment to station a man-of-war at Yera Cruz to watch the
course of events. We were selected, and soon sailed for
that point, but it was the season of violent gales from
the north. We anchored at Sacrificio, an island four
miles from Yera Cruz, and remained at this anchorage
for several months. It was about the dullest and most
uninteresting work in which I have ever been engaged.
Meanwhile the Civil War was upon us, and we re
turned to Key West just in time to hear of the battle
of Bull Eun. The privateer Sumter was out running
amuck amongst our merchant - ships, and had already
done a good deal of execution when we reached there.
Every craft that was available, and that could be spared
from other service, was sent in search of her, amongst
others the Macedonian. It was a good deal like sending
a tortoise to catch a hare. Still there was a possibility
170
FROM LA GUAYRA TO CARACCAS
of meeting her in a neutral port, and " Jimmy " Gly nn
told me that if he did so meet her he intended to sink
her then and there, and leave the neutral nation to
settle the matter with the United States as best she
could. So we sheeted home our top-sails and kept away
for the Spanish Main. Our first port was La Guayra,
where we remained for several days. The Captain
asked me to accompany him to Caraccas, and I was
very glad to accept his invitation. We started off in
dashing style in a vehicle drawn by three horses in the
form of a spike-team. The distance was about twelve
miles, and the ascent to the City about five or six thou
sand feet. We flew along at a racketing pace with our
mountain horses, which seemed to do their work with a
hearty good-will, without any apparent effort, through
out the whole journey. The trip from La Guayra to
Caraccas is probably one of the most beautiful drives in
the world. As one ascends, Alps seem to rise upon Alps,
unfolding to the view scenery as grand and sublime as
can be seen in any part of the world. As we descended
the hills our driver would let his horses out, and they
would rush down at a breakneck pace past the edges of
ravines fearfully precipitous, the valleys lying a thou
sand feet below. I would hold my breath as we
rushed by them, for had a wheel worked off nothing
could have saved us from destruction. There were no
brakes on the wagons, nor were there breechings to the
horses, so, when once started, there was nothing to stop
them but the rise of the hill we were approaching.
Dangerous as all this seemed, I was told that accidents
were rare, for the vehicles were good, as well as the
horses, and the drivers were excellent. We found
Caraccas a very pretty city, very Spanish in its char
acter, like all the cities of South America, clean and
171
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
well drained, and very picturesque, not only from
within, but from without as well. The climate is su
perb, for it is there perpetual spring. While it is situ
ated in the torrid zone, its great elevation so tempers it
that one is never too warm or too cold. Venezuela
will, no doubt, in time, become an important country.
I think England appreciates this, and so hesitates to
give up her hold upon the rich portion which she claims,
and which but lately has been the subject of a diplomatic
controversy. The early discoverers thought they saw
in some portion of Venezuela something that reminded
them of Venice, and so they gave it the name it now
bears, that of Little Venice.
We returned to La Guayra and sailed almost immedi
ately for the Island of Trinidad. Beating to windward
on that coast is a most difficult undertaking, to which
Columbus, if he were living, could testify, for he tried it,
with about the same success that we had. We endeav
ored to keep close inshore in the hope of avoiding the
strong current caused by the trade -winds. Then we
tried beating through the passage between the Island of
Magdalena and the mainland, where we plunked the
ship ashore on two different occasions. It was all of no
avail. We did gain a little to windward, but we were
using up a great deal of time for a trifling result. We
were still looking for the Sumter, without the most re
mote chance of ever finding her. Still, Captain "Jimmy "
Glynn thought it possible he might find her in some
West India port, so he gave up Trinidad and squared
away for St. Thomas. We had a good breeze and soon
stretched across the Caribbean Sea. We sighted " Sail
Kock " in the morning, and anchored at St. Thomas soon
after. Apropos of " Sail Kock," which is so called be
cause it resembles a ship under full sail, Glynn told me
172
AT ST. THOMAS
that he sailed with some Captain who was so afraid of
running into it that, in starting from the Spanish Main
for St. Thomas, he never closed his eyes until he reached
there. I can quite understand it, for I have known
many such men in my experience. " Jimmy " was not
one of them, however, for I never knew a bolder navi
gator. Before reaching St. Thomas we spoke an Amer
ican merchant-ship. She had been boarded by the Sum-
ter, and, I presume, had everything of any value taken
out of her by that privateer, and was then ransomed. The
Captain of the merchant - vessel was ranging up and
down the quarter-deck of his ship in a towering rage,
denouncing the Captain of the Iroquois, who, he thought,
ought to have captured the Sunder. A few days before
he came very near doing so, but luck was against him,
and she eluded his grasp one very dark night. I think
she made her escape from Martinique. The Captain of
the Iroquois had made every disposition to insure suc
cess, but the fates were against him, and she escaped.
He was James Palmer, of whom Farragut had a very
high opinion. I think he commanded the Flag-ship
when the Admiral passed the Mississippi Forts. Palmer
died of yellow-fever in the West Indies after the War.
He was a Rear- Admiral at the time, and commanded our
squadron in those seas. We found St. Thomas, one of the
Danish West India Islands, a very convenient stopping-
place during the War. Our steamers were constantly put
ting in there for coal. The ships were coaled by women,
who formed a procession from the coal-pile, each one
carrying a basket on her head. In this way a ship was
rapidly coaled. It would be a valuable coaling station
for the United States, which at one time was in negotia
tion for it, but it would be so only if it were well forti
fied. It seems to me that it would be very unwise for
173
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
this Government to establish coaling stations at any
point which is not fortified and controlled by it, for in
time of war such stations would be easy prey to an ene
my whose naval force might for the time be superior to
ours.
I presume that the authorities at the JSTavy Depart
ment finally concluded that the Macedonian, in her pur
suit of the Sumter, was engaged in a hopeless under
taking, for we found orders at St. Thomas to return
to the United States. We sailed for Boston about the
15th of December, 1861, and soon reached the neigh
borhood of George s Shoal. We buffeted about between
there and Boston Bay, encountering gale after gale, ac
companied with snow and intense cold. The weather
was so severe that we could no longer keep the four
hours watch, but took our turns more frequently, and
only two hours at a time. I think it was altogether the
roughest experience I had ever had. When the wind
was fair for running in the weather was foul and we
could see nothing, and when the weather was fair the
wind would be ahead and we could make almost noth
ing towards our port. During this trying weather one
of the crew died. We had him laid out, and were keep
ing his body with the hope of giving him a decent bur
ial on shore, but the men, used up by the cold and loss
of rest, attributed our ill-luck, in their own supersti
tious way, to the retention of the body on board. So
the Captain, in deference to this feeling, directed that it
should be buried at once. The night was dark and
stormy when the poor fellow was taken to the gang
way, and in the presence of his messmates, by the light
of a solitary lantern, was launched into the sea. We
finally succeeded in getting into Boston Bay, but we
were obliged to anchor and remain at anchor for several
174
LEAVE THE MACEDONIAN
days, while the northwest gale that was blowing should
blow itself out. The Macedonian was put out of com
mission, and the crew transferred to the gunboats that
were fitting out there. The officers soon dispersed;
some went to their homes, others to the new duties that
were awaiting them.
CHAPTER XV
In Hampton Roads Raid of the Merrimac Destruction of the Con
gress and the Cumberland The Monitor Appears Fight of the Iron
cladsOn the Dacotah End of the Merrimac With Farragut at
New Orleans First Command on the Aroostook An Accident at
Washington.
IN the early days of 1862 I was ordered to duty at
the Washington Navy -Yard. Captain Dahlgren was
then in command. He directed me to give especial at
tention to fitting out the Pinola, one of the forty gun
boats that had been hurriedly built. They called them
" plumpers," because they each carried one eleven-inch
gun, with which, when they had a fair chance, they did
excellent plumping execution. The Pinola was com
manded by the present Rear-Admiral Pierce Crosby,
now a Rear- Admiral on the retired list, a charming fel
low, and always a gallant officer; he had an excellent
record during the Civil "War, and I shall have occasion
to speak of him again in reference to the operations in
Mobile Bay.
I did not remain long at the Navy- Yard, but was or
dered as Executive officer of the Dacotah. I proceeded
to Hampton Koads to join her, but she was somewhere
on a cruise and had not reached there, so I took up my
quarters on board the Roanoke^ awaiting her arrival.
It was known that the Confederates had been employed
for some time in converting the Merrimac, one of the
ships of the old Navy, of the Wabash and Roanoke class,
176
VICTORY OF THE MERRIMAC
into an ironclad. No special precautions seem to have
been taken to meet such a vessel should she be a success
and venture out to attack the wooden vessels moored off
Newport News. The Monitor had been some time in
course of construction at New York, and it was thought
was perhaps completed, but she had not yet reached
Hampton Koads. While we were in this unprepared
condition, one fine morning in the early part of March,
1862, the Merrimac, or Virginia, as the Confederates
called her, steamed down from Norfolk and immediate
ly attacked the Congress and the Cumberland^ then at
anchor off Newport News. The Minnesota and the
Roanoke got under way and went as near to the scene of
the conflict as they could get ; the Roanoke was entirely
helpless, as her motive power was hopelessly disabled,
so we took a couple of tugs alongside and moved, though
slowly, towards the scene of action. The Minnesota
grounded, and my impression is that the Roanoke did
also, but the latter succeeded in getting off. I was only
a passenger on board, but the Captain gave me charge of
the forward pivot-gun. We could not get within range
of the fight, so could be of no great assistance. I think
we were struck once or twice by the batteries at Sewall s
Point, but sustained no injury other than the cutting of
a shroud, or some slight hurt of that kind.
Meanwhile the Congress and the Cumberland were en
tirely at the mercy of the ironclad. After fighting gal
lantly against tremendous odds, and with a certainty
of destruction, and after great loss of life, finding that
their shot bounded like india-rubber balls from the case
mate of the Merrirnac, making no impression upon her
whatever, while all of her shot pierced these two help
less ships with terrible effect, the Congress surrendered,
and the Cumberland soon sank with her colors flying
M 177
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
as she went down. Meanwhile darkness set in, and the
heavens were soon lighted up by the burning Congress.
It was a beautiful sight, but one of the saddest I have
ever witnessed. We watched it for several hours, then,
like a tremendous bombshell, and with a roar that could
be heard for miles around, the Congress went up into
the air with a fearful explosion. The magazine had
been reached by the flames, and what the fire had
left unconsumed was blown into atoms. The Roanoke
succeeded in getting afloat, and, expecting to meet with
the same fate as the others if she remained where she
was in her disabled condition, it was thought best to
anchor near Fortress Monroe, where, with the assistance
and protection thus afforded, she could more readily
make an effort to save herself from destruction. During
the evening a steamer came alongside from the Fort in
charge of Captain Talmadge, of the Quartermaster s De
partment, who requested Captain Marsden, of the Roa
noke, to permit me to go with him down to the Minnesota.
After a good deal of hesitation Marsden told Talmadge
that he would let me go if he would return me on board
by midnight. With this understanding, we started up
towards Newport News and went on board. It was not
a pleasing sight nor a hopeful outlook, for if the ship
did not get afloat, it looked as if nothing would save
her from destruction in the morning. Captain Marsden
told me to say to Captain Van Brunt, of the Minnesota,
that if he did not get his ship off by morning he would
go down in the Roanoke and share its fate, whatever
that might be. Instead of getting back to the Roanok.e
by midnight, it was nearly four o clock in the morning
when I made my report to Captain Marsden.
Meanwhile the little Monitor, with Lieutenant Wor-
den, had arrived from New York. She steamed down
178
THE MONITOR DEFEATS THE MERRIMAC
at once, anchored near the Minnesota, and prepared for
the ironclad conflict, which was sure to take place the
next day. As soon as day broke, this strange-looking
craft steamed gallantly towards the Merrimac and
opened upon her with a hammering that she had little
suspected. The fire was immediately returned, and thus
began one of the most famous conflicts known to mod
ern times. Famous, not only because it was a terribly
hard-fought battle, but because it inaugurated a new
system of Naval warfare, or perhaps it would be better
to say Naval warfare by engines of war hitherto un
known in Naval battles. What the effect of the fight
was at the time can be easily imagined. To say noth
ing of the prestige our Nav} 7 gained by it, it saved mill
ions of dollars worth of property to the United States,
and cheered the drooping spirits of the North, resulting
from the loss of the Congress and the Cumberland. The
Government and people of the country showed their
appreciation of it by rewarding the gallant Worden for
his services, but, in my opinion, not to the extent he
deserved, taking into consideration the importance of
the event and the results which followed from it.
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Fox, arrived
about this time at Fortress Monroe, and, seeing the
danger to which our wooden ships were exposed, sent
the Brandywine Store-ship up to Baltimore, and de
spatched the Roanoke to New York. The Minnesota
was retained and was the Flag-ship of Admiral Golds-
borough. The JRoanoJce sailed immediately, and, as the
Dacotah had not yet arrived, I found myself landed
on the beach. Colonel John Taylor, Commissary of the
Post, was kind enough to invite me to share his quar
ters, which I was only too glad to do. The excitement
at Old Point at this time was intense. Some strange
179
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
and startling incident seemed constantly at hand. About
dark, after the second day s fight, one of our Gunboats
lying at anchor near Hampton took fire. The flames
gained so rapidly that it was found impossible to sub
due them, so she had to be abandoned. The magazine
had probably been flooded, since there was no explo
sion, but the guns were all loaded, and we knew that
if they became sufficiently heated before the Gunboat
burned to the water s edge they must discharge them
selves towards the Fort, as well as in the opposite direc
tion, for her broadside pointed right at us. And it was
just this that did happen. Taylor and I walked down
to the ramparts to look at the burning vessel, when a
sentinel near by told us that we were not in a very safe
place, that a ball had whizzed past him only a short
time before. We rather pooh-poohed the idea, when
another came screeching by, almost immediately after.
We concluded that that was no place for us, so return
ed to our quarters, and soon after retired. The next
morning a piece of shell was found lying just outside
of our rooms on the porch, and there was a hole in the
roof which had been made by this fragment as it de
scended, the fragment being, of course, a portion of an
exploded shell from the guns of the burning Gunboat.
In a few days after the incidents which I have just
related, the Dacotah came in. and I assumed my duties
as her First Lieutenant. McKinstry was the Captain,
Ames the Navigator, Dr. Bloodgood the Surgeon, and
Richard Washington the Paymaster. We had also
some volunteer officers who had recently entered the
service from the merchant marine. The Merrimac had
only been scotched ; she was not killed. The Confed
erates were losing no time in preparing her for another
raid. We were not idle on our part. Mechanics were
180
CALLING BACK A FLAG-OFFICER
working night and day in the little Monitor, and she
was being put in condition once more to meet her for
midable antagonist. The Ya/nderbilt had been placed
at the disposal of the Government by her patriotic
owner, fitted to ram, and we were satisfied that a fair
blow from her would have been the finishing stroke to
the Merrimac. The little Dacotah, of which I was the
Executive Officer, also had orders to ram her if she came
out. Probably at full speed we should have rammed a
hole in her, but I doubt if there would have been any
thing of the Dacotak left. Some one put the question
to Admiral Goldsborough, who then commanded the
Fleet in Hampton Roads, "What would become of the
Dacotah after she had rammed the Merrimac ?" His
reply was : " If anybody will tell me what becomes of
the tallow-candle after it is fired through a pine board,
I will answer that question."
As time went on, the air was full of rumors about the
coming out of this formidable craft, and there were
many false alarms. Before I joined the Dacotah, while
living with Colonel Taylor, Captain Poor, who was in
charge of the Ordnance for the Navy at Old Point, and
I, having heard that the Merrimac was coming out, and
seeing a general rush for the beach, joined the crowd,
and as we reached the landing found the Flag-officer in
the act of shoving off. We hailed him and volunteered
for service on board the Flag-ship. He seemed very
much annoyed that we had dared to call him back to
take us on board. However, he backed his boat into
the landing and picked us up, and, after giving us a
piece of his mind upon the impropriety of calling back
a Flag-officer, became very amiable, asked us to dinner
after we reached the Minnesota, and was extremel} 7 po
lite for the rest of the time that we were on board.
181
MEMORIES OF A HE AR- ADMIRAL
As I have said before, in another part of this narrative,
his bark was worse than his bite. The report proved a
false alarm, and at nightfall Poor and I returned to our
quarters on shore. This state of expectation was kept
up, and finally the Merrimac did poke her nose out,
when we all got under way and stood up towards her ;
but she found it prudent not to venture out too far.
The Dacotah had a sharp encounter with the Sewall s
Point battery. I do not know whether we hurt any
body there. I do know that they did not hurt us.
This state of things existed for some time longer.
The toils were, however, gradually gathering around
the fated Merrimac. The situation was such that she
could not expect to hold out much longer. Norfolk
either had fallen into our hands or was soon to do so,
and it seemed that there was no place of refuge where
she could feel secure, or avoid the danger of capture.
She came down, however, one evening towards dark,
and anchored about nightfall. It happened that we
were the picket -boat for the night, and were conse
quently considerably in advance of the rest of the fleet.
I was called at midnight, and it was reported to me that
the Merrimac was on fire. I went immediately on deck,
and there she was, all in flames. The Confederates had
decided to abandon her, and, to prevent our getting pos
session, they wisely set her on fire. It was a beautiful
sight to us in more senses than one. She had been a
thorn in our side for a long time, and we were glad to
have her well out of the way. I remained on deck for
the rest of the night watching her burning. Gradually
the casemate grew hotter and hotter, until finally it
became red-hot, so that we could distinctly mark its
outlines, and remained in this condition for fully half
an hour, when, with a tremendous explosion, the Mer-
182
GOLDSBOROUGH IN DISHABILLE
rimac went into the air and was seen no more. Thus I
had seen in a brief space of time the explosion of the
magazines of two large ships of war, an event so rare
that to see one at all seldom comes within the experience
of any one.
It was now about daylight, or rather early dawn, for
she burned from the first discovering of the fire at mid
night until the explosion at four o clock. Captain
McKinstry then ordered me to have a boat manned
and go on board the Flag -ship myself, and report in
person to the Flag-officer what I had seen. When I
ran alongside the Minnesota, I found she was at night,
or rather, I should say, early morning, quarters. The
Admiral was ranging around the quarter-deck in a long
night-shirt, which reached almost to his feet. Any one
who knew Admiral Goldsborough can well imagine that
he appeared to me like the ghost of some departed giant.
He was surprised to see me, and when I told him my
story he exclaimed in the most tragic manner, " Are
you certain of what you tell me?" To this I replied:
"As certain as I am that I am standing here, for I
watched her burn for four long hours, and I know that
the Merrimac exists no longer." " Then, sir," said he,
"return on board and tell your Captain to get under
way and go up to Norfolk." The whole scene was
weird and tragic, and I shall never forget it.
There is an amusing incident in connection Avith the
last raid of the Merrimac that occurs to me as I write.
Amongst the other vessels that had been collected to
gether to destroy her was the Gunboat Aroostook, com
manded by my friend Beaumont. It seems that nearly
every one had some idea of his own how he was to
render the Merrimac harmless. I remember that one
idea was to run alongside of her and drop a shell from
183
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the yard-arm down her smoke-stack, the explosion of
which would disable her. Beaumont had his crew
make out of rattling-stuff a long net, or rather seine.
His idea was to pay this out, and by towing it across
the stern of the ironclad to foul her propeller, and thus
neutralize her motive power. So when we were all
under way together, but not in any special formation,
McKinstry would continually be calling my attention
to the AroostooL He seemed a good deal more afraid
of her than he was of the Merrimac. " Where is Beau
mont ?" he would continually say. " Keep out of Beau
mont s way. Don t let Beaumont get near you. Keep
your eye on the Aroostook" etc., so apprehensive was
he that it would be our own propeller that would be
fouled rather than that of the enemy.
But to return to my narrative. I conveyed, as I was
directed to do, the orders of the Flag-officer to Captain
McKinstry, and we got under way and went to Norfolk,
being soon followed by the rest of the fleet. I hap
pened to have some business on board the Flag-ship after
she reached there, and while on board the Flag-officer
said to me : " One of the officers of the Merrimac is here
on leave, and he declares emphatically that the Merrimac
has not been destroyed." I replied that I did not care
what he said, that there was no more doubt in my mind
that the bones of the Merrimac were now at the bottom
of the sea than that I was living at the moment. He
then said : " Oh, I am perfectly satisfied with the cor
rectness of what you reported, but let him enjoy his
delusion."
Soon after the events which I have just been relating,
the Dacotah was ordered to New Orleans for the purpose
of carrying despatches to Farragut ; she was considered
about the fastest vessel of the Squadron, and was se-
184
WITH FARRAGUT AT NEW ORLEANS
lected on that account. We were not long in making
the passage, and found the Admiral with his Flag-ship,
the Hartford, anchored in front of the city ; after hav
ing made his gallant dash past the Mississippi Forts, he
was resting for a while on his oars, making up his mind
where the most effective blow should next be struck.
He was buoyant in spirits, as indeed he always was ; I
do not think I ever saw him depressed about anything,
and I saw a good deal of him from time to time during
my long service in the Gulf and in the neighborhood of
New Orleans. I think Farragut was the pluckiest man
I ever knew. I think he was absolutely insensible to
fear; indeed, that feeling did not enter into his make
up as a man at all. I do not believe that he could ap
preciate the meaning of the word. I do not mean that
he was so influenced in this way as to destroy his judg
ment, and cause him to take unnecessary risks, for he
had a great abundance of Naval wisdom, and knew well
when to take great chances to accomplish great ends.
He was, par excellence, the man for the times, as his
glorious deeds have abundantly demonstrated.
As soon as Farragut s despatches were ready, we left
our anchorage in the Mississippi and returned to Hamp
ton Koads. We were then employed for a while in
blowing up the enemy s works on the James Eiver and
destroying their guns. The destruction of the guns was
generally accomplished by placing a shell in the muzzle,
and then exploding the shell. In nine cases out of ten
this method was attended with immediate success. But
we found one exceedingly tough thirty -two -pounder,
which resisted every effort we made in that direction.
We tried filling it nearly if not quite full of gunpowder,
and then jamming a shot in the muzzle and discharging
the gun, but without any result, and it was finally dis-
185
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
abled only by placing a Dahlgren-rifled howitzer close
up to the trunnions and actually shooting them away.
The Army had had its seven days fights, and its base
was now at Harrison s Landing, on the James. Thither
the Dacotah and the Gunboats were despatched to co
operate with the Army. Another Squadron had been
formed under the command of Admiral Wilkes, with
the Wachusett as his Flag-ship. Wilkes had not been
afloat for a long time, but he was an able man, and made
an excellent Commander - in - Chief . He had had the
reputation, when he commanded the Exploring Expedi
tion, of being a martinet, but he was so no longer, for I
cannot conceive that any Commander - in - Chief could
have been more courteous in his intercourse with those
under his command than was Wilkes.
In the summer of 1862 my friend Beaumont fell ill,
and I was ordered to command the Gunboat Aroostook,
thus filling the vacancy caused by his detachment. This
was, of course, a most agreeable promotion for me. It
was the inauguration of command as a Lieutenant, and
I never served on board ship in a lower position than
that of Commanding Officer from that day to this. I
was employed in my new command, as a part of my
duties, in running between Harrison s Landing and
Fortress Monroe. The Aroostook became familiar along
the shore of the James, and was known by the ne
groes as the " Old Rooster." About this time the con
trabands, as the negroes who came within our lines
were called, began to flock in in great numbers. They
overflowed from the Army into the Navy, besides which
we would sometimes pick them up along the shore our
selves, in running up and down the James River. I
came upon some of them one day, and asked them if
they were not afraid of being shot in thus attempting
186
AT DINNER ON THE AROOSTOOK
to make their escape, when one of them replied, and
said, " No, saah, when we seed de Old Rooster coming
along, we know d we was all right." I asked one of
these same fellows one day, when we happened to be
under fire for a little while, why he dodged when the
balls flew over. His reply was, " Case we ain t used
to it, saah." I thought his reply was a very good one,
for dodging a shot as it passes over one s head is an in
voluntary act.
Just before the Army reached Harrison s Landing I
had received a couple of cases of champagne from New
York, which I knew would be a most welcome treat to
my friends, who emerged hungry and thirsty from the
campaign through which they had just passed. I went
to the front with my cabin-boy as an orderly. He was
dressed in a full suit of white, and as I passed General
Newton s headquarters he said : " It was a dangerous
thing for you to bring that orderly of yours up here,
for nobody has any clean clothes around this camp, and
somebody will take a fancy to them and take them
away from him." I went to the headquarters of my
brother, General Franklin, and there I found " Baldy "
Smith and General Seth Williams. I asked them to
dine with me the next day on board the Aroostook, and
told them of what I had just received from New York.
There was no hesitation about accepting the invitation,
and they were all there at the appointed time. I do
not remember what we had to eat, but I have a distinct
recollection that we punished champagne enough to
make us all very comfortable. The weather was hot,
so I had the dinner-table set under the wind-sail. These
were not punctilious times, so we took our coats off, and,
with the assistance of a cool breeze brought down by
the wind-sail, managed to dine in great comfort. I do
187
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
not think I ever knew men to enjoy a feast more. The
contrast between this and the rough experience through
which they had just passed made this little episode all the
more pleasant. They returned to the front, feeling, I am
quite sure, as happy as if they had dined at Delmonico s.
Both Armies seemed now to be taking a rest. Both
seemed to require some recuperating after the cam
paign in the swamps of the Chickahominy. For several
weeks we remained at Harrison s Landing on our oars.
The Gunboats were assembled near Jamestown Island.
Commander Macomb, commonly called Billy Macomb,
commanded the Genesee. He and I often went for ex
ercise to the Island, and interested ourselves in the old
graveyard, which was in a bad state of dilapidation.
We would try to decipher the inscriptions on the tomb
stones, many of which were so broken up and disfigured
that they could not be read at all. One day, while tak
ing our accustomed walk, we saw the Captain of a trans
port schooner breaking off a piece of marble from one
of the tombs. Macomb arrested him immediately and
sent him on board the Genesee. He reported at once to
the Admiral, by whom he was directed to hold him a
prisoner, saying that he would have him tried for dese
crating the graves of the dead. Macomb held the pris
oner for a few days, when the latter said to him one
morning when the men were holystoning the decks,
" Captain, it seems to me to be a very hard case that
you are holding me for the same offence that your crew
are committing before your eyes. You will observe,"
he said, " that they are holystoning the decks of your
vessel with pieces of marble obtained in the Jamestown
graveyard." Macomb told me that it was, alas, too true.
It is useless to say that the prisoner was released from
custody and returned to his schooner.
188
LEFT IN WASHINGTON
I served with the Army a short time longer. Its
movements are, of course, a matter of history. I was
ordered out of the James and up the Potomac to Wash
ington. Some movements were taking place that it was
thought would require the presence of the Gunboats
there. Finding, after I anchored, that there was no
prospect of my presence on board being required during
the night, I went on shore. The Aroostook was anchored
off the Arsenal. When I went down in the morning to
go on board, I found, to my horror, that she was not
there. I immediately communicated my dilemma to
Colonel Ramsay, of the Ordnance, who was in charge of
the Arsenal. He informed me that an officer had ap
peared there during the night with orders for the Gun
boats to proceed immediately to Aquia Creek. There
was nothing for the Executive Officer to do, in my ab
sence, but obey the order, which he did. Colonel Ram
say at once relieved my mind by telling me that a
steamer with ordnance stores would start for Aquia
Creek in an hour or two, and that if I would come in
and quietly breakfast with him he would promise that I
should soon be restored to my command. I Avas im
mensely relieved, and it is needless to say that I enjoyed
my breakfast much more than I should have done if this
lucky chance to get to Aquia Creek had not turned up.
I remained at the latter place until the Army people
left, and then went back to Washington.
CHAPTER XVI
With Farragut in the Gulf A Year of Blockade Fleet Captain at
New Orleans Mobile A Night Adventure A Council of War
Entry into Mobile Return to the North.
THE Aroostook had been so constantly under steam
that her boilers required thorough overhauling. I was
directed to proceed to the Navy -Yard and place her in
the hands of the authorities there, in order to have this
necessary work attended to as soon as possible. I had
a slight attack of James-River fever, and was glad to
have the rest which this forced idleness gave me the op
portunity of enjoying. While the workmen were em
ployed upon the Aroostook I lived with some of my
friends in the City, and found this little relaxation after
my close confinement on board ship exceedingly agree
able. The repairs were soon completed, and I was
ordered to proceed with the Aroostook to the Gulf of
Mexico, and report for duty to Admiral Farragut. I
accordingly sailed for that station, and found the Admiral
with the Hartford, his Flag-ship, in the harbor of Pensa-
cola. She was then commanded by Commodore Palmer.
The Navy- Yard was again in our possession ; officers
had been ordered to it, and there was an organization, as
far as it went. There were no quarters for those sta
tioned there other than the kitchens of the houses,
which was all that was left of them. The Yard had
been almost completely destroyed. These kitchens were
made habitable, but that was all ; it can hardly be said
190
BLOCKADING SERVICE
that they were comfortable. The Yard, however, still
served some good purpose. It was the coaling station
for the blockading fleet off Mobile ; slight tinkering
could be done to our lame ducks when they came in
after a long tour of duty on the blockade. One of the
Medical officers stationed there at this time was Dr.
Tryon, the present Surgeon-General. He was always
bright and cheery, and I remember well how much
pleasure it always gave me to meet him when I would
be passing a few days there while the Aroostook was
coaling.
I remained but a few days at Pensacola after my
arrival from the North, being ordered by the Admiral
to report to the senior officer off Mobile for duty on the
blockade of that port. I remained on that duty from the
autumn of 1862 until the autumn of the following year.
It was very trying work, as all blockading service is.
We had a little let-up about every six weeks, when we
would have to go to Pensacola to fill up with coal.
During the few nights we were there we could sleep
with both eyes closed. On the blockade we slept with
one eye open. During my year of service off Mobile we
had several different commanding officers. The one I
remember with most pleasure was John R. Goldsborough,
who commanded the Colorado. He was a kindly, genial
fellow, and we all grew very fond of him. Every fine
day he would make signal to us to anchor near him.
We would spend the day on board the Colorado, dine
with him, and just before nightfall each one would
proceed to the station to which he had been assigned for
the night.
The station which required the sharpest lookout was
in the channel leading into Mobile Bay. There was no
light shown, of course, and we were obliged to feel our
191
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
way in after dark by the lead. To be on our station it
was necessary to be within range of the guns at Fort
Morgan, and before daylight we would stand out into
the offing. Each of us would have this station for a
week. It was our duty, in case anything attempted to
run the blockade, to throw a rocket in the direction the
vessel was going, and make such signals as had been
agreed upon. It was an inglorious sort of station, for
in case of parting our cable, should a heavy blow sud
denly come up before we could get off shore with our
small steam-power, there was danger of drifting down
upon Fort Morgan, in which case we should have fallen
an easy prey to the enemy. The blockade was fairly
well sustained, but it is next to impossible to make any
blockade entirely effectual. It was dangerous, however,
to attempt to get in or out, and a good many ships were
captured during the year that I served off Mobile. I
succeeded in capturing a schooner loaded with cotton,
which made a fairly good prize. I was there when the
Confederate steamer Oreto, afterwards called the Flori
da, succeeded in running the blockade. It was known
that she had left her anchorage off the City, and was all
ready to make a dash should the conditions be favor
able. The night was dark when she made the effort,
but it suddenly cleared. The wind came out fresh from
northwest, and this was her chance. She ran past the
fleet unharmed, and was immediatley followed by the
Oneida and the It. R. Cuyler, the fastest ships of the
fleet, and the only ones that had the slightest chance of
catching her. A stern chase is a long one, and they fol
lowed her for several hundred miles, but she had more
speed than they, or in some way eluded them, for she
finally ran out of sight. It was, of course, a great disap
pointment to all of us that she was not captured and
192
ASSIST COMMODORE BELL
brought back, for she had succeeded in running in some
time before, eluding every effort that was then made to
stop her. Now she was again at large, ready to com
mit depredations upon our defenceless merchant-men.
Soon after the events I have just related I was pro
moted to a higher command. The Captain of the Onei-
da went North, and I was ordered to take his place.
She was a fast craft for those days, and I had great
hopes of being able to do something with her, but, as
she was of a rating which belonged to the next higher
rank, I could not expect to retain her long. I think Le
Roy was sent down to take command of her, and, as my
vacancy on board the Aroostook had been filled, I was,
so to speak, on the beach. I went to New Orleans and
reported to Commodore Bell, who was Commander-in-
Chief, Farragut having gone North after the fall of
Yicksburg and Port Hudson. Bell s flag was flying on
board the Pensacola, where he transacted his business,
but he lived on shore, at the house of Dr. Mercer, a
well-known man of New Orleans, who was very glad
to have us take care of his house for him during these
troublous times. When I went to report to the Com
modore I found him sitting behind a pile of papers
which had accumulated so upon his hands that he was
almost entirely concealed behind them. He was very
much overworked, and seemed to be depending entirely
upon his own personal exertions to conduct the business
of the Squadron, which consisted at this time of a great
many vessels, large and small. He appointed me Fleet
Captain and Chief of Staff. This was early in Septem
ber, 1863. I went to work at once, and in a short time
the great mass of matter which had accumulated disap
peared, and the Commodore was immensely relieved.
He told me afterwards that if I had not come to his
N 193
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
rescue at that time that he would have been in his
grave. I remained with Bell in this capacity until Far-
ragut came down to resume command, when he brought
with him, as Chief of Staff, Captain Percival Drayton,
which relieved me of my duties as Fleet Captain. Bell
went North, and Commodore Palmer was placed in
command at New Orleans, while Farragut went afloat.
I was assigned to duty as the Assistant to Commodore
Palmer in New Orleans. During my stay there Ad
miral Porter came down the river in his Flag-ship, the
Black Hawk. She was the greatest curiosity as a man-
of-war that I have ever seen. The Admiral had a lot
of saddle-horses on board, and every day after dinner
when the steamer was at the wharf he and his guests
would start out for a ride. I had the honor of dining
with him one day, and after dinner we mounted our
horses on the forecastle and sallied forth, crossing the
gang-plank to the wharf on horseback. For any one of
the party who did not care to ride, there was a buggy
for a drive. It was a very curious spectacle ; it is un
likely that one of a similar nature will ever be witnessed
again, and probably it never had been seen before, ex
cept from this particular Flag-ship. This unique cav
alcade passed through the City, went some distance
beyond its limits, and then returned, recrossed the gang
plank, dismounted on the forecastle, and the entertain
ment was at an end.
About the month of August, 1864, was the time Far
ragut had fixed upon for his attack on Mobile. He was
only waiting for a favorable day to run by the Forts.
I think it was on the fifth of that month that he accom
plished this memorable feat. He had directed that all
hands should be called at daylight, and at the signal the
fleet would stand into the Bay in column of vessels by
194
COMMUNICATING WITH FARRAGUT
pairs, each pair lashed together. The order concluded :
" The fleet will pipe to breakfast inside of Mobile Bay
at eight o clock." It always seemed to me that there
was something grand in this concluding paragraph of
his order. There was no doubt in his own mind of his
ability to carry out his designs. When he conceived a
plan, it was already an accomplished fact, and in this
he resembled Nelson in a very high degree.
The morning of the day upon which the fight took
place I was directed by Commodore Palmer to take a
despatch- vessel and pass through Mississippi Sound, go
on board the Sonoma, a Gunboat stationed at a point in
the Sound where she could see into Mobile Bay, and
make an effort to communicate by signal with Farrar
gut, in case he had succeeded in getting inside that day.
When I reached the Sonoma I found that it was impos
sible to communicate with the Admiral by signal, al
though the fleet was already inside. It then occurred
to me that I might possibly succeed in communicating
in person with Farragut, although such an attempt was
not thought to be feasible, nor was it contemplated
by my orders. It would be necessary to run through
Grant s Pass, which connected Mississippi Sound with
Mobile Bay, and to run close to Fort Powell, which
guarded the pass. Fort Gaines was on the other side,
but some distance off, and as the night was dark I
thought with a small boat with muffled oars we might
manage to steal by without being discovered, commu
nicate with the Admiral, and pass the Fort again before
daylight. I accordingly proposed the plan to Captain
De Kraft, the Commanding Officer of the Sonoma, who
agreed to furnish the boat, and said he would accom
pany me. I must confess I considered the chances of
getting to the Flag - ship in the Bay and back to the
195
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Sonoma before daylight without being captured en route,
to say the least, doubtful. I thought the enemy would
be evacuating Fort Gaines, in which case we should be
just in the track of their boats on their way to Mobile,
as there was no other way for them to get there ; for
now that the fleet was in the Bay, Fort Gaines was no
longer tenable.
We waited until it was pitch-dark ; then, with a small
boat with muffled oars and a pilot, we started on our
somewhat hazardous expedition. Fortunately, it was
a still, dark night, and there was nothing to retard our
progress. "We pulled slowly and steadily, and in about
two hours we found ourselves alongside the Hartford.
I went on. board and was met at the gangway by Dray-
ton, who, as I said before, was Farragut s Chief of Staff.
He was, of course, very much surprised to see me, and
at once asked me where I came from ; and when I re
plied that I had come in one of the Sonoma? s boats
through Grant s Pass, he exclaimed : " Well, that is the
best thing that has been done yet communication is
already open "; and then he conducted me to the Ad
miral. Farragut was delighted to see me. He placed
his two hands on my shoulders and began at once to
relate to me the incidents of the fight. He was in the
best of spirits, as he always was, and now he had an
especial reason for being so, for he had made a gallant
dash and achieved a brilliant victory. I then had a con
versation with Kimberly, the present able and gallant
Admiral, who was the Executive Officer of the Hart
ford. He pointed out to me the dead and the dying,
who were lying about the decks, the former sewed up
in their hammocks, all ready, poor fellows, to be launch
ed into the sea. Kimberly told me that they had lost
heavily, and it was only necessary to look around the
196
EVACUATION OF FORT POWELL
decks to be convinced of the truth of his statement. It
was about midnight when I reached the Hwriford,
where I remained nearly an hour, a time of mingled
feelings of joy and sadness. The melancholy spectacle
of those poor fellows, as I saw them stretched out in
death, haunts me still ; but it was war, and at such a
time one must accustom himself to such scenes. I re
member that in the early part of our civil strife I went
through the wards of the Hospital at Norfolk, which
was filled with wounded men, and although it was an
unpleasant task, I did it for the sole purpose of famil
iarizing myself with the horrors of war.
After having received the Admiral s instructions for
Commodore Palmer, I started back. It was then about
one o clock. There was plenty of time to pass Fort
Powell before daylight, so we pulled slowly and quietly
along, and had reached the most critical point, which was
just abreast the Fort, when there was a brilliant flash
and a tremendous explosion, and Fort Powell had gone
up into the air. The enemy had evacuated, and, in
leaving, had destroyed their little stronghold, which had
withstood the smashing fire of our ships in the fight
of the day before. I continued on, and in due time
reached the Sonoma. I immediately started for New
Orleans, and arrived there in time to make the first
report of the occurrences in Mobile Bay, and of the
destruction of Fort Powell. Commodore Palmer sent
me at once to General Canby, Commander-in-Chief of
the Army of the Gulf, to whom I gave a detailed ac
count of all I had seen.
Fort Morgan did not hold out much longer. It was
entirely cut off from the Confederacy, and was soon
compelled to surrender to the Army. Its brave Com
mander, General Page, had charges brought against him
197
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
of violating the rules of war by destroying property
which must inevitably have fallen into the hands of the
United States when he surrendered, which it was sure
he would be obliged to do in a very short time. It
seems that when the Colonel to whom he surrendered
looked around and saw the destruction, he said to Gen
eral Page something which was very offensive, and need
not be repeated here. Page was taken to New Orleans
and held there as a prisoner of war for some time. Com
modore Palmer had been an old friend of his, and had
it in his power to render his captivity lighter than it
otherwise might have been. He was enabled to walk
about the City through Palmer s good offices, and was
made comparatively comfortable. I had it in my power,
also, to show him some kindness, which he always re
membered and appreciated. These charges about the
destruction at Fort Morgan, it was thought, ought to
be investigated. General Canby therefore ordered what
he called a Council of War, consisting of General Hurl-
but and General Totten, on the part of the Army, and
I was appointed the member on the part of the JSTavy.
Captain De Witt Clinton was appointed Judge Advo
cate. It was ordered that General Page should accom
pany us to Fort Morgan, and that the investigation
should be made in his presence. We accordingly took
a steamer at New Orleans, and the party proceeded to
Fort Morgan. It happened that the officer in command
of the Fort was the same one who had been so offensive
to General Page at the time of the surrender. We all
stepped up to the officer, who met us at the entrance of
the Fort, and shook hands with him. Page remained
quiet with his hands behind his back, when the officer
in command stepped up and said, " How do you do,
General Page?" at the same time extending his hand
198
IN COMMAND OF RAM TENNESSEE
to shake hands with him, but Page did not move, and
remained in the same position, with his hands behind
his back, whereupon the Colonel said, with much feel
ing, " General Page, I appreciate that, and under other
circumstances I would take proper notice of it." But
Page was immovable, and thus the incident closed. I
thought Page was right then, and I think so now. The
Council of War held its sessions, and we took the testi
mony that was within its reach, which was sufficient
to satisfy us that General Page had not violated any
of the rules of war, and he was, consequently, acquitted
of the charges. In looking at it now, and as I saw it
then, it seems to me that the idea of holding the enemy
responsible for the destruction of that which must be
considered his own as long as his flag is floating over
it, is absurd. It might as well be said that a belligerent
has not the right to run his ship on shore and set fire
to her when he sees that his capture seems inevitable.
"We returned to New Orleans and made our report,
which was approved by General Canby, and thus the
matter ended. General Page s friends were very much
gratified at the result of the investigation, for no one
that knew him ever for a moment thought that he had
been guilty of anything that was not honorable in mat
ters connected with the surrender of Fort Morgan or
anything else.
I resumed my duties at headquarters, and for a while,
in addition thereto, commanded the captured Earn Ten
nessee. Farragut went North, having finished his life s
work, and was resting on his well-earned laurels. Ad
miral Thatcher was sent down and assumed command of
the Naval forces in the Gulf. The City of Mobile was
still in the hands of the enemy, but was not long to re
main so ; the Army and Navy were drawing the toils
199
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
close around it. We broke up the headquarters at New-
Orleans, and Commodore Palmer and I joined Thatcher
in Mobile Bay. The City was protected by shoal water,
so that we could not get close up to it. There was a
roundabout way of approaching within range by a nar
row river, guarded by forts and torpedoes. An attempt
was made to clear the river of torpedoes by running a
sort of net made of rattling - stuff from bank to bank.
A certain distance above the net was thoroughly dragged
by our boats. When that area of the river was pro
nounced clear the net would be shifted higher, and the
same process again pursued. Thus a system of parallels
was run, and preparations were made to approach tne
City by the river. Captain Crosby, now a retired Rear-
Admiral, conducted this work. He was exceedingly
zealous in the performance of this duty, and worked at
it with untiring energy. While these preparations were
going on, the Confederate commander at Mobile, feeling
that the capture of the City was a mere matter of time
and a very short time evacuated, so there was noth
ing for us to do but to take possession.
A commission was appointed, consisting of two Army
officers, and of myself on the part of the Navy, with in
structions to proceed to Mobile and receive the surrender
of the City at the hands of the Civil Authorities. I ac
cordingly went on shore and joined my colleagues of the
Army several miles outside of the City. Here we entered
a carriage and were escorted to the confines of Mobile
by a regiment of infantry. There we were met by the
Mayor and other City Authorities, and the formalities
of delivering up the City to us were carried out. It re
minded me somewhat of such scenes in olden times,
when the heralds would blow their horns and demand
that the keys of the gates of the City should be delivered
200
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL RICHARD TAYLOR
up to the conquerors. It was sad, as we drove through
the streets, to witness the depression which pervaded
everything. There was an air in all the surroundings
of a conquered city and a vanquished people. We made
it as little humiliating as possible, but it was evident that
the people felt the situation keenly, for they realized that
the cause of the Confederacy was now truly a lost cause.
After the fall of Mobile I returned to New Orleans,
and during the rest of the time that I remained in South
ern waters I commanded the Portsmouth. The War
was now drawing towards its close, and I gave up my
command and went North. I took passage in one of the
steamers of the Cromwell Line. One of my fellow-pas
sengers was Lieutenant-General Eichard Taylor, late of
the Confederate Army. I had known Taylor before the
War. Our relations had always been of the most cordial
nature ; and although we had been for several years past
trying to cut each other s throats, yet we met at this time
on the same friendly terms that had existed between us
before the Civil War. He was one of the most charm
ing men that it has ever been my good -fortune to en
counter, a brilliant talker, an excellent raconteur, never
at a loss to illustrate by some apt quotation or suitable
proverb the well-rounded sentences of his conversation.
I met Taylor again some years afterwards ; we crossed
the Atlantic together in 1873. I found him then the
same genial gentleman that I had known before. He
was most agreeable and entertaining, as he always was.
He had an appreciative set of men during this voyage to
enjoy his talk ; amongst others were Admiral Case and
Frank Corbin, of Paris, the latter a well-known Ameri
can long resident in France.
CHAPTER XVII
A Pacific Command Life at Mare Island An Inland Expedition
In the Yosemite Valley To Esquimault on Cable Service Ad
miral Denman Excursion in Washington Territory Up Fraser
River.
I WAS allowed to remain at home a very brief period.
My friend Wainwright Scott, who had commanded the
Sayinaw in the Pacific, died very suddenly, and I was
ordered to take his place. I took passage in the
McClelland for Aspinwall. She was commanded by
Captain Gray, a well-known seaman, who had made
himself very useful during the War in command of
United States transports. The voyage was uneventful,
and we reached our port in the usual time. There was
a queer character on board who had a peculiar fad, which
was to represent himself as that which he was not. To
me he was a Captain Reed, of the Marine Corps ; to
another he was Weston, the great pedestrian ; and to a
lady who was on her way to China, he was Mr. Seward,
our Consul-General at Hong-Kong. He offered himself
to her as an escort to her destination. When Captain
Gray heard of his pranks he sent for him, gave him a
piece of his mind in very strong language, and threat
ened to put him in irons if he did not desist from his
efforts to delude the passengers with his various aliases.
It had the desired effect, and he was seen and heard of
no more.
I took the train for Panama and went on board the
202
WITH MR. BOWMAN AT ACAPULCO
Golden City, commanded by a well-known veteran sea
man, Commodore Watkins. This title was given to him
as the Senior Captain of the line, and he was permitted
to fly a broad pennant. "Watkins was a rare old sea-dog,
very popular with every one. People were obliged to
go to San Francisco in those days by steamer ; it was
esteemed an especial privilege to make a passage with
the Commodore, and business-men would endeavor so to
arrange their affairs that they would be enabled to strike
the vessel which he commanded. The Saginaw, the
vessel to which I had been ordered, was at Acapulco,
and at that point my voyage in the Golden City came to
an end. I assumed command at once, but, finding that
there were no conveniences for messing on board, I was
glad to accept an invitation from the agent of the Pacific
Mail S. S. Company Mr. Bowman to live with him
during my stay at Acapulco. He was a most agreeable
fellow, and should this narrative ever meet his eye I
beg that he will accept my best thanks for his politeness
to me at that time. We lived delightfully, and I shall
never forget the pleasing sensations which I experienced
as we would breakfast and dine in the open air in a little
embowered nook just outside of the house, enjoying all
the freedom of tropical life in our loose summer attire.
The harmless little green lizards would sport in and out
amongst the green leaves of the bower over our heads,
scarcely distinguishable from the leaves themselves. It
was a dolce far niente sort of existence, but I was not
permitted long to enjoy it. I received orders to proceed
with the Saginaw to San Francisco. An economical
order had just been issued from the Navy Department
requiring all steamers, without regard to class or rig, to
proceed when at sea under sail. It was a sort of iron
clad order, and since it was impossible to get anywhere
203
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
in the Saginaw under sail alone, owing to her peculiar
rig and the small amount of canvas that she could
spread, it placed the commanding officer in an embar
rassing position. He must either drift about at the
mercy of the wind and waves, or he must disobey a
positive order. However, upon consultation with Cap
tain Scott, of the Saranac, it was determined that I
should proceed under steam. So we sailed in due course
of time, and, to use the language of the sea, bucked up
against the prevailing southwest winds for about ten
days, at the end of that time anchoring off the City of
San Francisco.
I had anchored in the same spot twenty years before,
when the village which then existed there was Yerba
Buena, and California was a province of Mexico. Since
then, as if by enchantment, a great city had sprung up
on this very spot, which at that time was but little more
than a barren sand-beach. It is difficult to conceive a
transformation so complete in so brief a period. As
the Saginaw was very much out of repair, I made up my
mind that I would have to remain a long time at Mare
Island, to which point I had taken her in order to have
the necessary work accomplished. I found there Cap
tain Davenport, of the Lancaster, whose ship was in the
same category. He was messing on board the receiving-
ship Independence, and invited me to join his mess,
which I was very glad to do. Captain Parker, who
commanded the Independence, was also one of the mess,
so we had a very pleasant partie de trois. Existence at
Mare Island in those days, like that at most Navy-
Yards, was extremely dull. We managed to amuse
ourselves, however, with the small circle of Navy peo
ple, who were very hospitable and kind to us, and we
passed most of our evenings at the house of one or the
204
LOUIS McLANE AT SAN FRANCISCO
other of the Officers families. I would make occasional
visits to San Francisco, and while there was always a
guest of the Union Club. It was the time when Flood
and O Brien and Barry and Patten and the " Poodle
Dog" held sway on Montgomery Street. Many a
thirsty soul was refreshed at these famous houses of
entertainment, whose owners amassed wealth enough
to make themselves felt in the world s business since
those days. I think these establishments have gone out
of existence, for I never hear of them now. My old
friend and shipmate Louis McLane was living at San
Francisco at this time as agent of Wells, Fargo & Co.
He had resigned from the Navy some years before, and
was one of the few of the Naval and military men who
had abandoned their profession and gone into business
life that was successful. As a rule, their training did
not fit them for the active, pushing methods of those
times, and they generally ended up wiser but sadder
men. McLane is a man who would have been success
ful in any walk of life. In the Navy he belonged to
the highest type of men of that profession, and I felt
sure when he left it that he would attain to eminence in
any thing which he undertook. I hunted him up when
I went to San Francisco, and found him living delight
fully, with his interesting family, in one of San Francis
co s most comfortable habitations. He was getting up
an expedition to the Yalley of the Yosemite, and in
vited a number of guests, including me amongst them.
I was very glad to accept his kind invitation, and ob
tained a leave of absence of two or three weeks, which
was about the time it was thought would be occupied
in accomplishing all he desired.
In the party were about a dozen persons, including
children, all apparently in good condition, full of spir-
205
MEMORIES OF A BEAR- ADMIRAL
its, and in all respects well equipped for the journey.
"We went by steamer as far as Stockton, and then
changed our mode of travel to a large four-horse wagon,
and a buggy with two horses. McLane managed the
wagon and I drove the buggy, always having with me
one of the party as a companion. As about thirty
3 7 ears have elapsed since that time, and as I have no
notes with which to refresh my memory, the exact
route which we took after leaving Stockton rests in my
mind in an exceedingly undefined state. I do remem
ber, however, that we visited en route the Mariposa
group of Big Trees, that I rode on horseback through
the entire length of the trunk of one of them which
had been felled and hollowed out, and that we saw the
stump of another which had been smoothed down and
was used as a dancing-platform. Its extent was thirty-
three feet in diameter and one hundred feet in circum
ference. It is said by those who are skilled in that kind
of lore, and can determine the age of a tree by the num
ber of its concentric rings, that these great trees first
took root about the time Our Saviour was upon the
earth. "We went to a place called Black s, and I think
it was there that we left our teams and pursued the
rest of our journey on horseback. This place takes its
name from its owner, whose special peculiarity was
that he had not worn a hat for twelve years. We
passed the night at Black s, and then were in the sad
dle, our only means of transportation, for several days,
and, indeed, until we returned there on our homeward
journey.
The trip was a very wearisome one, and when we
reached Prospect Point, the view from which takes in
the valley, we were tired enough. This magnificent
scene from the tops of the Sierra Nevada has been so
206
A WEEK IN THE YOSEMITE
often described by travellers that I will not attempt to
add anything, and therefore content myself by saying
that I do not believe it is surpassed by anything on the
face of the earth. Our descent from that point to the
valley, about four thousand feet below, was slow and
tedious. Our horses were sure-footed, and conveyed us
in safety around many a sharp and craggy turn, when
a slip would have launched us into the abyss hundreds
of feet beneath. We finally reached in safety the River
Merced, at the foot of the valley, on the banks of which
stood the hotel that was to be our home for the next
seven or eight days. It was kept by a man named
Hutchison. A most primitive place it was, but trav
ellers were glad to find a habitation in which to lay
their heads, where they could be sheltered by four
walls and a roof. The rooms were partitioned off by
canvas, boards being unattainable there. No doubt all
is now changed. One week in the valley at that time
was an unusually long stay. While we were there
people would arrive, flit before our eyes for a day, and
disappear. Not so with us. We went for a week, and
a week remained. Our protracted sojourn gave us an
opportunity of enjoying this charming spot at our
leisure. We visited and revisited the falls and other
places of interest at leisure, never feeling hurried.
There were no washerwomen here at that time. The
men of our party would recline on the banks of the
Merced, while the ladies would wade into the river and
wash their clothes in its cold and limpid waters. The
Merced River is the outcome of the melted snow of the
Sierra Nevada, and as it flows through the Yosemite
Yalley it is still almost ice-water, so short a distance
has it traversed since it was changed from snow to
water. McLane and I used frequently to bathe in it,
207
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
much to the horror of the inhabitants of that country,
who looked upon such an act as certain death ; but we
were both young and vigorous, and I have never been
able to discover that it did either of us any harm. My
pleasure during this interesting visit to the Yosemite
was very much enhanced by the presence in the party
of Miss Mary McLane, a most charming member of her
distinguished family. She was very sympathetic, and I
look back with the greatest pleasure to the many happy
hours I passed in her society. She married afterwards,
and I never have had the pleasure of meeting her since.
Soon after my return to the Navy -Yard at Mare
Island the Saginaw was detailed by the Government to
assist the Company that was about to lay a cable across
Behring Strait in continuation of a line of telegraph
across the American continent, then across Siberia, thus
completing telegraphic communication between America
and Europe. I sailed from San Francisco in the summer
of 1866, accompanied by some of the officers of the Com
pany. In due course of time the Saginaw anchored in
Esquimault Harbor, which was as far north as she ever
reached. It was during this summer that the Atlantic
Cable, after a long silence, began to talk again. It was
upon the supposition that it had ceased for ever so to do
that the Company with which /was serving had been
formed, but now it was discovered that this long and
expensive route would not be required, for the old line
worked continuously and satisfactorily. The whole proj
ect was therefore abandoned.
I remained in Esquimault for several months, waiting
for instructions from somebody, but none came for a
long time, and I do not remember exactly how I did get
away from there ; but I did, finally, sail for San Fran
cisco, either in November or December. The harbor of
208
THE DENMANS AT ESQUIMAULT
Esquimault is one of the most beautiful in the world.
The heaviest ships lie there at anchor as if they were
lying in a mill-pond, so smooth is the water at all times.
The swell of the ocean is never felt there, and it is truly
a haven of rest. The whole of this section was called
at that time British Columbia. There was another Brit
ish Colony on the Fraser Eiver, called New Westminster,
which had a Colonial Government separate from that
of British Columbia, of which Victoria was the Capital.
Victoria is situated on the shores of a small Bay not
far from Esquimault, but its harbor is suitable only for
small vessels. This little City had rapidly reached the
size and importance that I found it possessed when I was
there. It was the point of departure from the coast for
the Caribou mines, and its progress was stimulated by
their output, but when they decayed Victoria became a
dead town, and remained so up to the time I left, in the
winter of 1866.
During most of the time that the Saginaw lay at
Esquimault, Admiral Denman, with his Flag -ship, the
Suite), was there. This was a great pleasure to me, for
I became very intimate with the Admiral and Mrs.
Denman, and dined with them frequently. Their house
was but a stone s-throw from the ship, which was anch
ored close up to their front door. The Saginaw was
not much farther off, so it was an easy matter for me to
get back and forth at night. At most, if not at all, the
British stations a house is provided for the Admiral by
the Government, which is always very generous towards
its high officials, both civil and military. I became
aware at this time of a custom of the British Navy
which I had never known before. It is this : When a
small vessel is in company with the Flag-ship, the Ward
room mess of the latter make the Commanding Officer
o 209
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
of the former an honorary member of the mess. This
is a great convenience to the Captain of the small vessel,
for he can, while in port, discontinue his solitary and
expensive mess, and take his meals in the Ward-room
of the Flag-ship with more comfort and with greater
economy. The mess of the Sutlej did me the honor to
extend this courtesy to me, but I never availed myself
of the privilege. As a matter of course, the Captain of
the small vessel pays his mess-bill in the Ward-room of
the other. Apropos of this, the Duke of Edinburgh,
who is an Admiral in the British Navy, told me that he
was once an honorary member of a Ward-room mess,
and was telling a fellow - Captain of its advantages.
Some time after, this Captain was going out in some
ship to take command of a vessel on a foreign station.
He of course lived with the Captain of the ship in which
he was taking passage, but desired to be an honorary
member of the Ward-room mess. When he made his
application, the reply was that they would see him
d d first. The Duke thought this was rather a
good joke. I thought so myself. I will mention that
at the time the Duke told me this story he was an hon
orary member of the Ward-room mess of his own Flag
ship, and always took his luncheon there when he felt
disposed so to do.
The Commanding Officer of the Suilej, Denman s
Flag-ship, was Captain Coode, and the Commander was
Sullivan, who was the Executive Officer. The former I
have never heard of since. The latter became a Flag-
officer in the Koyal Navy. There was a small vessel,
a sort of tender to the Flag-ship, lying at Esquimault at
this time, the Sparrowhaivfc ; her Captain was Com
mander Porcher. Porch er and I became very intimate.
We dined together nearly every day; he would dine
210
TRIP UP THE FRASER RIVER
with me one day, and I with him the next, which I think
we mutually found to be a very agreeable arrangement.
Esquimault was an exceedingly dull place, and the long
period of time during which I was detained there ren
dered life very monotonous. My intimacy with Porcher
tended in a large degree to alleviate the situation. We
scoured the country in walks which we took daily, re
gardless of the weather. We would wrap ourselves up
in our water-proofs, for it was now the rainy season, and
paddle through the woods and fields, spinning off some
times eight or ten miles a day. We would return to
our ships as dry as a bone, and sit down to our tete-a-
tete dinner with excellent appetites. The Admiral sent
Porcher to San Francisco from time to time for the
mails, which would occupy about ten days ; I missed
him on such occasions very much, but managed to get
through the time as best I could.
I left the Saginaw at Esquimault, and went with
some friends into Washington Territory, visiting Port
Townsend, Seattle, and Steilecombe. They were then
insignificant and unimportant places, but now Seattle
has become a large City, and the United States has a
Navy- Yard and a large dry -dock at Port Townsend.
It was thought at the time that the present State
of Washington would never amount to much as an
agricultural country, on account of the shallowness of
the soil, but its water facilities were then, as they are
now, grand, and its shores are washed by a beautiful
inland sea, not surpassed, I am confident, by anything
of a like character in the world.
Through the kindness of Captain Fleming, an Ameri
can who owned and commanded a steamer on the Fra-
ser River, I was enabled to make a trip up that beauti
ful stream. The scenery was grand all the way up to
211
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
New Westminster, the Capital of the British Colony of
that name. Mount Baker, the most beautiful cone prob
ably in all the world, was almost constantly in sight,
and one never tired of gazing on its snow-clad peak
thousands of feet above. At New "Westminster I met
the members of the Colonial Government, all gentle
manlike men, whose names in this long interval of time
I have forgotten. The Fraser, at some points in its
course, is a raging torrent ; it seemed to me almost im
possible that any steamer could make headway against
it. The one in which I was embarked was a high-
o
pressure stern -wheel boat. Her boilers were exposed
to view, and when it was necessary to climb up one of
these torrents they would become red-hot, so great was
the necessity to " fire up " in order to get steam enough
to keep the boat going. At times I do not believe she
moved over the bottom more than a knot an hour.
Although the situation seemed rather appalling to one
not accustomed to it, I believe she seldom failed to
make a successful trip. From New Westminster there
is a beautiful macadamized road through the mountains
towards the Caribou mines, a splendid piece of engineer
ing. In some places it was necessary to cut into an
almost vertical mountain-side, so that in passing over
the road one finds himself with a roof of rock over his
head and a yawning precipice hundreds of feet below.
I took a drive one day while there, and frequently, when
we came to one of these ticklish places, there would be
a lot of Indians with packs on their heads strung along
the road. The rascals would always stand in a row on
the inside track, and the wonder is that the horses did
not take fright, but I suppose they had from long usage
become accustomed to it. The Indians never by any
chance took the precipice side of the road, determined,
212
SIR JAMES DOUGLAS
I presume, that if anybody was to be dashed into the
abyss below it must be we, not they.
The Governor of British Columbia at this time was
a very gentlemanlike Englishman of the name of Ken
nedy ; he afterwards became Sir Arthur Kennedy, and
occupied a like position in some distant Colony, I think
Australia. He had an interesting family, consisting of
several daughters, one of whom married Lord Guilford,
who commanded one of Her Majesty s Ships in those
seas. There was a good deal of style kept up in this
mimic court, and dinners and receptions and garden-
parties were of frequent occurrence. The society was a
good deal like that of a garrison at an Army post ; it
was small, and each member of it, naturally enough in
such a community, was taken up with the affairs of his
neighbor, which of course led to gossip and to conver
sation of a kind very uninteresting to an outsider not
especially concerned about Colonial social affairs.
Sir James Douglas was at this time at the head of
the Hudson s Bay Company in this part of the North
west. He was a very interesting character I think he
had worked his way up from a subordinate place until
he reached the highest position that could be attained
in this portion of the Company s domain. Sir James
had married an Indian woman, which was not at all an
uncommon occurrence with the employes of the Com
pany; indeed, it was encouraged, in order that they
might become attached to the soil and entirely weaned
from the ties of home and country. Sir James had
several very handsome daughters, with scarcely a trait
of the Indian about them to distinguish them from women
of pure white blood. I was told, however, that in the next
generation the grandchildren partook in a very decided
manner of the characteristics of their mother s mother.
213
CHAPTER XVIII
California Again Promoted Commander Duck- shooting In Com
mand of the Mohican To Siberia After an Eclipse Difficult
Navigation A Bidarca In Plover Bay The Eclipse The
Tchuktches of Siberia.
I SAILED from Esquimault for San Francisco in No
vember or December, 1866. The passage was rough
and boisterous, for in that season of the year the stretch
of the Pacific between those two ports is subject to
violent gales, and the little Saginaw was a good deal be
labored before she reached her destination. I remem
ber one night when it was blowing a heavy southeast
gale, one of the non-combatants came to me as I was
wearing ship to get her head off shore, and inquired,
" What s up ?" I replied that nothing was up, but I
suspect I was as glad as he was when the gale abated,
for I never considered the little Saginaw a safe craft in
a very heavy gale, although somehow she managed to
keep on top of the seas that were sufficiently high, had
we been caught in their trough, to have engulfed us. I
was glad enough to anchor in San Francisco. I pro
ceeded to Mare Island the- folio wing day, and soon after,
having been promoted to the rank of Commander, I was
detached, and turned over the command to my successor,
Lieutenant-Commander Mitchell. I soon after relieved
my friend, the late Kear- Admiral Baldwin, as Inspector
of Ordnance at the Navy -Yard. During the time
I was stationed at this Yard we had three different
214
SPORT IN CALIFORNIA
commanding officers Commodore John K. Goldsbor-
ough, Commodore Alden, and Hear- Admiral Craven.
Goldsborough was my former Commanding Officer off
Mobile. I had a high regard for him then, and our
pleasant relations continued while we were together at
Mare Island. Alden was a pleasant fellow, but, some
how, he never seemed to me to be serious about any
thing. It always appeared to me that he regarded life
and all there was in it as an immense joke. To Admiral
Craven I became very much attached. He was very
fond of cards, and if he could not get any one to play
with him he would play solitaire for hours at a time.
He had a charming family ; his daughters then, with the
exception of Emily, who was very lovely, were little
girls. Mrs. Craven was one of the sweetest women I
have ever known.
California, although not comparing with what it had
been, was still a great country for sportsmen ; the wa
ters were teeming with wild fowl of every description.
There was a small schooner, the Joe Smith, belonging
to the Yard which we would stock with fresh grub and
beer and go off in for a week s shooting. The Admiral
generally made one of our party, and no one enjoyed it
more than he. We would go up the Napa Eiver, and
with our small boats scour the tules (swamps), and also
to Suisun Bay, above Benicia ; at the end of these little
cruises returning laden with canvas - backs, sprigtails,
widgeon, and teal. The canvas -backs we shot from
blinds made with the high spear-grass of the tules ; the
teal, from behind points as they would fly swiftly by,
which was beautiful sport. In the ponds we would find
mallard, in the marshes yellow-legged snipe, and on the
shores of San Pablo Bay quantities of plover. Indeed,
so abundant was game at this time in the vicinity of
215
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Mare Island that the ducks would venture close up to
the houses. I remember that one of my sporting com
panions and I put out our decoys one evening at a point
about five minutes walk from my house. We made an
early start in the morning, and returned to a nine-o clock
breakfast, having bagged forty -two canvas -backs and
other ducks. There was a novel method of duck-shoot
ing in California at that time, which I have never seen
in any other country. In the spring of the year, when
the tender young wheat is appearing above the ground,
just about dusk the ducks swoop down in flocks of thou
sands and feed upon it. The sportsman crouches down
in the field, making a blind for himself if he can ; as they
rush by, flying low, he has a beautiful time.
Between my duties and my sporting, time went on
until, in the latter part of 1868, or early in 1869, I was
ordered to the command of the Mohican, a Steam Cor
vette of full sail and auxiliary steam power, but not,
however, very good at either. I had hardly completed
my preparations for sea when I received an order to
convey to Plover Bay, on the coast of Siberia, some
scientific gentlemen sent there by the Government for
the purpose of observing the total eclipse of the sun.
These gentlemen were Professor Hall, the discoverer of
the satellites of Mars, and Mr. Rodgers, a gentleman of
high scientific attainments, who was an employe of the
Naval Observatory at Washington. I found them both
charming gentlemen, well fitted, I thought, for the re
sponsible work for which they had been selected. I do
not think I ever knew Mr. Hall to frown. His face was
like a sunbeam, and as he walked the deck I often ob
served a smile pass over his face, his mind probably
holding intercourse with the heavenly bodies, with which
he was on such intimate terms.
216
DIFFICULT NAVIGATION
I sailed from San Francisco in the summer of 1869,
giving myself ample time to reach Plover Bay by the
7th of August, the day upon which the eclipse was
to take place. Leaving San Francisco, I made the best
of my way towards Nanimo, a port of Vancouver Isl
and, where I filled the bunkers with coal, and toc a
deck-load besides, and, much as I desired to economize
fuel, so important to us on this voyage, I must confess
I was not sorry when the deck-load was consumed. I
had intended to touch at Sitka to replenish my fuel, but
when I emerged from the water which makes the pas
sage between Vancouver Island and the mainland, there
seemed to be a good chance, so I stretched across for
Oonalaska, where I expected to find coal, and was not
disappointed.
In all my cruising I have never encountered such
difficult navigation as that which confronts the seaman
in making his way from the Pacific Ocean into Beh-
ring Sea. There are several passes between the Isl
ands, and, like the Arkansas Traveller, if the naviga
tor takes one, he will wish he had taken the other. I
made the land in the vicinity of Akoutan Pass, and
promptly decided to try it there. Everything for the
moment seemed to be propitious, the weather was clear
and all other conditions seemed favorable. I thought
then I had a fair start through, but suddenly, as fre
quently happens in those latitudes, the fog shut down,
and I was obliged to reduce from full speed to very slow
going. There seemed to be no prospect of the fog lift
ing during the night, which was now upon us, and, sur
rounded as we were by islands, with a strong current
which might at any moment drift us upon unseen dan
gers, I reluctantly determined to anchor. We were now
well in the Pass, and, although in one hundred fathoms
217
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
water there was no help for it, I was obliged to let
go an anchor, and for the moment felt secure. There
was nothing now to do but quietly await the lifting of
the fog. The nights were very short in the summer in
this high latitude, and I hoped at early daylight to be
able to proceed towards ray destination. It lighted up
a little during the night, sufficiently so to enable a small
Kussian boat (a bidarca) to come alongside. This bi-
darca contains two hatches, one for each sitter, a water
proof is secured to the hatch, so that the sitter in get
ting into his seat passes through this water-proof and
draws it about his neck as if he were getting into a bag,
so that no water can get into the boat unless it passes
down his neck, and if he draws the strings tight enough
no water can get in at all. When the occupants are in
their seats, properly adjusted, the canoe (for such it
really is) is like a bottle tightly corked. In these frail
craft the Aleuts and those who trade in these seas trav
erse hundreds of miles in communicating with each
other amongst the Aleutian Islands.
The one in question was occupied by a Greek Priest,
who was visiting his parishioners in the many islands,
and by an American Captain whose name, I think, was
Kedfield, who commanded an American Brig from San
Francisco called the Amelia. His vessel was a sort
of whaler and trader in whatever he found profitable.
They were very much astonished to find the Mohican
anchored in the middle of the Pass. The Captain in
formed me that I was lying in a very dangerous place,
and advised me to get out of it as soon as I could.
This suggestion was not at all necessary, for I had de
termined to do so as soon as it was possible. The Priest
who accompanied the Captain, I must confess, elicited
my warmest admiration. He had left his wife and chil-
218
AT OONALASKA
dren at Oonalaska, and ventured forth in this frail bark
to visit his parishioners at the various islands amongst
the group. It was an exhibition of zeal and devotion to
his Church and flock which I thought commendable in
a very high degree. As soon as my visitors left and
the fog had somewhat lifted, I made an effort to heave
up the anchor. It was for the time, however, fruitless,
for the tide was running so swiftly from Behring Sea
into the Pacific Ocean that I found it quite impossible
to do anything. As soon as the tide began to slack I
made another effort, which was successful. The weath
er had now cleared up, and I lost no time, with all the
speed of which the Mohican was capable, in making the
best of my way to Oonalaska, where I came to anchor in
its snug harbor, happy to feel that I was through this
Pass, which had caused me so much trouble and anxiety.
1 filled up with coal, and gave our people a little resting-
spell before proceeding farther north.
I was reminded here of Campbell s poem, a copy of
which I do not remember to have had with me, but I
happened to recall one line : " The wolfs long howl
from Oonalaska s shore," and it conveys to my mind the
idea of the desolation which one feels in so high a de
gree in these far-off regions of the North. Oonalaska
was a small settlement at that time, a sort of head
quarters for the Russian Fur Company. Its only occu
pants were those connected with that Company, the
Greek Priest and his family, and the Aleuts. Every
thing about was Russian. There was a Russian bath,
though a very primitive one. Then there was tea made
in the samovar, and served in glasses instead of cups,
seasoned with lemon instead of sugar. I remember
there was a beautiful clear trout-stream running through
the village. We tried to catch some of the trout with
219
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
our civilized appliances, but were not successful, while
the natives would make a hook out of a bent pin and
take them without any trouble. Having filled up with
coal and rested our people, we got under way for Plo
ver Bay. We passed the Pribyloff Islands, about which
we hear so much in these days, for they are the islands
which the great herds of seals occupy concerning which
there is so much controversy at the present time be
tween this country and Great Britain, as well as all
other nations interested in the question. In three or
four days we sighted the high land near Plover Bay,
and soon came to anchor in that beautiful harbor. Plo
ver Bay is so called from the fact that a British explor-
ing-vessel called the Plover was once frozen in here, and
remained during the whole of a long Arctic winter.
We made ourselves snug, and I immediately sent the
astronomers on shore, accompanied by the carpenter
and his gang. An observatory was soon constructed,
and there was nothing now to do but await patiently
the 7th of August, which was the date of the total
eclipse. Meanwhile the Navigator was employed in
making a survey of the Bay, and the officers and crew
whiled away their time with shooting-parties, and par
ties of exploration, and such amusements as offered
themselves. The whole surrounding country presented
a scene of utter desolation. Here and there a blade of
grass or a small wild-flower might be seen, but the soil,
if it might be so called, was so thin that cultivation was
entirely out of the question. The whole country is a
desert, and the possibility of being caught here by some
accident to the machinery would sometimes dawn upon
me and make me for the moment feel very uncomfort
able. Such an accident would probably have involved
our being frozen up for the winter, and having to live
220
AN ECLIPSE AT OONALASKA
for months in dismal darkness. For such a contingency
we were entirely unprepared. In Oonalaska, strange to
say, two of our crew deserted. Every one knows that
Jack is a very peculiar character, but one would hardly
suspect him of taking the chances of bettering his con
dition by deserting in these desolate regions ; but one
accustomed, after long association with him, to his pecu
liarities, is never surprised at anything he does. These
two deserters made their way to an island not far dis
tant from Oonalaska. "When I satisfied myself that they
had gone there, I saw that there was no escape for
them. I directed the Marine officer to take the whole
guard and deploy as skirmishers, so that they would
stretch from one end of the island to the other. In this
way they advanced across the island, and found the men
on the opposite shore, quietly washing their clothes.
They were brought on board, of course, and thus this
effort to better their condition was suddenly brought to
a close.
At length the day to which we had been looking
forward with so much interest arrived. The sun rose
bright and clear, and there was not a cloud to be seen.
The hopes of the astronomers and of all of us ran high.
We thought there could now be no doubt but that our
labors would be crowned with entire success. About
half an hour before the time for the observations upon
the eclipse the heavens became speckled over with a
sort of mackerel sky, which, although not sufficient to
obscure the sun from the ordinary observer, interfered
materially with the fineness and exactness which the
astronomers had hoped for. To us amateurs it was a
magnificent spectacle, for we could distinctly see the
corona, or flames of the sun, darting away from the
edge of his disk millions of miles into space. My rec-
221
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ollection is that the eclipse occurred about eleven o clock
in the morning, and that the day became so dark that
the sea-gulls that were feeding in the water around the
stern of the ship put their heads under their wings,
thinking night was upon them, and went fast asleep.
The natives were awe -stricken by what was taking
place, and manifested by the expressions of their faces
that something supernatural was going on. At all
events, it was something far beyond their simple com
prehension.
The object of this expedition was now accomplished,
but, before bidding adieu to Plover Bay, I think it would
be well to say a few words about the inhabitants of
this remote country. They are a race of Esquimaux,
or perhaps it would be more correct to say Indians.
The name given to the people who occupy this part of
Siberia is Tchuktches. While the Esquimaux are a di
minutive race, these Indians are large and muscular, and
some of them very handsome. I do not think this can
be said of the women, however, for there is nothing
especially striking about them in any way. They re
semble almost any Indian squaw that we are accus
tomed to seeing in this country. These people are
obliged by their climate to dress almost entirely in
skins and furs, and I think in most cases, when once
put on, they remain there until they are worn out.
Prompted by curiosity, I asked one of the women to
remove her leggings and moccasins to show me her
foot, which she did without hesitation. Her leg seemed
to be very slim, and her foot showed evidences of hav
ing been in the moccasin for a very long time. These
Tchuktches are a very amiable and friendly race, and,
although there are instances on record where they have
committed outrages upon vessels stranded on that coast,
222
RETURN TO SAN FRANCISCO
I do not think at the time about which I am writing
there had been any recent occurrences of such acts. As
we entered Plover Bay a large boat filled with these
people came out to meet us. They came alongside, and
I permitted them to come on board. They swarmed all
over the ship, and seemed delighted with everything
they saw. To any one who cruised in those seas at
that time the name of one of the aborigines should be
familiar the name of Nok-um. He had been em
ployed by American or English traders on that coast
from time to time as a pilot, and had learned a good
deal of English, for he was an intelligent fellow and a
man of a great deal of observation. Nok-um came on
board to see me the day of my arrival accompanied by
his wife. She had an ugly lump on her forehead, which
her husband had given her the night before when he
was drunk. They seemed, however, to have made up,
for they were on the best of terms while on board.
E"ok-um, as I have said, was a bright fellow, and very
appreciative. I showed him a Colt s revolving fowling-
piece, when he threw up his hands, and, using a strong
expression to give emphasis to what he said, exclaimed,
" Melican man knows everything !"
I lost no time in leaving Plover Bay behind me. The
astronomers with their appliances were brought on
board with the least possible delay, and the night of
the day upon which the eclipse took place we were
well on our way towards the Aleutian Islands. Two
or three days brought us up to the Passes. I am not
sure whether we left Behring Sea by the same Pass
through which we entered it, but I remember that it
was a lovely day, that the scenery was grand, that an
active volcano was belching forth volumes of smoke,
that the Mohican was doing her best with all the steam
223
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
and sail that she could carry, and that we were all happy
at the prospect of getting back again to civilization. It
was blowing very fresh, and I had double-reefed the
top-sails, thinking it possible I might have to carry sail
hard to fetch through the Pass. This is exactly what
did occur. The wind freshened to half a gale, heading
us oif, so that we were running almost parallel with the
land and were making some leeway. I was running at
full speed, with the engine doing its best. I dared not
reduce sail, for fear of making more leeway, so I got
up the preventer-braces, determined to hang on to the
double-reefed top-sails as long as possible. The situation
was rather trying, for in case the gale increased so that
I could carry no sail, I doubted my ability to find my
way back through the Pass into Behring Sea. Fort
unately we were enabled to hold on to our canvas until
we had made a good offing, and by midnight the condi
tion of things was very much improved, so that I felt
there was need no longer for apprehension that we
might have to pass the winter in these hyperborean
regions. By daylight we were clear of everything, and
fairly in the Pacific Ocean. I now made the best of my
way to Esquimault, in British Columbia, and, after fill
ing up with coal, sailed for San Francisco. Upon reach
ing that port I sped the astronomers on their way to the
East and reported to Admiral Turner, Commander-in-
Chief of the Pacific Squadron, for duty under his com
mand.
CHAPTER XIX
In Honolulu A Gay Season Queen Liliuokalani The Mohican
Ball Eastern Duty Promoted Captain In Command of the
Wabash Key West Rendezvous Captain of the Franklin On
the European Station A Mistaken Salute Gathering at Cartha-
gena Train-Robbers In the Grecian Archipelago.
I WAS not long kept idle, for the Admiral s Flag-ship
was undergoing repairs, and I was directed to prepare
the Mohican to take her place temporarily for a cruise
to the Sandwich Islands. The Admiral and his Chief
of Staff, Commander Philip Johnson, came on board, the
Admiral s flag was hoisted at the mizzen of the Mohican,
and we sailed for Honolulu. We ran south, took the
northeast trade-winds, and in due course of time were
secured in the snug harbor of Honolulu, where we re
mained for about six weeks.
The presence of a man-of-war in Honolulu always
gives rise to an unusual amount of gayety. Dinners
and balls and entertainments of all sorts were immedi
ately devised. The Admiral and his staff and I were
presented to the King, and were soon after invited by
him to dine at the Palace. I think the Kamehameha at
that time (1869) was the fifth of that name, commonly
called Lot. He was a kindly, genial man, and if any
one could have heard him converse without seeing him
he would have been taken for an educated American
or English gentleman. His manners were exceedingly
good, and one could not be associated with him without
p 225
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
liking him. We all went to the dinner, which was good,
and everything was served in excellent taste. After
the feast His Majesty, Johnson, and some of the other
guests, sat down to a game of poker, a game in which
the King took great delight. On this occasion there
was no limit to the betting, and it turned out to be a
higher game than I was accustomed to play ; but I was
in for it, seated by the side of Majesty. It was a case
of noblesse oblige, and I could not back out. It so hap
pened that I was in great luck. I drew to three eights,
and picked up another; His Majesty held at the same
time a full of aces, so it took fours to beat him. The
betting was of course very lively, and continued to be
so until the pile on the table amounted to about one
hundred and fifty dollars. Then there was a call by
one or the other I do not now remember which. The
cards were then shown, and I bagged the pile. When I
returned to San Francisco my friends informed me that
it was reported that I had won ten thousand dollars
from the King of the Hawaiian Islands. We had sev
eral entertainments of this kind during our stay, at
which His Majesty was always present.
Our Minister, Mr. Pearce, was at that time living at
the house of Mrs. Dominis, the mother of John Dominis,
who was then the Governor of Oahu. John Dominis
married Lydia, who was a high Chiefess at that time,
afterwards becoming Queen, and now the dethroned
Liliuokalani. She also lived with Mrs. Dominis, and, as
I was very intimate with the Minister, and saw him
nearly every day, I was necessarily thrown a good deal
with Lydia. I remember one day, when John Dominis
and I had been up late at a party the night before, he
asked me to go up to their room, which I did, when we
both threw off our coats and lay down on the bed in our
226
MRS. BISHOP AT HONOLULU
shirt-sleeves. While we were lounging there Lydia was
moving about the room, pursuing her usual employ
ments. The breath of scandal had never reached her,
and, so far as I knew, her reputation and character \vere
beyond reproach. The Dowager Queen Emma was at
Honolulu at that time, living quietly at her country-
place near the city. She was a pretty woman, and
maintained the dignity of her position extremely well.
She always appeared accompanied by an attendant.
One of the native women whom I remember with
great pleasure was Mrs. Bishop, the wife of an American
who was a banker in Honolulu. She was very hand
some, was a highly educated and accomplished woman,
and would have done credit to any society in the world.
I have dined at her house, and have rarely been more
beautifully entertained. If these lines should meet the
eye of any one who was in Honolulu about that time, I
am sure he will corroborate all I have said about her.
Mrs. Bishop was well known, not only in her own City,
but in San Francisco, and had the faculty of making
friends wherever she went. A charming family of
Americans resided in Honolulu at that time Mr. and
Mrs. Williams and their little daughter ; they lived de
lightfully in ISTuana Valley. I shall never forget an ex
tremely pleasant dinner at their house, nor shall I ever
forget those that I have taken with them in Washing
ton, where they now reside. They are still much as
they were in those days, and their little daughter has
grown up to be a charming and highly cultivated young
woman. I see a great deal of them now, and we often
talk about those by-gone days at Honolulu. One of the
characters there at that time was a Mr. Wodehouse, the
British Minister. I have heard of him recently in con
nection with the late troubles there, but exactly in what
227
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
way I do not now remember. He was so thoroughly
English, as indeed he ought to have been, that our Min
ister, Mr. McCook, spoke of him as a man who always
carried a copy of England in his pocket. It was this re
mark, I think, that caused me to remember him as well
as I do.
The time for our departure was now rapidly approach
ing. We had received a great deal of attention, and de
termined to show our appreciation of it by giving as
grand a ball as the resources of the Mohican would al
low. The ship was accordingly turned over to the
managers, and she was soon so transformed that she
could hardly be recognized as a man-of-war. His Maj
esty and the royal people, together with the whole of
the society of Honolulu, came to the ball. It was a
great occasion, and none failed to avail himself of such
an opportunity. It is contrary to the Naval regulations
to have poker on board ship ; but knowing the King s
fondness for it, I took the responsibility of disregarding
them for the time and made a card-room of my cabin,
in order that he might indulge in his favorite game.
The ball was a great success, and I think every one
went home pleased, except, perhaps, His Majesty him
self. The contretemps which gave rise to this supposi
tion I will now proceed to relate.
The late Queen, whom, as I have before stated, I
knew very well, and whom I shall call Lydia in future,
for that is the familiar name by which she was known
in those days, sent a message to me one day that she
desired to see me. I called at her bidding and found
her entirely alone. She did not proceed at once to the
business about which she had sent for me, but asked
me to sit down and play a game of cribbage with her,
which I did. A visitor came in, which interrupted our
228
PROMOTED TO CAPTAINCY
game, but as I felt sure it was not for the purpose of
playing a game of cribbage that she had sent for me, I
remained until the visitor departed. She then began her
story. She told me how much they were all devoted to
the King, how he departed from his usual custom to
attend our ball, and that he did so to do away with an
impression that he was not favorably disposed towards
Americans. She then went on to say that it had been
told to them, meaning those near the throne, that when
it was reported to the Admiral that the King was about
to leave the ship, instead of going to the gangway to
see His Majesty into the boat, as is usual in such cases,
he made the remark, " Let the King go to the devil !"
I expressed myself very much surprised, and at once as
sured Lydia that it was quite impossible that the Ad
miral could have been guilty of such a want of respect
for His Majesty, and that I was confident that he had
not made the remark ascribed to him, and was sure
nothing could have been further from his thoughts. As
a matter of fact, I had heard nothing of the occurrence
as reported. Lydia expressed herself entirely satisfied,
and the entente cordiale was restored.
I think it was in November, 1869, that we sailed from
Honolulu for the Coast of the Pacific, and reached there
about the end of the year. Soon after this I was de
tached from the Mohican, and later was on duty at
Mare Island Navy- Yard, where I remained for some
time and then went East. I was on duty for a while
at the Washington Navy- Yard, and also at New Lon
don, and then remained for a time on leave.
I was promoted in 1873 to Captain, being then forty-
eight years of age. Promotion was made at an earlier
age then than it is now, for it would be a rare thing at
this time to find a Captain under fifty. Soon after my
229
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
promotion I was ordered to command the Wabash, as
Chief of Staff to Admiral Case, who was going out to
relieve Alden, as Commander-in-Chief of the European
Station. We sailed from New York together in the
old Cunarder Russia the last of the side- wheel steam
ers of that line in the spring or early summer of 1873.
We passed a few days in London and Paris, and in
due time reached Villefranche, where we found Alden
with the Flag-ship Wdbash, Captain Temple, and the
Brooklyn, Captain Bryson. Alden shifted his flag to
the latter ship and sailed for home ; Case hoisted his on
board the Wabash, and assumed command of the Squad
ron, while I relieved Temple in command of the ship.
We did not remain long at Yillefranche, but started
soon for a cruise to the eastward, touching at a number
of the Greek islands and getting as far east as Trieste.
We remained for several days at the PiraBus, whence we
went to Athens, and were all presented to King George
and Queen Olga. We made but a brief stay in the East,
and upon returning to headquarters at Villefranche we
found orders for the Squadron to proceed immediately
to Key West.
There was a war-cloud hanging over the country,
caused by the Virginius affair. It looked very much
as if we were to have war with Spain, and the Squadron
from the coast of Brazil and a large force from the
North were ordered, like ourselves, to rendezvous at
Key West. It was one of the most powerful demon
strations that this country had ever made, certainly the
largest since the Civil War. Rear- Admiral Case com
manded the whole force. Scott, who commanded the
West India Station, and felt sensitive about another
Flag Officer s commanding on the Station which had
been his, was permitted by Case to take his Flag-ship to
"230
LEAVE THE WABASH FOR THE FRANKLIN
another part of the Station. While negotiations were
going on in reference to the affair in question, the fleet
was not idle. We had daily exercises at fleet ma
noeuvres, torpedo-practice, target-firing, and such other
work as would fit the fleet for action in case diplo
macy failed. I doubt if there was any Naval force of
its size in the world that would have given a better ac
count of itself than this fleet. It so turned out that
everything was amicably arranged. These events took
place late in 18Y3 and early in 1874. After the peace
ful solution of the problem which had for some time
been agitating the Cabinets of the United States and
Spain, this Naval force was dispersed. The Wabash,
which was my command, had about completed her
European cruise, and it was ordered that the Franklin,
which had just come out from home with a fresh crew,
should take her place as Admiral Case s Flag-ship. The
question then arose who was to be her Captain. Simp
son certainly had a better claim than I, but, on the other
hand, Case, to whom I was Chief of Staff, was so anx
ious that I should return with him to Europe that he
told me that if I was not permitted to do so he would
throw up the command. It was certainly very compli
mentary to me, and I have always appreciated this par
tiality on the part of the Admiral. Fortunately, Simp
son wished to return to the North, and was entirely
willing to exchange commands with me. This arrange
ment was approved by the Department, and so I went
to the Franklin as Captain of the new Flag-ship. Thus
ended an embarrassing situation, which bid fair at one
time to bring my European cruise to a sudden termina
tion. Before returning to our Station we made a brief
visit to Havana, where we found it very pleasant, now
that the entente cordiale was restored. Soon after this
231
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
peaceful visit, which but a short time before we thought,
if we went there at all, might be a hostile one, we sailed
for the Mediterranean, and reached our headquarters in
due course of time.
It was now the spring of 1874. Spain was in the
throes of internal dissension. The revolutionists had
captured Carthagena, and had commissioned and sent
out on a raid along the coast the then powerful battle
ship Numancia. Her mission was to bring to terms any
of the loyal cities within her reach. She was pur
sued by the British Ship Swiftsure, Captain "Ward, and
a German ship-of-war, Captain Werder, and driven back
into Carthagena, they threatening to fire upon her if
she failed to obey their directions. The Numancia was
officered and manned by the revolutionists, and was very
much such a man-of-war as we read of during the days
of the French Revolution, one of the kind that Nelson
once captured, on board of which there had been a revo
lution the night before, when the Captain was deposed
and a petty officer was elected in his place. Under such
circumstances it was thought by her people that she
had better do as she was told, so she steamed quietly
back into port.
One bright morning the Franklin arrived off Cartha
gena, and saw that the Spanish flag was flying at the
Fort. As we were entirely ignorant of the events which
I have just been relating, the Admiral ordered the na
tional salute to be fired, which was returned from the
shore. I was told afterwards that the Intransigentes
then said, " Ah ! the Americans are with us ; now we
are all right!" We soon after came to anchor, and
were visited by a Lieutenant from a British man-of-war,
who asked the Admiral if he understood the state of
affairs then existing in Carthagena ; and upon his reply-
232
AT CARTHAGENA
ing in the negative he explained to him the situation, so
that we found we had been saluting the Rebels. It was
awkward, but there was no help for it now. Before we
anchored, however, the Spanish Flag-ship with the loyal
Admiral on board came along, and we saluted him. A
boat was then sent from us to him with an officer, who
was directed to explain the situation, and we heard of it
no more.
The condition of affairs was such now in and about
Carthagena that the Admirals of the different nations
serving in the Mediterranean were directed to assem
ble there. I do not remember the names of any of the
Admirals or ships, but that of Vice- Admiral Sir Yelver-
ton Hastings, in his Flag-ship the Lord Warden. There
were there, however, Italian, French, and German ships,
and our own Flag-ship. We were there rather to pro
tect our own interests than to take part with what I
suppose might be called the representatives of the Euro
pean Concert at that time. As is usual when a number
of ships-of-war of different nations come together, there
is a good deal of dining and wining, and in this case
there was no exception to the rule. Sir Yelverton Has
tings was an able Admiral and a charming man, to my
mind head and shoulders above any of the other Euro
pean commanding officers then assembled at Carthagena.
He seemed to be, par excellence, the central figure about
whom the others revolved, and in saying this I do not
mean to belittle the others, for they were all men of a
high order of merit, and all did their share towards sup
pressing the lawlessness which then existed on the coast
of Spain. One thing struck me when I was on board the
Lord Warden as a little curious, but perhaps not unusual,
which was that the officers, in addressing the Admiral,
would call him " Sir Yelverton " instead of " Admiral,"
283
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
thus using the civil title in preference to the military
one. In addition to the blockade of the insurgent port
by a Spanish Squadron, the place was invested by the
Army under General Martinez Campos, who has filled
many positions of trust and responsibility since those
days, notably as Commander - in - Chief of the Spanish
forces in Cuba during the rebellion no\v in existence
there. Some of our officers went to the front, and were
received by him with great kindness and courtesy.
Every one knows that he was relieved of his command
in Cuba because he did not conduct the suppression
of the rebellion with that severity which his Govern
ment thought was demanded of him. At Carthagena
he soon brought the insurgents to terms, and restored
this important Arsenal to its legitimate Government.
While on the Spanish coast we visited Barcelona, and
made up a party to Montserrat, a monastery ten or
fifteen leagues from the City, well up in the mountains.
At one time in the primitive days of Spain it was most
useful to weary and belated travellers, who went about
the country on horseback as well as on foot, and were
glad enough to find this hospitable resting-place, where
they could pass the night without money and without
price. At this time there was a regiment of Carlists en
camped near the monastery. As we approached it we
were stopped by their sentinels, but after some formali
ties were permitted to proceed. They were a fine-look
ing set of men, who seemed very much in earnest, and
enthusiastic about the cause in which they were en
listed. As I spoke some Spanish, I took occasion to
talk to them from time to time, and they exhibited an
intelligence unusual in private soldiers. This, however,
is not to be wondered at, for, although their ranks con
tained many rough characters, yet there were to be
234
ESCAPE SPANISH BANDITS
found in them also some of the best blood of Spain.
The Colonel of the regiment was going, the next day
after our arrival, to Barcelona in disguise. As that City
was in possession of the Government party, we all
thought it was at the risk of his neck, but he seemed
to be under no apprehension, and begged me to say to
the Admiral that he would be happy to be the bearer
of any despatch he might have to send. I thanked him
on the part of the Admiral for his kind offer, and told
him that we were going there ourselves the next day.
Sure enough, on the next day, as we were alighting from
the diligence that conveyed us to the point where we
took the train for Barcelona, the Colonel was at the sta
tion, and gave me a nod of recognition as he passed me.
I have never yet been able to understand how he went
within the lines of the enemy apparently with so little
concern.
Later, I visited Montserrat for the second time. The
cause of the Carlists had come to grief, and the troops
had recently been disbanded. The country was overrun
with highwaymen, and we were soon made to feel their
presence near us. Our party were in the train on the
way from Saragossa to Barcelona, when suddenly it
stopped in an unusual place. In the carriage in which
I was the silk screen which conceals the light from above
had been drawn, as we all felt disposed to take a nap.
It was to this happy circumstance that we owed our
escape from a visit of a party of banditti, who thought,
as the compartment was dark within, that it contained
no occupants. The train was stopped by these worthies
by a red signal displayed in front, the universal railway
signal for danger ahead. The engineer and fireman
were seized and placed on the road-side, with an armed
sentinel over them. The robbers then went through the
235
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
train, excepting the carriage in which I was. On each
side of each carriage they placed a man with a sort of
blunderbuss ; then one of their number would enter with
a long knife in his hand, demanding money and watches.
And so they went through the whole train, escaping
with their plunder, which, after all, including watches
and money, did not amount to more than about twelve
hundred dollars. Our Commissioner, who was con
ducting the party, and who had with him a bag of
money for the payment of fares and other expenses of
the expedition, had the presence of mind, when he saw
what was coming, to throw his bag in amongst the coal,
thus concealing it from view.
After our visit to Barcelona we went to Marseilles,
making but a short stay in the muddy waters of the
harbor, from whence we were glad to get away. "We
then went to Yillefranche for a while, and enjoyed the
delights of Nice and Monte Carlo.
The time now approaching for the summer s cruise,
we bade adieu to those friendly shores and stretched
away for the Grecian Archipelago, where we visited a
number of the islands of which it is composed. I hap
pened to be at Zante on Sunday, and went to early mass.
The church was very small and very plain. The acolyte
who served the mass was the French Consul, as there
was no one else to officiate. The Greek Nomarch, the
principal official of the little fort, was present, although
not a Catholic. His chief occupation seemed to be to
keep order amongst the crowd of unruly children who
had drifted into the little chapel to see what was going
on. My attention from time to time would be attracted
by seeing the Nomarch crack a restless urchin over the
head with his baton of office. Cruising in the Grecian
Archipelago is not especially interesting. Apart from
AT ZANTE AND MILO
its classic associations this group has nothing of particu
lar interest to recommend it to the traveller. The prin
cipal occupation of the day would be a drive in the
evening. At Zante we saw growing the currant of
commerce, which is, after all, no currant at all, but a
small grape, which grows in bunches like the ordinary
grape. The word currant is simply a corruption of
Corinth Corinth grapes, then corinths, then currants.
At the island of Milo, where was found the celebrated
" Venus," we remained a few days for target-practice.
There seemed to be no one there from whom to get
permission, so we made a target of a side of a hill and
blazed away. The harbor is perfect, being completely
land-locked, but the island seems to be of no importance
whatever. In the times of ancient Greece it was no
doubt of great value, but now it has the reputation of
being a pest-hole, and has become almost entirely de
populated. We went as far east as Smyrna, and after
a short stay there we returned to the western part of
the Station.
CHAPTER XX
Port Mahon A Negro Consul In Crete Admiral Worden The
King of Portugal A Northern Cruise Royal Dinners Un
wonted Honors to Worden Berlin and Copenhagen The Charms
of Stockholm A Russian Naval Review Festivities at St. Peters
burg.
I HAD never been to Port Mahon, and was very glad
when the Admiral directed me to proceed with the
Fra/nMin to that place. It was formerly the head
quarters of the Squadron, and the Navy is filled with
traditions of events which took place there years and
years before. While I am writing I am reminded of a
little ditty illustrative of the stormy character of Cape
de Gatt, and the comforts associated with Port Mahon.
It was thus :
"Off Cape de Gatt I lost my hat,
And where do you think I found it ?
In Port Mahon, behind a stone,
And all the girls around it."
A number of Naval officers married here, and some
of the best people in America come of Mahonese ances
try, amongst others Farragut and Benet, one the great
Admiral, the other a distinguished officer of the Army.
At this time (1875) there was a negro Consul at Ma
hon. Upon our arrival I sent a boat for him, when he
came on board and received his salute of seven guns.
Of course the situation was new and embarrassing for
him, but he acquitted himself with as much dignity as
238
THE ORGAN AT PORT MAHON
could reasonably be expected. He made a theatre-party
for the officers while we were there, which the Admiral
and I declined, or perhaps it would be better to say that
we did not intend to go. Upon hearing this the Ward
room officers decided that, as the Admiral and Captain
were not going, they did not care to go either, where
upon I sent word to them, that under the circumstances
I should not only go, but go in uniform, and desired
them all to do the same. I felt sure that in pursuing
this course I was carrying out the wishes of the Gov
ernment. So we not only went to the theatre, but the
Consul had prepared a most elaborate supper for us at
his house, of which we all partook. Commander Ames,
who was of the party, and was entirely equal to the
occasion by his wit and fun, made everything pass off
most satisfactorily. The Consul was happy, and I felt
that I had done my duty.
At Port Mahon there is one of the finest organs in the
world, perhaps the only object of special interest to be
found there. We were taken to the church which con
tains it, and it was a great treat to hear the melodious
sounds which were produced. The reason why this
grand instrument is at so insignificant a place as Mahon
is this : Many years ago the vessel in which it was the
principal cargo, while making its way from the place
where it was made to Civita Yecchia, thence to be
taken to Kome, was stranded upon the island of Mi
norca, of which Mahon is the most important seaport.
The vessel was a total loss, but the organ was saved,
and as it was found that the expense of reshipping it to
Rome Avas greater than it was thought wise to incur, it
was placed in the church where it now is, and from
which it will probably never be removed.
There are three things, especially, for which Port
239
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Mahon is famous. One is its excessive cleanliness, for
the whole town is whitewashed every Saturday. An
other is the delicious shell-fish which is called the date-
fish a kind of mussel, which, as a very minute animal,
works its way into a porous rock, and there goes on in
creasing till it becomes two inches long. The rock is
then broken and the date- fish is removed. The name
has been given to it because of its resemblance to the
date. It is considered a great delicacy, and ranks high
among the shell-fish of the world. The last of the three
things for which I have said Mahon is famous is the
Salsiche a kind of sausage that is said to be very de
licious, and in the traditions of the old Navy no supper
at Port Mahon was complete unless these two delicacies
formed a part of the menu.
During this summer we visited the Island of Crete,
which has become famous by its efforts to throw off the
Turkish yoke, and during these latter days has been the
scene of events which came near embroiling Europe in a
general war. We anchored in Suda Bay, where the
European Admirals have been lately assembled, a deep
sort of fiord, well protected, where fleets may lie safely
at anchor with almost any wind that may blow. Canea,
which is the principal town on the island, may be
reached by crossing a sort of neck of land which sepa
rates it from the Bay. I never knew why it was not
built upon this beautiful Bay, where it would be so
much better protected than where it now lies. A large
party of us took horses and donkeys and rode over to
Canea, a distance of about six miles. We found at the
end of our journey a Greco-Turkish town, in itself utter
ly uninteresting, but the trip was a pleasant novelty
which amply repaid us. In the autumn of this year the
Franklin and Alaska went to Spezzia for an overhaul-
340
REAR-ADMIRAL JOHN L. WORDEN
ing. Both ships had been actively cruising, and the boil
ers of the Alaska were very much in want of repairs.
The time for the retirement of Admiral Case was now
rapidly approaching. He had been informed by the
Department that he would be relieved by Admiral
"Worden, and was directed to proceed with the Franklin
to Lisbon to meet the new Commander-in-Chief. We
accordingly left the Mediterranean, and reached Lisbon
in time to make the change in the Squadron Command
ers on the day that Admiral Case retired. The Pow-
hatan, Captain Jouett, had arrived with Worden and his
family, so that everything was ready for the change at
the appointed time. Case shifted his flag to the Pow-
hatan and sailed away for home.
The European Station was now in command of
Eear- Admiral John L. Worden; his flag had been
hoisted on board the Franklin, and all the formalities
usual at such times had taken place. The reputation of
this gallant and able Naval officer is so well known, and
has become so much a matter of history, that anything I
could say here could hardly add to the lustre which now
adorns his name ; but from my long intercourse with him
always of a most cordial and friendly nature I can
say with truth that I found him possessed of those
qualities which would naturally lead up to the very acts
of gallantry and heroism which made him famous, not
only in his own country, but in every land where deeds
of daring and valor are held in high esteem. I not only
learned to admire Worden, when I served with him as
Captain of his Flag-ship, but I formed for him an affec
tion which I have entertained ever since, and which I
shall continue to feel for him as long as I live.
Soon after Worden s arrival he was presented to the
King of Portugal. He was accompanied by all the other
Q 241
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
members of the staff as well as by me. As I remem
ber the King, he was unprepossessing in appearance, but
seemed to be intelligent, especially in matters pertaining
to the sea. His Majesty and the Admiral had a short
conversation about modern men-of-war, after which we
backed ourselves out, and the presentation was at an end.
We were also presented to Don Fernando, who had been
the King-Consort to the late Queen. He had married
after his wife s death an American woman who, I think,
was from Boston. After the interview with her hus
band, the Admiral, upon the strength of her being an
American, asked to see her. Don Fernando then retired,
and she made her appearance. She sat and conversed
with us some time, then rose and left the room, and thus
terminated this ceremonial.
The Flag-ship sailed from Lisbon some time in Febru
ary, 1875. We touched en route at Tangier and Gibral
tar, and then made the best of our way to Yillefranche.
It had been the intention of the Admiral, upon his ar
rival on the Station, to order Captain Carter, of the
Alaska, to the command of the Flag-ship, and I was to
be ordered to the Alaska to finish my cruise in her ; but
during the passage to Nice he thought a good deal about
the matter, and concluded that it would serve the pur
poses of harmony better to preserve the status quo, so
this contemplated change was never made. I remained
in command of the Franklin for the remainder of the
cruise, and returned in her to the United States. The
repairs to the Alaska, which had been at Spezzia since
we sailed from there for Lisbon to pick up the Admiral,
were now about completed. Worden had laid out for
the summer a cruise to the Baltic, so the Franklin and
Alaska sailed from Yillefranche for the North some
time during the spring.
242
DINE WITH CROWN-PRINCE OF GERMANY
When we reached the North Sea we ran into the
Kiver Elbe and went up as far as Gliickstadt. The Ad
miral s fame had spread through the whole maritime
world ; he had inaugurated the first ironclad fight known
to Naval history, and was honored and feted wherever
he went. The German Minister at Washington had
made a request of our Government that he should be
directed to visit with his Flag-ship the waters of Ger
many. The officials of that rising Naval power were
desirous of meeting a man whose fame had long since
spread to her shores. Leaving the ship at Gliickstadt,
the Admiral, accompanied by his staff, went to Berlin,
where we met many of the distinguished people of the
German Government. Bismarck was not in the city at
this date, but he had left directions that no pains should
be spared to make the Admiral s time pass, during his
stay in Berlin, as pleasantly as possible. Frederick, af
terwards Emperor, was then Crown-Prince ; his widow,
who is still living, is a daughter of Queen Yictoria.
The Admiral and his staff, and Captain Carter, of the
Alaska, were invited by the Crown-Prince to dine with
him at one o clock at Potsdam ; of course we all went.
The dinner company was composed of more than a hun
dred people. What surprised me was to find that at
that hour the men wore dress-coats and the women were
decolletees. There were not many black coats, for the
men were nearly all officers of the Army and Navy.
The Admiral sat near the Crown -Princess, and every
honor and distinction possible were conferred upon him.
After dinner the royal carriages arrived, and we were all
taken to Sans Souci and driven around the grounds of
that charming spot. Dinners and all sorts of fetes were
given in the Admiral s honor, to all of which, as his
Chief of Staff, I was invited. Our Minister at Berlin at
243
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
this time was the Hon. J. C. Bancroft Davis. He and
his charming wife did honor to the country which they
represented with so much credit, and were largely in
strumental in making the Admiral s visit agreeable to
him while he was in Berlin. They lived there in excel
lent style, and it was a great pleasure to us Americans
to see our Legation in the hands of those who repre
sented the best type of our countrymen.
After a reasonable stay in Berlin we returned to the
ship, and soon after we reached her sailed away for the
Baltic. After the usual passage we anchored off the
City of Copenhagen, where we remained long enough to
be presented to their Majesties, the King and Queen of
Denmark. Besides the feeling which one has towards
almost any ruler, there is an especial interest attached
to these Sovereigns, because their children, particularly
at the present time, are objects of unusual interest.
Their son George is the present King of Greece. He,
as every one knows, has been prominently before the
public in these latter days in consequence of the Crete
imbroglio and the Greco - Turkish war. Their eldest
daughter is the Princess of Wales, and their daughter
Dagmar is the Dowager Empress of Kussia. I have
had the honor of meeting and conversing with both King
George and Empress Dagmar, and have found them
both most interesting personages. The Admiral, Cap
tain Carter, and I were invited to dine at the palace
with the Koyal family. We accepted, of course, and
had altogether a most agreeable time. The dinner
was good, as Koyal dinners always are. The Eoyal
family, consisting of the King, Queen, and Princess
Thyra, sat together, as is the custom, on one side of the
table, and the Admiral, Captain Carter, and I sat oppo
site to them. There were a few other guests, but not
244
AT STOCKHOLM
many. The conversation, after a little stiffness at first,
soon became general, for their Majesties spoke English
fluently, so that there was no difficulty in conversing
with them. As the dinner advanced, the King, then the
Queen, and then the Princess, each in turn, would ask
each of us to take a glass of wine with them, and so the
dinner passed along pleasantly enough. Carter, who was
sitting next to me, said, " I am going to ask the Princess
to take wine with me." I replied I hardly thought it
was the custom. Whereupon Carter said, " Well, I am
going to do it." The Princess smiled sweetly, and
touched her glass to her lips, and was, perhaps, rather
pleased at our American and unconventional way of do
ing things. The Princess Thyra was unmarried at that
time, but has since become the wife of the Duke of
Cumberland. We remained but a short time after this
at Copenhagen, where we had a very pleasant visit.
Our Minister to Denmark at this time was the Rev. Dr.
Cramer, who had married a sister of General Grant.
He seemed to me to be a very excellent representative,
and his wife was an intelligent, agreeable woman. Dr.
Cramer died in January, 1898, being Professor of Phi
losophy in Dickinson College.
In the continuation of our cruise we next went to
Stockholm, and anchored in the beautiful waters of this
lovely Venice of the North. Stockholm is, I think, one
of the most beautiful cities in the world. There is a
sprightliness and brightness about its waters which pro
duce a most exhilarating effect. The city rises, as it
were, out of the bosom of the Baltic, and one never tires
of lying at anchor in its secure and pleasant harbor.
King Oscar was not behind the others in doing honor to
our Admiral. The latter was, with his staff, presented
to His Majesty, who, in conversation with him, showed
245
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
his appreciation of what the Admiral had done to make
his name famous in the annals of Naval warfare.
Amongst the many things which he did to render his
visit agreeable was to place his yacht at the Admiral s
disposal, and to send him, with his staff and such guests
as lie thought would be agreeable to him, to one of his
palaces, situated in these waters some distance from
Stockholm. The palace to which we went is called
Gripsholm. It was at one time occupied by the old
Kings of Sweden, but now is more used as a place to
which excursions are made by the Royal family for the
entertainment of themselves and their friends. Noth
ing could exceed the beauty of the scene as the yacht
threaded her way amongst the many islands which lie
between Gripsholm and Stockholm. The trip lasted
most of the day, and was exceedingly pleasant and in
teresting, not rendered any the less so by a delicious
luncheon which was served as we wound around amongst
the islands of this beautiful archipelago. Amongst the
guests that I remember were the British Minister and
his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Erskine, who were amiable peo
ple, whose presence added very much to the pleasure
of the occasion. I call to mind also Count and Countess
Rosen, the latter an American, daughter of a well-
known Philadelphia woman, Mrs. Bloomfield Moore.
The Countess was a pretty and agreeable woman. I
met her again on a subsequent visit to Stockholm, and,
although ten years had elapsed, I found that time had
dealt very gently with her, and that she was as pleasant
and charming as ever.
The summer was growing apace, and it was important
that we should take advantage of the long days to fin
ish our work in the Baltic. Soon after the events which
I have just related, we bid adieu to our friends and the
246
NAVAL REVIEW BY KING OSCAR
beautiful surroundings of this lovely spot, and the
Franklin and Alaska tripped their anchors and sailed
away for Cronstadt. At this time the Emperor Alex
ander was entertaining King Oscar, of Sweden, who
reached Cronstadt in a ship of war about the same time
we did. Great preparations were making for reviews,
both naval and military, illuminations, open-air ballets,
and all sorts of fetes in honor of His Majesty of Sweden.
The Naval force reviewed by the Emperor and King
Oscar consisted of the Kussian fleet at that time at
Cronstadt, the American ships of war Franklin and
Alaska, and two Swedish ships of war one of these
the ship in which Oscar had come from Sweden, the
other being a small Swedish ironclad. Besides these,
there was an American yacht, the Enchantress, owned
by Count Loubat, on board of which, as his guest, was
the well-known yachtsman Mr. Lloyd Phoenix. These
vessels were all anchored in line. The Emperor and
King were on board the Emperor s yacht Rurick. As
they passed down the line, the yachts being already
manned, each ship fired a salute consisting of every gun
in her battery. With the Franklin it amounted to
more than fifty guns, which was the largest salute re
ceived from any one ship. Our Admiral was, for the
time being, under the command of the Grand -Duke
Constantine, who was then the General Admiral of the
Kussian Navy. The Admiral had received his orders
from the Emperor to report to the Grand -Duke for
duty in the review, so he accordingly proceeded on
board the Rurick, made his report, and was assigned
his position. Count Loubat, of the Enchantress, also was
directed to report on board the Rurick, and was likewise
assigned his position. Before the review took place
the Admiral, Captain Carter, and I were invited by the
247
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Grand-Duke Constantino to a mid-day dinner on board
the Rurick. I chanced to sit opposite to the Grand-
Duke, and in conversing with him, across the table, the
subject happened to turn upon tobacco, when, to my
surprise, he told me that he had chewed tobacco for
thirty years of his life. I had thought this habit was
peculiar to Americans and sailors, but I presume he had
contracted it during his early apprenticeship as a seaman.
After the review was over the Emperor and King,
with their suites, visited the Franklin. It was my good-
fortune to be assigned to the Princess Dagmar as her
escort around the ship. This Princess became Empress
as the wife of Alexander III. She was always known
as the most beautiful of the children of King Christian
of Denmark. She is sister, as I have remarked, to the
Princess of Wales and King George of Greece. I en
joyed escorting her about the ship very much, for she
was not only a very beautiful woman, but was most
agreeable and charming in every way. Her great at
traction was that she was so perfectly natural and well-
bred, and one felt instantly when talking to her as he
would when conversing with any pleasing and intelli
gent woman. She appeared to be a great favorite with
the Emperor, and he was constantly calling out to her,
" Minnie," which seemed to be his pet name for her.
The visit of the Imperial family was apparently enjoyed
by them all, for they made a long visit. The King of
Sweden, during his brother s reign, had been an Ad
miral in the Swedish Navy ; he took an especial interest
in everything I told him, and when I related to him
something in connection with caring for the well-being
of the crew, he forgot his Kingship, and, patting me on
the back, said, " That s right, Captain ; always look out
for your men."
KINDNESS OF ADMIRAL BOUTIKOFF
The day that these events which I have been describ
ing took place was a busy one for the Imperial family
as well as ourselves. There was to be an illumination
at Peterhoff of all the public buildings and of the fields
surrounding them as well. The Admiral and Staff were
not only invited to assist at the festivities which were
to take place, but were provided with apartments in
the palace also. At this season of the year there is
but a short period of darkness in St. Petersburg, but
still it was dark enough to show off this beautiful dis
play to great advantage. Around the edges of the
buildings lights were placed, so that the whole outline
of the palace and other buildings was drawn, as it were,
in blazing fire. In the surrounding country small lights
were placed so close together that they blended, one
with another, producing the effect of burning fields.
The whole scene was fairy-like and enchanting beyond
description.
In the steamer which conveyed us from Cronstadt
to Peterhoff was Vice- Admiral Boutikoff. Fearing that
there might be some contretemps touching our being
properly placed at this grand fete, he detailed two of
his officers to look out for us, and directed them not to
let us out of their sight for a moment. He knew that
a Master of Ceremonies had been ordered, upon our
arrival at the palace, to take us in charge and to see
that we should want for nothing. Boutikoff, suspect
ing that this official might not properly be attending to
the duties to which he had been assigned, said, in giving
his officers his directions with regard to us, that he did
not propose to leave us to the tender mercies of these
courtiers. He was a grand old seaman, and was held
by the Emperor in the highest esteem. When we
reached our apartments at the palace the very thing
349
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
happened that the Vice- Admiral had feared. The Mas
ter of Ceremonies, whose name had been given to us,
was not to be found. Meanwhile Boutikoff had disap
peared, but his aids busied themselves in trying to find our
man. It so happened that they found some one of his
name, whom they brought up to the Admiral. He was
dressed, however, more like a cook than a Master of
Ceremonies, who wears a coat all emblazoned with gold
lace. We concluded at once that this was not the man.
Meanwhile, refreshments were brought to us in the
shape of brandy-and-soda, after partaking of which we
felt better, but the Admiral was naturally indignant that
the official who had been told off to us was neglecting
his duty, and that we were the sufferers. The young
Russian officers who were still with us rather insisted
upon bringing this fellow who looked like a cook to
the Admiral again, but I advised him not to see him, for
I felt sure he was not the man. Finally, the right man
appeared, all covered over with gold lace. About the
same time appeared upon the scene Vice- Admiral Bouti
koff. Worden, full of indignation at the way this fel
low had neglected us and his duties, was about to ex
press himself accordingly, when Boutikoff stepped up
and said, " Admiral, leave him to me," whereupon he
gave him such a rating that he will probably never
forget it. He then sent him about his business, and told
him that the American officers could dispense with his
services, and would have nothing to do with him, and
thus ended this unpleasant but rather amusing episode.
Amongst other festivities in honor of His Majesty of
Sweden was a ballet in the open air. A sort of tem
porary theatre was improvised for the occasion, and a
selected corps de oallet made its appearance. This was
one of the most brilliant spectacles I have ever beheld.
250
END OF FETE AT CRONSTADT
I do not remember to have seen a man in the room who
did not wear a uniform, and the women were gowned
in their best evening attire. I think the performance
lasted about an hour. In the interval between the acts
the Emperor came over to where the Admiral was, and
engaged him in conversation and paid him every atten
tion. Alexander II. was one of the handsomest men in
Europe. He was not only that, but he was an exceed
ingly kind man, who had the good of his subjects very
much at heart, and did all in his power to ameliorate
their condition. He was assassinated, however, in the
most brutal manner, and in this way was illustrated the
remark made by some one that the government of
Eussia was an absolute despotism tempered by assas
sination. After the ballet we all adjourned to the gar
dens of the palace ; a band of gypsies from the Yolga
had been brought here to assist in the festivities. It
was an uncanny scene that presented itself as we ap
proached them. They were seated around a large fire,
over which was suspended a caldron containing I do
not know what. They were singing the songs of the
land from which they came, and were listened to by a
most distinguished and attentive audience. The Em
peror and all the Imperial family stood close around
them, and seemed to enjoy the wild strains of their pe
culiar music with all their hearts. It was a scene which
I shall never forget, for it made a deeper impression upon
me than anything I saw during the whole of that most
interesting day. This was the last act of the drama.
The dawn was now upon us, the lights were fading
away, and we were all glad enough to go to our beds. It
was the intention of the Admiral, when we went to the
festivities at Peterhoff, to avail himself of the invitation
which had been given to become a guest at the palace,
251
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
but as the garden scene that I have just described seemed
to be the end, he thought we might as well return to
Cronstadt. Amidst the great mass of vehicles of every
description which were crowded together, ours was no
where to be seen, so we jumped into the first one that
stopped the way and drove down to the port. Fort
unately Vice- Admiral Boutikoff s yacht was still there,
and, as he appeared upon the scene about the same time
with us, he invited us to return with him, and we ac
cepted the invitation. We reached the ship in time for
breakfast, having been up through the entire night. We
were glad to get back, but more glad still to have been
present at this most interesting/^, a privilege such as
rarely falls to the lot of any one, unless, as with us, the
accidents of the service happen to throw it in his way.
CHAPTER XXI
In the Baltic Reception at Kiel In English Waters Old Haunts in
London Villefranche Gayety in the Riviera Americans at
Nice Wedding on the Ship.
WE had now finished our work at Cronstadt, which
was the northern limit of our cruise. Soon after the
events which I have just related the Franklin and
Alaska got under way and sailed for Kiel. I found the
cruising in the Baltic extremely interesting. Without
any good reason for thinking so, I had been under the
impression that the land which borders that sea was
bold and precipitous, having in my mind, I presume, the
high land which encloses the fiords of Norway. On
the contrary, however, in the part in which we cruised
the land was flat, and we could always see the spires of
the churches in the cities before we saw the surround
ing country. They had a very curious effect, as they
would seem to shoot up out of the sea, rising higher and
higher, until the churches and city and country would
all suddenly come into full view. We found that the
Franklin drew a little too much water to make the
cruising altogether comfortable ; on two or three occa
sions she grounded, once in a narrow, intricate channel,
and again off Copenhagen, but we got her off in both
cases without any difficulty or injury to the ship.
At Kiel the Admiral was received with the same
cordiality which had been accorded to him at Berlin.
The officer commanding the Naval Station here was the
253
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
same Captain Werner who had assisted in arresting the
piratical raid of the Numancia along the coast of Spain
when she was temporarily in the hands of the rebels,
to which I have before referred in the course of this
narrative. Nothing could have been more kind than
the manner in which he treated us, putting us in the
way of seeing everything of interest in this very inter
esting part of Germany.
Kiel is in Holstein, and came into possession of the
German nation at the time the Schleswig-Holstein ques
tion was settled, after the war of which it was the
cause. This question, it will be remembered, agitated
Europe a great many years, and concerning it some
statesman said that there was but one man in the world
who had ever understood it, and he was dead. It was
worth Germany s while to fight for this port, for it is
one of the finest harbors in the world. When we were
there the canal between it and the North Sea was then
talked about, but I do not believe that any steps had
been then taken towards its construction, though to
day it is an accomplished fact. The country around
Kiel bears so strong a resemblance to the part of Penn
sylvania in which I was born that in roaming about it
I was constantly reminded of York County; the same
kinds of farm-houses, with their great barns attached to
them, many times larger than the houses themselves,
are common to both places. Then, again, the Holstein
cattle, the trees, and even the people themselves, car
ried me back in spirit to my native State. After all, it
is not very strange that I should have this feeling, for
my impression is that the settlers of that part of the
State to which I refer came from this very part of Ger
many, and it is but natural to suppose that they would
impart to the country which they made their home
254
VICE-ADMIRAL COMMEREL
many of the characteristics of the Fatherland. Captain
Werner, of whom I have spoken above, was a thorough
German. In illustration of this I will relate a little in
cident about him which will show that at least he pos
sessed one of the characteristics of that nation in a high
degree. I was out for a walk one day, and desiring to
reach a certain point I asked Werner how to get there.
There were three public-houses between where we stood
and the point I desired to reach. Pointing to the first,
he said, " Do you see that house ? Well, there you
stop and get a glass of beer ;" then, pointing to the next,
he said, " Then you go there and you get another glass
of beer ; and so to the third place for another glass, and
then," he said, "the next place," pointing it out, "is
the place you wish to go to." Getting the glass of
beer from time to time seemed to him to be an indis
pensable part of the expedition.
The summer of 1875 was passing rapidly away, and
our work in the Baltic seemed to be completed. We
sailed from Kiel, and squared away for Antwerp, where
the Admiral had intended to touch en route to England ;
but bad weather appeared to be coming on, and the pilot
seemed doubtful about his ability to take us in, so with
a strong, fair wind we crossed the Channel, passing the
Goodwin Sands en route, and were snugly moored in
the Downs before dark. The next day we got under
way and went to Spithead. The Franklin anchored a
long way from Portsmouth, and boating to and fro at
this anchorage was very tedious, but with our steam-
launch, which was an excellent sea-boat, we managed to
communicate with the shore with more or less comfort.
Yice- Admiral Commerel, who was at this time living at
Southsea, was an old friend of Admiral Worden. As a
Captain, he had commanded the ship which conveyed
255
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the remains of Mr. Peabody from England to the United
States ; had then with his ship visited Annapolis, when
Worden was Superintendent of the Naval Academy,
and it was there that a friendship was formed between
them which has lasted up to the present time. Com-
merel invited the Admiral, Lieutenant Soley, and me to
dine and pass the night at his house. I shall never for
get how delightfully we were entertained, both by Lady
Commerel and himself. They both possessed charming
personalities, and without the slightest effort at enter
taining made us feel at once as if we were in our own
house. Commerel was a gallant Naval officer. He
came ver}^ near losing his life in Africa during the
Kaffir War. A bullet struck him in the chest and pene
trated his body, but it seems it did not touch a vital
part. It was, however, a source of great trouble to
him as time went on ; he told me that it would wander
about, and would frequently come near enough to the
surface to be extracted, but before he could summon
the surgeon it would be off again, wandering about
as before. My impression is that he finally succeeded
in having the ball extracted. I shall have occasion to
refer to Commerel again, as we met at Southamp
ton; I was then Commander-in-Chief of the European
Station, and he was standing for Parliament for that
district. In this country we "run" for Congress, in
England they " stand " for Parliament.
I took advantage of being in these waters to visit
Nelson s Flag -ship, the Victory, which lies at Ports
mouth as a monument to him and to Trafalgar. In
treading her decks one cannot help being impressed
with the momentous consequences to England of the
great victory in which she bore the flag of the world s
greatest Admiral, for, as Mahan, the greatest Naval his-
256
VISIT LONDON AGAIN
torian of any age, has said, "When Trafalgar was
won, England was saved," and the great Napoleon was
obliged to divert the grand army which he had col
lected for the invasion of her shores, and console him
self, as best he could, with the victory of Austerlitz.
Soon after our visit to Commerel the Admiral left for
London, and I took the ship to Southampton. The
Queen was at this time at Osborne. I passed the palace
at an hour too early to salute, but I have regretted
since that I did not so far disregard the regulations
upon that subject as to do so anyhow, for I feel that
too much honor cannot be paid to the woman who, by
her long, beneficent, and prosperous reign, has elicited
the admiration of the whole world. At Southampton I
anchored off Netley Abbey, and soon afterwards went,
myself, to London.
I have been so often in that great City, which to me
is the most interesting in the world, that I am very
much mixed up as to what I did and what I saw at any
especial time. Mr. Benjamin F. Stevens was then, as
he has been for many years, the United States Dispatch
Agent at London. One of his most faithful assistants
is Mr. Petherick. To these two gentlemen all Naval
officers who go to London must feel under the greatest
obligation, for they have never spared themselves in
ministering to their wants and in aiding them in every
possible way, and not only themselves, but their wives
and families as well. Petherick would accompany me
to such places as the Cheshire Cheese, an old haunt
of Dr. Johnson s, and the Cock Tavern, where Ben Jon-
son used to hold forth. At the Cheshire Cheese I sat
in the same seat in which BoswelPs hero was accus
tomed to delight not only his biographer, but all his
hearers. The beefsteak and beer were, I fancy, served
B 257
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
in much the same way as they were when the great
poets and other literary characters of the time visited
this celebrated haunt. In the place where we took our
luncheon it seemed that nothing stronger than beer was
served to the guests, but we were afterwards shown to
a room up-stairs where we partook of a cork and fath
om of clay, which, translated, means a glass of Scotch
whiskey and a clay pipe. At the entrance of the
Cheshire Cheese was a bar, which was attended by a
pretty barmaid, and many a passer-by on the Strand
was no doubt attracted by her comely face and tempt
ed as he went along to stop and take a drink. Another
place of interest, which I think is not known to the or
dinary tourist, is Crosby Hall. It is said that it was
formerly the palace of Richard III., whether truthfully
so or not I am unable to say. It was an excellent res
taurant, however, and its dainty dishes were served by
young and handsome English girls, generally above the
medium height. With their pretty white caps and
aprons, as they flitted about the dining-hall, they cer
tainly made it a most attractive place to gratify one s
palate and taste for the beautiful as well. The Criterion
had a reputation for its good dinners, but I tried it and
was disappointed. At Simpson s Tavern, where I dined
very well, it was the custom, if one wanted a piece of
roast-beef, to notify the waiter, when a huge piece was
wheeled up to the table of the sitter and a slice was
carved from it then and there.
I do not think that I visited at this time many of the
main objects of interest in which London abounds. I
said to Mr. Stevens, one day, that I desired to get in
formation upon a certain subject, whereupon he replied,
" We will go to the British Museum." While there I went
to the library, and in looking at the name of Franklin
258
CARRYING EXHIBITS TO PHILADELPHIA
I lighted upon the names of my father, my brother, and
a cousin of mine. It was very interesting, but it was
not what I was looking for, and certainly not what I
expected to see. What struck me most agreeably while
I was in the library was the perfect order in which
everything was conducted, how every one writing at
the numerous desks was accommodated by the attend
ants, in furnishing them with books either to keep with
them or merely to refer to and then return. Such pro
found silence reigned throughout that one could have
heard a pin drop, and the whole machinery of the es
tablishment worked like a well-regulated clock.
The autumn of 1875 had now arrived. The follow
ing year was to be that of our Centennial Exhibition at
Philadelphia. The Government had decided to trans
port, free of expense, the works of art of American art
ists who desired to send them to the United States. In
furtherance of this determination, the Admiral received
an order to send the Franklin to Cherbourg to pick up
these works, convey them to Gibraltar, and there trans
fer them to the Government store-ship Supply, which
would meet the Franklin there and receive them on
board. The Admiral, of course, did not go in the ship,
but directed me to take the Franklin to Cherbourg,
receive the articles, and then proceed to Gibraltar, and,
further, carry out the orders of the Department.
I accordingly got under way from Southampton, but,
the weather being foul for crossing the Channel, I an
chored for the night at St. Helen s Bay. It blew hard,
and, as the wind was constantly increasing, I let go a
second anchor underfoot. In a sudden shift of wind,
owing to some oversight in reference to the compressor
the cable of the second anchor parted, but fortunately
the port -bower brought the ship up, and she lay very
259
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
comfortably at single anchor, with a long scope, for the
remainder of the night. In the morning Lieutenant-
Commander Nelson, the Navigator, an excellent officer,
who had entered the service from the volunteer ranks,
went to work with hearty good - will, succeeded in
grappling the chain, and the anchor was soon again at
the bows. With a fair wind we ran over to Cherbourg,
where we remained only long enough to execute the
orders of the Admiral, when we sailed for Gibraltar. I
found at that port the Supply, Lieutenant-Commander
Hayward, to which I transferred the works of art,
which she conveyed to the United States. Daring this
visit to Gibraltar I met the Duke of Connaught, who
was stationed there as an officer of the British Army.
He was a dapper young fellow at that time, and seemed
to be a favorite with his comrades of the Army, and, in
deed, generally with the people of the garrison. I had
made all my preparations to sail on Saturday, and con
sequently was obliged to decline an invitation to dine
with him on that day. Although he occupied a sub
ordinate position in the Army, as a Prince of the blood
and son of the Queen he maintained a certain amount
of state in Gibraltar, and entertained in a manner be
coming his high rank. He was the second of Victoria s
children that I had thus far met.
I sailed on the day appointed for Villefranche, where
I arrived in due course of time, and secured to the in
shore buoy, which is so close that one can almost throw
a biscuit on shore. Although there is plenty of water
at Villefranche for the largest ships, yet we always
took the old pilot who has been there for a generation,
and who could always give us information with refer
ence to the French Fleet ; for if it happened to be com
ing to Villefranche we so arranged the mooring of our
260
ENTERTAINMENTS AT NICE
vessels as not to interfere with the French in their own
port. The Admiral returned from England soon after
we arrived, and took up his quarters at Nice. We had
been cruising very actively since leaving the Tagus,
where Admiral Worden had hoisted his flag, and now
hoped to have a season of rest, more especially as the
winter was close upon us, when the ships rarely cruise
unless there is some especial reason which might render
it important to do so. The gales in the Mediterranean,
in the winter season, are strong and frequent, and I
remember that Yice- Admiral Sir Yelverton Hastings,
R. N., advised Admiral Case not to permit his ships to
be battered about in the winter unless there was some
good reason for it, but to keep them in port, so that
they would be ready for service in the spring, when he
most required them.
Nice, as every one knows, is the city of which Yille-
franche, it might be said, is the port. It was always
very gay when the ships were there in the winter, and
they added not a little to the festivities which were
constantly taking place both ashore and afloat. There
w^ere two clubs, the " Cercle Mediterranee" and the
" Cercle Massena" to both of which the officers were
always invited. Then there were dinners and evening-
parties at private houses, so that there was no end of
gayety going on all the time. By far the most enjoy
able, however, of all these entertainments were those
given on board the Flag-ship at Yillefranche. An in
vitation to these matinees was always eagerly sought,
and all the gay world of Nice would flock in great num
bers to these enjoyable dances ; and not only from Nice,
but they would come from Cannes and Mentone, for the
fame of these entertainments had spread all along the
Riviera.
261
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Our Consul at Nice at this time was Mr. Yeasey. He
was admirably adapted to the position a peculiar one,
in which good manners and good address were very
large factors, and the kind of people with which he
would have dealings were generally those accustomed
to be treated with politeness and consideration. Such
qualifications Mr. Yeasey possessed in a very high de-
give, and they were thoroughly appreciated by all who
came in contact with him. A rough and ill-mannered
man, such as we often see in our Consulates, would be
very much out of place in the American colony of Nice,
and amongst those of our countrymen who pass through
this pleasant winter watering-place as they flit along
the Biviera. One of the most agreeable and interesting-
American families residing at Nice at that time was that
of Mr. Gignoux, a naturalized American citizen, who
had lived for many years abroad, and finally settled
down at Nice. He married Miss Christmas, who, I think,
was from Brooklyn. They had a number of children,
three of whom were living with them at this time. One
was a widow, Mrs. Matthiessen, a lovely woman, who
devoted most of her time to good works, and was very
highly esteemed by the entire community. There were
also two unmarried daughters, who were extremely
handsome, and great favorites in the society of Nice
in those days. Many were the pleasant entertainments
that we had at the house of this charming family, whose
hospitality will be long remembered by those who were
there at the time about which I write. One of the
most interesting characters residing there then was
Madame Borell ; she was a member of the Astor fam
ily ; had been a Maid of Honor to the Queen of Hol
land, and had now taken up her residence at Nice. She
entertained very handsomely, and it was a privilege, as
262
AN INTERRUPTED WEDDING
well as a great pleasure, to be a guest at her delightful
dinners. Amongst others who passed the winter of 75
and 76 at Nice was the family of Mr. Storrs Willis, a
brother of N. P. "Willis, who was, like his brother, a
highly cultivated man of considerable literary ability;
it consisted of Mrs. Willis, one of the handsomest women
of her day, and three young ladies. They were charm
ing girls at that time, and are charming women now.
They all married officers of the Franklin. Commander
Emory is the husband of one of them, Lieutenant Ward
of another, and Mr. Broadhead of the youngest. The
last named of these gentlemen resigned some years ago,
but the other two are still in the service, and belong to
the highest type of Naval officers.
Ward was married on board the Franklin, by the
Archbishop of Nice. I was a witness to the civil mar
riage, which took place before that of the Church, by
the prelate whom I have just named. On the appointed
day, which opened most auspiciously, the marriage-bell
was in place, the Archbishop had taken his stand in
front of the happy couple, the guests were all assembled
in their rich gowns, and the ceremony had begun, when,
as if a cloud had burst immediately over our heads, the
rain poured down in such torrents upon the awning, and
so flooded the decks, that the ladies were obliged to
trundle their handsome dresses, almost in the time it
takes to tell it, to the deck below. The whole scene was
transferred to the main-deck, where the ceremony was
completed. This unlooked-for interruption did not,
however, mar the jollity of the occasion, for every one
looked upon it inconvenient as it \vas as a good joke.
No Naval officer who was at Nice about this time can
fail to appreciate the kindness of Mr. Edward Yial, who
furnished our ships with coal, and through whom most
263
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
of the business of the fleet was transacted. He not only
attended to the public business, but was untiring in his
efforts to make the officers and their families comfort
able and happy. Madame Yial was a handsome woman,
member of a noble Italian family, of agreeable, spright
ly manners. She survived her husband, who died a few
years ago, and has since consoled herself by marrying
again, &prefet of one of the French provinces.
CHAPTER XXII
J. A. MacGahan In Lisbon The Channel Fleet Lord Lytton
A Country Visit Captain Mahan Admiral Luce Return to the
Mediterranean On Leave in Paris A Sudden Recall In Hurry
to the East.
OUR sojourn at this pleasant resting-place was soon to
be brought to an end. Another Cuban war cloud ap
peared upon the horizon, and the Admiral was directed
to remove his command from the Mediterranean and
proceed to Lisbon, there to await the course of events ;
what the trouble at this time was has passed from my
mind, but it terminated, as all the others have done, in
an amicable adjustment with Spain. It was now the
spring of 18T6. We sailed for Lisbon, touching at Gib
raltar en route; the passage was uneventful, and in due
time we reached our destination. I took with me in
the cabin the war correspondent of the New York
Herald, whom I had known before, as he was a passen
ger in the Wabash when I took her to Key West, more
than two years before. This was J. A. MacGahan, a
very able man, whose life had been full of adventure,
for he always took his life in his hands and braved
every danger to accomplish his ends. He has written
two charming books, the result of his experiences one
is called Campaigning on the Oxus, and the other Under
the Northern Lights the former relates to what hap
pened in the Russian Army when he accompanied it,
and the other to what he saw in the Jeannette when she
265
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
went in search of the log-books of Sir John Franklin s
Expedition. He was one of the favorite correspondents
of Bennett, who always felt that whatever work he laid
out for him to do would be thoroughly well done. I
enjoyed the society of MacGahan very much, for he had
many interesting experiences to relate, as he had been
in many lands and seen many strange sights. When we
reached Lisbon, he left us. I missed him very much,
for it left a great gap in the mess, which had consisted
only of him and me.
We made a long stay at Lisbon. The war cloud
hung in tfc e sky for some time before it disappeared al
together, and we remained quietly at anchor in the
Tagus. Our Minister at Lisbon was Mr. Moran, an ac
complished and competent official. He had served a
long time as Secretary of Legation in London, and had
there attained a great proficiency in diplomacy, and had
been a great favorite in London society. He told me
that he had collected many volumes of matter which he
intended to present to the State of Pennsylvania, with a
request that it should not be published until thirty years
after his death. I never could quite see how the State
of Pennsylvania could publish such material at all. I
passed a good deal of my time at the Legation, and
never tired of hearing Moran relate his experiences of
his many years of diplomatic life. He was suffering at
this time with a sort of palsy of the left arm and hand,
which not only affected his general health, but his spirits
as well. He bore it all, however, with manly patience.
His death, which took place some years ago, was no
doubt hastened by this malady, for he was not an old
man when he died.
The British Channel Fleet happened in while we
were there. It was commanded by Sir Beauchamp
266
SIR BEAUCHAMP SEYMOUR
Seymour, whose sobriquet was " The Swell of the
Ocean." He was an excellent Admiral and a most
charming man. I dined with him several times on
board his Flag-ship, and found him always a most ge
nial and courtly gentleman. There was a good deal of
dining and wining going on, as there always is when
British and American Squadrons find themselves to
gether in port for any length of time. Admiral Sey
mour s dinners were very handsome affairs, as those of
British Admirals always are ; he was a man of excel
lent taste, and his dinners showed it. He was devoted to
his profession, and liked to talk about matters relating
to it. I remember asking him once if he did not like
our expressions " line " and " column " better than theirs
of " line abreast " and " line ahead," saying that I
thought the former a more military way of expressing
the same idea. He replied that there was a good deal
to be said on both sides of that question, but did not
seem to care to discuss it. Sir Beauchamp Seymour
commanded the British Fleet at the bombardment of
Alexandria, and was afterwards created Lord Alcester.
I do not think I ever met him after we parted at Lis
bon. When I was last in London he wrote me a note
enclosing a card for the Senior United Service Club,
which gave me the entree of that comfortable establish
ment during the whole of my official sojourn in and
about Great Britain. I had some correspondence with
him when I was President of the International Marine
Conference, but I lost sight of him soon after that.
In the fleet under Seymour s command was Captain
Lyon, afterwards Admiral Lyon. I remember he told
me that it was a custom of his, or of the Service I am
not sure which for the Commanding Officer to invite
all the officers of every rank and grade to dine with him
267
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
on what they call Commission-day that is, the anni
versary of the day en which the ship was put in com
mission. He told me that he had just dined fifty-four
officers, including in the number the Boatswain, Car
penter, Gunner, and Sail-maker. I thought this was
doing pretty well for aristocratic old England. In the
Navy of democratic America I do not believe such a
thing has ever occurred. I think, however, it is a very
pretty custom, and I see no reason why it should not
obtain with us. When Lyon came to see me on board
the Franklin he looked about my cabin with a view of
seeing how many people I could dine, for he seemed
full of the project which he had just carried out in his
own ship.
Lord Lytton was at this time the British Minister at
the Court of Portugal. As every one knows, he was
the "Owen Meredith" of Lucile. He lived in beautiful
style in Lisbon, every part of his house showing evidence
of his exquisite taste. On entering the hall the first
thing which presented itself to the eye was a sort of
receptacle filled with about a hundred yellow gourds of
different kinds. The effect was very startling, and it
seemed odd and strange, but nevertheless it produced a
most pleasing impression upon the eye. His dining-
room walls were so covered with rare china that one
could hardly see them at all, and the whole establish
ment was filled with things of beauty. He gave our
Admiral a handsome dinner, to which I had the honor
of being invited. At the time I thought it was altogether
the most beautiful dinner I had ever attended. Every
thing was delightfully cooked, and served in excellent
taste, and, the wines were as good as could be had any
where. The only lady present was Lady Lytton herself,
and, besides our Admiral, the only distinguished guest was
268
LORD AND LADY LYTTON
Sir Beauchamp Seymour, the Admiral I have referred
to who commanded the British Channel Fleet. The
dinner passed off most pleasantly. Lady Lytton, at
the proper time, arose and retired to the drawing-room.
The men sat for some time, as was the English custom
at that day, and continued their wine-drinking. Finally,
when I was quite sure we had all had enough, Lord
Lytton said, " I know that you are all dying for a
smoke ; whoever wants to smoke, follow me." Where
upon we all rose from the table and followed him out
of the dining-room. To my surprise, he ushered us into
the drawing-room and said, " Here is where we smoke ;
Lady Lytton likes it, and we always smoke here." Lady
Lytton smiled sweetly, acknowledging the truth of what
her husband had just said, and we all sat down to our
cigars and coffee. Lady Lytton was a charming, hand
some woman, in every way fitted to be the wife of a
man so distinguished as Lord Lytton then was, and who
was further to occupy positions of great trust and re
sponsibility, first as Viceroy of India and afterwards as
Ambassador to France. Lord Lytton conceived a great
liking for Admiral Worden, and seemed to enjoy his
society very much. He frequently visited the Franklin,
and manifested his preference for him in many ways.
During our stay in the Tagus, Lytton was appointed by
Disraeli Yiceroy of India. At first he pleaded ill-
health, and was rather averse to accepting the position,
high and honorable as it was ; but, notwithstanding, the
Premier insisted upon his going, and he finally accepted.
He was obliged to go off hurriedly to England, and
leave Lady Lytton in Lisbon to follow in a few days.
On the day that she sailed Worden went himself in his
barge to the landing and escorted her to the steamer.
When Lytton was appointed to India he had not yet
269
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
reached a very high position in the Diplomatic Corps,
but Disraeli knew his man, and felt assured that he
possessed the very qualifications which would fit him
to fill with credit that exalted position. I was told by
a British Admiral about this time that the Viceroy of
India could spend from his salary all that was proper
and necessary and yet at the end of his term of office
easily have saved fifty thousand pounds.
In the country, at some distance from Lisbon, at this
time was living a Major Smith, formerly of the British
Army. He also took a great fancy to the Admiral.
He had resigned from the Army, and was afterwards
appointed Consul at Lisbon. At this time he was living
at a pretty place he had purchased, which was formerly
a convent, and was operating a paper-mill. His wife,
a handsome and interesting woman, was the daughter
of an Admiral in the British Navy I think Admiral
Keppel. Major Smith invited the Admiral, Lieutenant
Soley, and me to visit him at his home, which was not
far from the lines of Torres Yedras. We could not
resist such an alluring opportunity of seeing something
of inland Portugal. The convent, transformed into a
dwelling-house, possessed every comfort that can be
found in any well-regulated country gentleman s estab
lishment in England, and, although there was not much
to do, there was real enjoyment in passing a few days
in this hospitable mansion. The Major was a good
farmer, and his table was always loaded with the choic
est products of the kitchen, garden, and dairy. We all
appreciated the delicious cream and butter which the
latter produced. We enjoyed this visit of three or four
days very much, and returned to the ship with a lively
appreciation of the Major s hospitality.
The only American woman that resided at Lisbon at
270
CAPTAIN MAHAN
this time was Madame Susa Lobo. She had married,
some years before, the Portuguese Minister of that
name, then representing his country at "Washington. I
think her name had been Allen before she married. I
used to see her from time to time, and enjoyed her
sprightly and animated conversation very much. Her
husband was not employed at this time. A few years
afterwards I met her in the United States ; she had fall
en into ill-health, and I think soon afterwards died. I
have always remembered her as an agreeable and inter
esting woman.
It was during this visit to Lisbon that I met Captain
Mahan for the second time. My first meeting with
him was in the autumn of 1863, when I was Chief of
Staff to Commodore Bell ; he came from the North, and
reported for duty on board the Seminole. I suggested to
him that there was a vacancy in the MonongaheLa, and
that Bell might, if he were asked, transfer him to her ;
he did ask, but was refused an officer named Prentiss
was ordered to her, and was killed at Mobile. MahaYi,
in a letter to me, says, " Perhaps we exchanged destinies."
I have no hesitation in saying that, in my opinion, Cap
tain Mahan is the foremost writer of Naval history that
the world has ever produced. He is not only a clear
and logical writer about every matter connected with
that interesting subject, but his illustrations mark him
as possessing literary ability of the highest order. I
will quote, in corroboration of what I have stated, two
or three examples. He says of the growth of the
French Navy when fostered by Colbert : " Yet all this
wonderful growth, forced by the action of the Govern
ment, withered away like Jonah s gourd when the Gov
ernment s favor was withdrawn." Again: "The sea
power of England, therefore, was not merely in the
271
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
great Navy with which we too commonly and exclu
sively associate it. France had such a Navy in 1688,
and it shrivelled away like a leaf in the fire." Then
again, in speaking of the power of Napoleon : " Great
as was the power of Napoleon, it ceased, like that of
certain wizards, when it reached the water." These ex
pressions are so indelibly fixed in my mind that I doubt
if I shall ever forget them. Mahan s Life of Nelson,
which I have just read, is so interesting, and differs so
much from what has hitherto been written concerning
that illustrious Admiral, that I trust he will continue
his labors until he has presented us with the lives and
characters of all the great Naval heroes known to his
tory.
In the preface to his second work on Sea Power, Ma-
han says, in speaking of himself : " That the author has
done so is due wholly and exclusively to the Naval War
College, which was instituted to promote such studies.
If further success attend his present venture, it is his
hope that this avowal may help to assure the long un
certain fortunes of the College to which and to its
founder, Eear- Admiral Stephen B. Luce he gratefully
acknowledges his indebtedness for guiding him into a
path he would not himself have found." I make this
brief quotation from Mahan to show what a high ap
preciation he had of Admiral Luce, and also that it may
give me an opportunity to say how entirely I am in ac
cord with his idea of this distinguished Naval officer.
Luce was one of my classmates, who early in his career
gave promise of what he would achieve in the future.
He was a great reader and student, and when he was
still quite young published Luce s Seamanship, which
was for years the text -book at the Naval Academy
on that important branch of the profession. He after-
272
LEAVE LISBON FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
wards became interested in the training system, and did
more than any one else to establish it upon a firm basis.
One day, when we were together in Washington, he
told me that he desired to have a conversation with me
upon a subject to which he had been giving a great
deal of thought ; it was that of the importance of the
study of grand strategy by Naval officers. I thoroughly
agreed with him in all he had to say upon the impor
tant subject which he had so much at heart. He de
sired to have established a War College at which Naval
officers could take a post-graduate course, and he battled
away against adverse criticism and serious opposition
until his idea became embodied and the College was a
fixed fact.
I regard Luce as one of the most distinguished Naval
officers this country has produced, and am glad to be
able to place my opinion on record here.
There was now no longer any reason why we should
not return to the Mediterranean. Diplomacy, instead
of war, had brought our differences with Spain to a suc
cessful termination. Accordingly we left the Tagus,
and soon found ourselves moored at the Flag -ship s
buoy in Yillefranche. My cruise of three years would
now soon be completed, and I informed the Navy De
partment that I desired to be relieved when I had seen
the usual amount of service afloat. When Admiral
Worden knew of my application, he was so earnest in
his desire that I should recall it that he caused his Flag
Lieutenant to write to me expressing his strong desire
that I should continue to command the Fra/rMin after
my three years had expired, suggesting at the same
time that I should take a long leave of absence in Eu
rope and then return to my command. When I found
that the Admiral had the matter so much at heart, I
s 273
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
felt that I could no longer insist upon my application,
and consented to remain.
Having now determined to continue the cruise, I was
granted a leave of absence, and left J^ice for Paris, in
tending to be absent from the ship for a month or more.
I took up my quarters at the Grand Hotel du Louvre,
which was at that time to my mind a delightful hotel.
The table d hote was excellent, and each guest was fur
nished with a large carafe of excellent Macon wine,
and if that gave out he was supplied with another.
The price for all this was only six francs. A dame de
comptoir sat at a table near the door of the dining salon,
and for the consideration of the above-named price fur
nished each guest with a ticket which gave him the en
tree. There were two long tables parallel to each other,
which stretched nearly the whole length of the salon.
These tables were nearly always filled, and, as the room
was brilliantly lighted, the scene presented was very at
tractive. The dinner was served in courses, and, as it
was always good, it was not difficult to imagine one s self
at a well-ordered dinner-party. I amused myself stroll
ing about Paris, and visited the various objects of in
terest, so many of which present themselves in this gay
capital. I had never seen the Jardin Malille, of which
so much has been said and written, so one evening I
drifted into that far-famed place of amusement. It
happened to be an off night, and there was no dancing.
I had expected to see that of which I had heard so
much I mean, to see one of the dancing-girls kick off
the hat of her partner as they whirled around in the
mazes of the dance, etc. but the whole scene at the
garden was as tame as it could be, and I felt very much
disappointed at not having seen the great Parisian sight.
I was not long permitted to enjoy the pleasures of
274
ORDERED TO SALONICA
Europe s gay capital, for I had been there not more
than a week when I received a telegram from the Ad
miral directing me to join the ship without delay. The
occasion of this abrupt ending to my leave of absence
was some difficulty which had arisen in Salonica, which
necessitated the presence there of the Admiral with the
Flag-ship at once. I left Paris immediately, and the
moment I joined the ship we got under way for the
above-named port. It seems that some fanatical Mus
sulmans had attacked and killed a Consul of some na
tion, and in the broil our Consulate had in some way
become involved, so that it was necessary for us to
show a force as quickly as possible at that point. We
lost so little time in getting there that I carried with
me later dates from Paris than those carried by the
regular mails. The Mediterranean was as quiet as a
mill-pond during the entire trip, and the Franklin did
her best. In all my cruising in that sea I have never
known the scenery to appear so beautiful. As we passed
through the Straits of Messina the sun was getting low,
and would apparently set behind a hill, when suddenly
it would rise to us again, at the same time shedding the
loveliest coloring on all the surrounding country. It
was one of those pictures that makes an impression
never to be forgotten.
CHAPTER XXIII
Life in Smyrna At Villefranche Mayoral Receptions Monte Carlo
After "Boss" Tweed Return Home An Ugly Time on the
Franklin Origin of a True Story "Ben" and the "Meadow-
larks."
THE Salonica difficulty was soon arranged, but there
was trouble brewing in the East, and the Admiral de
cided to remain in those waters for the present. We
went to Smyrna, where we lay at anchor for a consider
able period. The Admiral went to Constantinople to
consult with the Minister, Mr. Maynard. He was obliged
to go by merchant steamer, as a ship of the size of the
Franklin was not permitted to pass the Dardanelles.
Turkey was in trouble, as she always is. Abdul- Aziz
was found dead in his bath, and there seemed to be
some confusion about the succession. I heard a good
deal of talk about the Sheik ul Islam and the Softas, but
I do not now know what it all meant ; it is difficult to
understand Turkish politics when one is on the spot,
but still more difficult to have an appreciation of it af
ter a lapse of years. The joke of the day, I remember,
was that " the late Sultan was no longer Abdul- Aziz,
but Abdul as was."
The Admiral returned from Constantinople, but af
fairs in the East were so unsettled that he decided to
remain some time longer in Smyrna. It was a dull, un
interesting place. One could not venture outside of the
limits of the City without risking an attack from brig-
LEAVE SMYRNA FOR VILLEFRANCHE
ands. The ruins of the great Temple of Diana of the
Ephesians are not far from the City, but even after
one takes the risk of seeing its site there is nothing but
that to repay him, for scarcely a vestige of the ruin re
mains. As we lay at Smyrna, day after day, the life be
came very tiresome, and we all longed for the time
when we would leave the fez, the veiled women, and
the dirt of the East far behind us. The condition of
affairs soon afterwards became such that its bearing
upon the interests of the United States was of so little
importance that the Admiral determined to take the
Flag -ship to the western part of the Station. We
accordingly sailed from Smyrna, and made our way
towards the Headquarters of the Station at Yille-
franche. We were dela3 r ed on this passage by a per
sistent head-wind from the westward, which blew at
times with such violence that we could make scarcely
any headway against it ; indeed, we were obliged to
anchor one night under the lee of the Island of Cyprus,
in order to save fuel, which we were consuming at a
rate altogether out of proportion to the end to be ac
complished. I happen to remember this night so dis
tinctly from the fact that years after one of the officers
told me that some of his messmates had swum ashore
to a village abreast of where the ship was anchored,
had had a little frolic, and had then swum back again.
The weather was warm, and I have a dim recollection
of having given some of the officers permission to bathe
alongside. This little escapade did not reach my ears
at the time, or I should have felt it my duty to disci
pline the offenders. I am glad it did not, for now,
through the long interval of time that has since passed,
I look upon it as a prank of a lot of dashing young
fellows who were ready for anything.
277
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
By morning the wind had sufficiently moderated to
enable us to make good headway on our course, so
we sailed for Yillefranche, where we arrived in the
course of a few days, and settled down to the routine
life of the place. It was a great boon to the inhabitants
of this little town to have it the Headquarters of the
American Squadron. It contained about a thousand
inhabitants, and I think we contributed more than any
thing else to the support of its people. It was an inter
esting sight every day at noon to see a row of milk-
women ranged along the port gangway, nicely dressed,
wearing white aprons and white caps, dispensing to the
sailors, for the consideration of a few sous, enough bread
and milk to make them a comfortable meal, always ac
companying the bargain with a pleasant smile to warm
up Jacky s heart. They made a good deal of money as
the laundry-women of the fleet, for although Jack al
ways washes his own clothes at sea, yet he always likes
to have an ironed shirt for Sunday and holiday wear.
In various other ways the people managed to turn an
honest penny. Their men were the boatmen of the
Squadron, and I presume they often brought off to the
ship as many as a hundred passengers in the course of
a day. Our sailors would sometimes marry in Yille
franche, but I doubt if they could always be relied
upon to return to their wives after the cruise was over.
It was altogether a very interesting little community,
and there was always a strong friendship between the
people of the fleet and those of this little French town.
The Mayor of Yillefranche was a very interesting
character named Pollonais. He had amassed a large
fortune, and had built himself a beautiful villa on Cape
Ferrat, a point which helps to make the harbor. He
was an exceedingly charitable man, and untiring in his
278
GAMBLING AT MONTE CARLO
efforts to make the people of the little community over
which he presided prosperous and happy ; and when one
saw the air of content which seemed to pervade these
people, one could not help feeling that he had been suc
cessful. His wife, Madame Pollonais, was not behind
him in ministering to their wants and comforts, for her
life was full of works of charity and kindness, and she
was adored by every one who knew her. The Pollo
nais were in the habit of giving large breakfast-parties
every Sunday. The Commanding Officers of our ships
of war, when they were at Yillefranche, were never left
out of these feasts, for that is what they literally were.
I have never forgotten the immense salmon which
was always a part of breakfast, and which stretched
from one side of the table to the other. Sunday was
the reception-day of these hospitable people, and the
breakfast guests were expected to pass the afternoon
there and meet the visitors from Nice and those who
were passing to and from Monte Carlo, for their villa
was nearly in the direct route between these places.
In those days, as perhaps now, every one went to
Monte Carlo. For my own part, I can say with truth
that I never played there, not as a matter of principle,
but because it was distasteful to me to mix as a player
with the crowd which surrounded the tables. I have
chipped in with others to form a pool, but never won
in a single instance. I used to take great pleasure in
drifting into the little theatre connected with the Casino,
where music of the choicest kind could always be heard.
I also enjoyed the dinners and petits soupers which could
be had there in perfection. I was told that one of the
officers of the Squadron won a large sum of money,
going up into the thousands, and that he had the good
sense to send it home and to stop playing. When I
279
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
was Commander-in-Chief of the European Squadron at
a later day, I was obliged to shut down on some of the
frequenters of Monte Carlo. I shall not mention the
names of these gentlemen, but they will probably recog
nize themselves if this narrative should ever meet their
eyes. It has always been a mooted question whether,
on account of the gambling at Monte Carlo, it would
not be better to have our Headquarters at some place
where there was not this temptation. The question
then arises whether, if the people will gamble, it is not
better that they should lose their money at a public
table than to play amongst themselves and win from
each other. There is a story about Monte Carlo, I pre
sume well known to Naval officers who frequented that
place, about some officer who had worked out math
ematically how he could beat the bank, and induced
some of his messmates to chip in with him. It was
rather early in the night when he returned to the ship.
As he came alongside he requested the boatman to wait
a moment, and, rushing up to the officer of the deck,
requested him to lend him a franc to pay the man for
bringing him on board. It is needless to say that his
mathematical problem proved a failure,
It was now about midsummer of the year 1876. The
Salonica affair having brought my leave of absence to a
sudden termination, I determined to make another effort
to have a few weeks of freedom from the care and re
sponsibility of my command. Accordingly I took a
leave, and ran about Europe for a while, taking in the
Pyrenees, when I visited such places of interest as
Lourdes, and saw there the famous grotto, so renowned
all over the Catholic world; also the Bagneres-de-
Luchon, the " Serchon " of Owen Meredith s Lucile. As
one ascends the mountains at this place he encounters
280
MEETING - BOSS" TWEED AT VIGO
lake after lake, until he reaches the region of perpetual
snow, where he finds one the surface of which is always
frozen. After remaining awhile in these mountains, I
returned to Villefrance by way of lakes Como and
Maggiore, and rejoined the ship. This trip, and the
sights seen during journeyings over it, have been so
often described by travellers that I will not undertake
description here.
The terms of service for which the crew of the
Franklin had enlisted were now soon to expire. In
September orders arrived from home directing the Ad
miral to send the ship to the United States. He was
to remain in command of the Squadron. The Trenton
was then either on her way out or being fitted to be
his Flag-ship. I accordingly bid farewell to Nice and
its beautiful surroundings, and in a few days reached Gib
raltar. While there, expecting to sail for home in a few
days, a cablegram reached me directing me to proceed to
Yigo in Spain, and there take on board " Boss " Tweed
and convey him to the United States. The cablegram
also directed me to treat him kindly, which I should
have done anyhow. Upon my arrival at Yigo I im
mediately made arrangements with the authorities to
receive him on board. In order to avoid anything sen
sational, it was agreed between us that a boat should
be sent for him at ten o clock. By this time the crew
would have been in bed for an hour, for we always
"piped down," as it is called, at nine o clock. As he
came on board I was at the gangway and said, " How
do you do, Mr. Tweed ?" whereupon some one who ac
companied him I think his son-in-law stepped for
ward and said, "Not Mr. Tweed Mr. Secor." This
attempt at concealment was so weak that I took no
notice of it, but accompanied him at once to the Ad-
281
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
miral s cabin, which was to be his place of sojourn dur
ing the voyage. It was not occupied by any one at
this time, and seemed a very good place for him. I
told him that a young man had been inquiring for him,
whereupon he told me it was his son. He had too
much sense to attempt any concealment himself.
The passage home was uneventful and very long.
The trade -winds were light, and we did not carry
coal enough to justify me in using it up for the purpose
of shortening the passage a little. Some of the officers
would go into the Admiral s cabin during the voyage
and play cards with my passenger to help him while
away the time. F malty, after a long passage, we ar
rived off our coast, having touched at St. Thomas en
route to fill up with coal. It was a cool November day
as we passed Sandy Hook. I delivered my charge to
the proper authorities, anchored the ship off the Bat
tery, and my cruise was at an end. It was not thought
proper to put the ship out of commission at this time.
The Presidential election had not yet been decided, and
the times were uncertain. Things looked a little squally,
and I was told by one in authority, who knew, that it
was thought best to keep the Franklin in commission.
I saw Mr. Robeson, then Secretary of the Navy, at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel, and told him that I desired to be
relieved ; he was very pleasant, and replied at once that
he would accede to my wishes, and that I should have
some pleasant duty assigned to me. In a few days
Captain Ransom reported as my relief, and I was happy
to turn over to him the finest ship that I think the
Navy then possessed of the old type.
Before bidding adieu to the old Franklin I must re
late an incident of the cruise that might have been at
tended with very serious consequences. When it was
282
A MUTINY SUPPRESSED
nearly at an end, at a time when Jack is hoarding up
his gains for his final frolic, the Department sent out a
lot of working -clothes, directing that a suit should be
issued to each man on board. As many of the men al
ready had clothes in which they did their rough work,
and as the new ones would have to be paid for out of
their wages, they complained of this as being, what they
thought, an act of injustice. When I learned what the
feeling was, although I lamented the necessit}^ under
the circumstances, of having to enforce the order, I felt
that it must be done and that discipline must be main^
tained, cost what it might. I ordered the officer of the
first division to call his men to quarters and direct each
man in his division to take a suit of these clothes. The
result was that the men all declined. I saw then that
I must take the matter in hand in person. I sent for
the Mas ter-of- Arms and asked him how many irons he
had, to which he replied that he had two hundred pairs.
I then had the men mustered on the quarter-deck. I
called upon the first man on the roll, and asked him if
he would take the clothes, to which he replied in the neg
ative ; he was immediately placed in double irons. The
second, third, fourth, and fifth men made the same reply
and shared the same fate. Things began to look grave,
but by a piece of great good-luck the sixth man hap
pened to be one of my gig s crew ; he touched his hat
respectfully and said, "I suppose I must, sir." Had
this man not had a personal liking for me, the refusal
to accept those clothes might have become general. As
it was, after he set the example, the rest of the crew
followed in his wake, and the cause of discipline tri
umphed.
I often feel uncomfortable now when I think of what
might have been the consequence if the whole crew had
283
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
followed the lead of the first five my irons would soon
have become exhausted, and I should have been obliged to
secure three hundred of the men in some other way ; and
after they had all been secured, what then ? I could not
recede from the stand I had taken, for I was obliged to
maintain the discipline of the ship, for which I was an
swerable to the Admiral. To be sure, there were still
the guard of Marines, numbering fifty or sixty men,
the servants and idlers, numbering perhaps as many
more, but the ship would, for the time being, have been
disabled, and so would have remained as long as this
spirit of disobedience continued with the crew. I have
always felt under the deepest obligation to the member
of my boat s crew who, from his personal liking for me,
sacrificed himself, I am sure, to relieve me from the very
embarrassing position in which I was necessarily placed
by the peculiar situation. I think that he felt that his
shipmates were wrong in not obeying the order, but he
also felt, I am sure, that their cause was a just one. Af
ter the matter had thus been settled, without any further
trouble, I caused the five men to be released from con
finement. I then called up the petty officers, and told
them that, since the crew had shown a better disposition,
I would so far take the responsibility upon myself as to
modify the Department s order, and require only those
who had no working-clothes to accept a suit of those
that had been sent out. This seemed entirely satisfac
tory, and thus the matter ended. Not long after this
affair there appeared in the New York Herald a most
sensational notice, headed, " Mutiny on board the United
States S.S. Franklin. The Captain seen on the Bridge in
his Shirt-sleeves, Armed with a Eevolver, having already
Killed Two Men," etc. This startling notice, calculated
as it was to alarm the friends of the people of the Frank-
284
HOW THE KING FELL DOWN THE HATCH
lin, was immediately telegraphed to the ship, whereupon
Lieutenant Soley, the Admiral s Flag Lieutenant, at once
placed himself in communication with the agent of the
Herald in London, and the result was that the report
was promptly denied the next day.
Before leaving the subject of the Franklin I must re
late a story well known to both the American and Brit
ish Navies, although its real origin is known perhaps
to very few in either service, in which the Franklin
plays a very conspicuous part. The King of Naples and
his suite were visiting a man-of-war lying in the Bay,
when one of the suite, taking a wind-sail, which conveys
the air through the hatchway to the lower decks, and
very much resembles a marble pillar, to be a real pillar,
leaned against it, and as it yielded to his weight he was
precipitated down the hatch and broke his leg. The of
ficer of the deck did not happen to see what had occurred,
and was very busily engaged about the decks when an
old shell-back Quartermaster rushed up to him, repeat
edly touching his hat without receiving any recognition.
Finally he could stand it no longer, and yelled out at the
top of his lungs, " Please, sir, one of them Kings has
fallen down the hatch !" I have heard this story told in
many different ways, but the idea is always the same,
that Jack s notion was that they were all Kings, suite and
all. And now as to its origin. I was taking luncheon
one day with the Commandant of the Naval Station at
Gibraltar. His place of residence is situated well up on
the Rock, commanding a beautiful view of the sur
roundings and the anchorage. One of my fellow-guests
at this luncheon was a retired British Admiral, whose
name, I regret to say, I have forgotten. After having
had a most agreeable time at the table, we all retired to
a pretty little summer-house, where we smoked our
285
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
cigars as we looked down upon the shipping in the Bay
below. We had not been sitting long when the eye
of the British Admiral happened to light upon the
Franklin. Turning to me, he said, "Captain, do you
happen to know that the ship you command is the same
upon which occurred the event on which is founded
that celebrated story, well known to both services, about
one of them Kings ?" "When I replied that I did not,
he proceeded to tell me how he knew it to be true, for
he was on the spot himself. Ke said the Franklin was
then a line-of-battle ship, and that he was a Midshipman
on board of one of H. B. M. s. ships at the time ; that he
remembered the event perfectly, and that it was im
pressed upon his mind so strongly because the Surgeon
of his ship was sent for from the Franklin to assist in
setting the man s broken leg. So the story of " one of
them Kings," which, as I said before, is a standard yarn
in both services, belongs to the Franklin.
It will be observed that I have spoken of the Frank
lin as a line-of-battle ship, or, as they were also called in
those days, a seventy-four. "When she was rebuilt she
was an entirely different vessel, having, when I com
manded her, but two fighting decks, whereas the original
ship had three. I remember, when I was a youngster
still, I wandered about her half-finished hull when she
was on the stocks at Portsmouth, and wondered if it
would ever be my fate to serve in this ship bearing my
own name, never dreaming, then, that I should ever
reach a rank high enough to command her. "While I
was cruising in the eastern part of the Mediterranean,
the similarity of the names would give rise to curious
questions on the part of the Orientals, who, not being
accustomed to Anglo-Saxon names, would always be
puzzled until they thoroughly understood the situation.
286
"BEN" AND THE " MEADO W-L ARKS "
The officers at the Quarantine Stations, when our Med
ical officer would give the name of the ship, and then of
the Captain, would say, " Yes, we understand ; but we
want the Captain s name;" and when told it was Frank
lin would look mystified and ask if the ship belonged
to him, and would want to know if the ship was named
after him, or he was named after the ship.
The story of this cruise of the Franklin would be in
complete if I failed to make some mention of a dog
which held a large place in the affections of the officers
and crew. This little animal, a brindled French terrier,
was brought on board by one of the sailors when he re
turned from his leave on shore. It was very small, and
was immediately called " Ben Franklin," without regard
to its sex. Almost the first thing that Ben did was to
fall down a hatch and break her leg ; this was thought
to be the end of Ben, but she was taken to the hospital,
her leg put in splints, and in the course of time she re
covered, although always limping a little afterwards.
Lieutenant Stevens took an especial interest in Ben, and
by care and attention she grew up to be a very respect
able dog. Some of the officers formed themselves into
a society, which they called the " Meadow-larks," mem
bership in which was not confined to human beings, but
might include anything that was new and strange, or
any person or thing that was agreeable to them. So
Ben became a member of this organization, as did also a
comet which appeared in the heavens about this time ;
and since the Queen of Greece was a special favorite
with the members of the society, she was elected a mem
ber also. Some of the " Meadow-larks" are still living,
and, I think, look back with pleasure to the days when
their little Club was first formed.
Ben was soon a favorite with the crew ; they taught
287
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
her all sorts of tricks, until she became very accom
plished. Strange as it may seem, they taught her to
sing, and almost always, when guests were on board,
one of the sights was to have Ben up on the poop-deck
to sing, and nothing that they had seen on board seemed
to give visitors more pleasure, or excite more interest,
than the performance of this wonderful dog. For a
long time after she came on board, nothing could induce
her to approach the quarter-deck ; she was, jw excellence,
a forecastle dog. By degrees she became bolder and
bolder, and was induced one day to go as far as the
cabin ; but when she looked inside something seemed to
frighten her, and she rushed forward, apparently very
much alarmed. In a few days, however, she was em
boldened to make another attempt, so that not long af
terwards she was induced to come in and lie down on
the sofa. All at once it seemed to have dawned upon
her that she had found a soft spot, and soon she ceased
to be a forecastle dog altogether. One of her peculiari
ties was to eat raw potatoes, oranges, and apples, the
only instance of the kind I have ever seen or heard of.
At the end of the cruise I took Ben home with me, and
she finally brought up on a farm near Washington,
where she died.
CHAPTER XXIV
Promoted Commodore The West Point Board of Visitors Appoint
ment of Cadets Life in Washington Observatory Management
In Command of the European Station Promoted Rear-Ad iniral.
WHEN I was relieved by Captain Ransom of the com
mand of the Franklin, I took a short leave of absence,
after which I reported for duty at the Navy- Yard at
Norfolk, as Executive Officer of the Yard. This posi
tion at that time carried with it no authority, and I was
glad to be relieved, which I soon was at my own re
quest. I was afterwards, for short periods, Executive
Officer of the Naval Station at New London, and of the
Navy- Yard at Washington. When Admiral Wyman
was promoted, I succeeded him as Ilydrographer. I be
came subsequently President of the Examining Board
for the promotion of officers to the next higher grade.
I was promoted to the grade of Commodore on the 28th
of May, 1881.
About this time I was appointed by the President
one of the Board of Visitors to West Point. Associ
ated with me on the part of the Army was General
Augur. At that time it was the custom to have both
branches of the Military Service represented on the
Board, but I believe this practice has now been aban
doned altogether. One of the most interesting of my
colleagues was Mr. John C. Ropes, of Boston. His
knowledge of military matters was something wonder
ful; he was not only an expert in matters of grand
T 289
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
strategy, but he was equally good in the most minute
details connected with war. It was delightful to hear
him discuss the great battles of the Civil War with the
veterans who fought in them, with an intelligence equal
to their own, and with a knowledge which it seemed
quite impossible to possess without having been on the
spot while the engagements were going on. In illus
tration of what I have stated with reference to his
knowledge of details, I think he had stored away in his
brain the names of every Brigadier-General, if not of
every Colonel of a regiment, that fought on the field
of Gettysburg. Mr. Ropes possesses the finest private
military library in this or perhaps any other country,
and I fancy that there is but little in the volumes it
contains that is not familiar to him in a greater or less
degree. His knowledge of Napoleon, and everything
connected with that great soldier, is wonderful; and
while one might, perhaps, in view of the literature about
Napoleon s life and times with which the world has re
cently been flooded, differ from him in his admiration
of Bonaparte, yet, upon the whole, it has always seemed
to me his estimate of the man, and what he did for
Europe, is correct. I was also very much struck with
the ability which Mr. Eopes displayed in matters other
than those that were military. It happened that there
were two clergymen on the Board, and in one of our
informal discussions he proved himself to be an excel
lent theologian. Another member of our Board was Mr.
David A. Wells, the well-known political economist. He
would discourse upon his pet theme, " Free Trade," and
I remember well, after enlarging one day upon how
its existence in this country would benefit the people,
he wound up by saying that if, with our fine climate,
fertile soil, and industrious population, we could not get
290
DISCUSSION AS TO SELECTING CADETS
on without a tariff, we had better get up and go some
where else. Professor Yen able, from the University of
Yirginia, was also one of my colleagues. He had been
on General Lee s Staff at the battle of Gettysburg, and
Mr. Eopes never tired of conversing with him upon this
great fight, with regard to which he himself was so fa
miliar.
The subject of the best method of appointing Cadets
to West Point, which would apply equally well to those
of the Naval Academy, was informally discussed one
day by the members of the Board. The question was
whether it was better to appoint boys from public
schools who had succeeded best in competitive examina
tions, or whether better results could not be obtained
by adhering to the custom of leaving the appointment
to the judgment of the Member of Congress of the Dis
trict from which the Cadet was to be named. My
recollection of the result of this discussion is that the
latter system was regarded as much the better of the
two. It was argued that because a boy excelled in book-
learning it by no means followed that he possessed the
qualities necessary to make a good Military or Naval
officer, as mere scholarship would not meet the require
ments that these positions demanded ; while, on the
other hand, the Member of Congress was more com
petent to select the proper person, from the knowledge
that he necessarily possessed of the children of his con
stituents, with whom his position must, more or less,
intimately throw him. I thought that the reasoning
was good, and I think so now. Mr. David A. Wells
wrote the report of the Board, and in conclusion said
that the system of education and training at the Mili
tary Academy was calculated to produce a class of men
that would neither steal nor tell lies.
291
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
During a portion of the years 1878 and 1879 I lived
at the Ebbitt House, where I knew more or less inti
mately a number of distinguished people. Major McKin-
ley and Mrs. McKinley were then living there, both of
whom I had the pleasure of knowing very well. When
the Major was elected Governor of Ohio I wrote him a
letter of congratulation, and the following is a copy of
the letter which I received in reply :
CANTON, OHIO, December 10th, 1891.
"ADMIRAL S. R. FRANKLIN, Washington, D. C. :
" My dear Admiral, Your very cordial letter of November 33d
reached me in due course of mail, and would have been answered
earlier, but I have been absent from home.
" I want to say that of the thousands of letters I have received
since election none have given me more real pleasure than yours. I
remember very well fifteen years ago, when we were together at the
Ebbitt House you a Captain. I remember the delightful days we
had together. I have noticed from time to time with satisfaction
the progress you have made in your profession, going through the
various grades until you have reached the highest place. All these
you have deserved. It seems to me, though, hardly right that you
should be retired from, active service when you are really now at
your best.
"Mrs. McKinley joins me in kind regards to yourself and Mrs.
Franklin.
" Cannot you run over to Columbus and see us ?
" Yours truly,
"(Signed) WM. MCKINLEY."
I have seen him several times since his elevation to
the high position which he now occupies, and I still
find him the same genial gentleman that he was in
those days.
General Sherman lived at the Ebbitt House at that
time, and I had the pleasure of knowing him and his
interesting family as well. The General invited me to
accompany him to one of the annual reunions of the
292
REPLY TO THE TOAST OF "THE NAVY"
Army of the Tennessee, which met that year at In
dianapolis. I accepted the invitation, and went in com
pany with him, General McFeeley, Commodore Law,
and a number of others. At the banquet which formed
a part of the occasion I was expected to reply to the
toast to the Navy, and had written out a brief speech
and committed it to memory. While we were at the
table the newspaper men appeared and asked for my
speech, which, as I knew it by heart, I gave without
hesitation. As the dinner advanced, and the time for
speech -making came, I found that so distinguished a
statesman as Mr. Hendricks read his speech from a
manuscript. With this example before my eyes I sent
at once to the printer to have mine returned, in order
that I might not appear presumptuous by an effort to
extemporize when so distinguished a man as Hendricks
had not done so. Meanwhile Sherman rose and replied
to the toast to the Army, while I was becoming more
and more nervous as he was nearing the end of his re
marks, for fear that a copy of my speech would not be
returned to me before he finished ; and, as a matter of
fact, it was not. To my horror I heard Sherman say:
" And now I will turn you over to Commodore Frank
lin, who will talk to you about the Navy." It is a won-
der to me now, as I look back to that scene, that I had
not forgotten what I had to say altogether, but it so
happened that I remembered every word of it and I
believe I acquitted myself creditably enough. At a
meeting that was held afterwards in the theatre, Gen
eral Harrison who afterwards became President re
plied to the toast to the ladies, and I have never for
gotten how beautifully he spoke.
In February, 1884, I was ordered to relieve Admiral
Shufeldt as Superintendent of the Observatory. These
293
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
orders were especially agreeable, for I was now occupy
ing a position that had been held by my father-in-law,
Rear-Admiral Sands, for seven years. I had now about
three years and a half of active service before me, and I
had expected and I think it was so understood at the
Navy Department to remain at the head of the Ob
servatory until I was retired ; but it was otherwise or
dered, and I passed two years and a half of that time as
Commander -in -Chief of the European Station. When
I took charge of my new duties I found already at
the Observatory Commander Sampson, a most compe
tent officer, one who was in all respects admirably
adapted to the position of Assistant to the Superinten
dent, a good organizer, as well as a good astronomer.
I found that under Admiral Shufeldt he had every
thing in good running order, and the duties were so
distributed that the right man was always to be found
in the right place, and the work so arranged that the
officers were employed in such branches of the scientific
duties of the Observatory as suited each one s taste. I
therefore found it necessary to make but little change.
I did, however, create a permanent Board, whose duty
it was to formulate a system of work for each year,
which was to be communicated to the other Observa
tories, in order that the work of all might be harmoni
ous throughout. I think this plan was adopted by one
of my successors, Commodore MclSTair, but I do not
know whether it was adhered to by all of them. The
Transit of Yenus Commission, of which I was a mem
ber, was in existence at this time. My colleagues were
Professors Newcomb and Harkness, both men of the
highest order of scientific attainments. Professor New-
comb has an international reputation, and not only is
regarded as one of the first living astronomers, but he
294
HOW TO MANAGE AN OBSERVATORY
has excelled in every other branch of science. Profess
or Hall was stationed at the Observatory at this time.
He had charge of the great Equatorial, which I think
at that time was amongst the largest, if not the largest,
in the world. He was most zealous and painstaking in
his work with this instrument, as he was with every
thing he undertook. He was the man of science whom
I conveyed to Plover Bay some years before in order
to observe the total eclipse of the sun ; I conceived an
affectionate friendship for him then which I have con
tinued to cherish ever since. To my mind he is one of
the most charming of men. Every one knows that Pro
fessor Hall discovered the satellites of Mars, by which
discovery his name became well known all over the sci
entific world, and by which he gained a reputation of
which any astronomer might be proud.
The scientific men of the country have been long
endeavoring to secure the Superintendency of the Ob
servatory for one of their number, and thus take it
out of the hands of the Navy altogether. They have
brought forward many arguments which have hither
to been unavailing, and I sincerely hope they always
will be. The head of the French National Observatory
was formerly selected from amongst the scientific men
of France, but it was found that the energies of that
institution were always bent in the direction of the
Superintendent s specialty, while other branches of the
establishment would suffer. It was then decided, when
this fact had been well determined, to place Admiral
Monche at its head for a period of five years. It was
thought that a Naval officer, without leaning towards
any special branch of science, would direct the Observa
tory in the interests of all ; and it so turned out. The
Admiral remained for the five years for which he was
295
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
appointed, in order that the experiment might be tried,
and was continued in office afterwards, the conclusion
having been reached that the experiment was success
ful. This practical demonstration of the question seems
to be the strongest argument in behalf of the system
which now obtains with us that could be brought for
ward. I do not believe, however, that the matter is yet
settled, for I have understood that efforts are now being
made to place at the head of our Observatory one of
our most distinguished scientific men.
I did not occupy the Superintendent s house during
my tour of duty at the Observatory, having found Cap
tain Sampson there, comfortably placed, and I had no
desire to oust him. I remained with my family at the
Portland, where I had a large apartment, and contin
ued to live there until the warm weather came on. I
then moved out to the Barber house, which was a part
of the property that had been purchased for the site of
the new Observatory, a charming spot, from which one
could have the finest view of Washington and its sur
roundings that can be found anywhere in the vicinity
of the City. It was delightfully cool, and altogether
a very pleasant place to pass the summer. I would drive
into my office in the morning, attend to my official
work, take my luncheon at the Club, and return to the
country in the evening ; and so the summer passed rap
idly away. At the end of August I was ordered to New
port, as the President of the Board for the purpose of
witnessing the examinations at the Torpedo School,
after which I returned to my Station at Washington,
where I remained until I was ordered to command the
European Station, in February, 1885.
The Pensacola was fitted out at Norfolk for my Flag
ship. Captain Dewey, at my request, and with his own
296
CHANDLER, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
consent, was ordered to command her. Lieutenant-
Commander Hitchcock was her Executive Officer, and
Lieutenant Mansfield her Navigator. I was promoted
to the grade of Eear- Admiral on the 24th of January,
1885. The present Senator Chandler was the Secre
tary of the Navy. He was, in my opinion, the best
Secretary we had ever had up to that date. He had
been connected with the Navy Department in former
years, was thoroughly conversant with the needs of
the service, and always had the courage of his convic
tions. Secretary Chandler had offered me, some months
before I received my orders to the European Station, the
command of our forces in China, but I was obliged to
decline, for reasons which he thought so good that he
said if he were in my place he would not go either.
CHAPTER XXV
On the Flag-ship Pensacola At Work on a Derelict Tobogganing
in Madeira Festivities at Gibraltar and Cherbourg Fatal Balloon
Experiment Copenhagen and Stockholm A Royal Visit Dinner
at the Palace Mormon Propaganda The American Minister s
Feast American Women Abroad.
I HOISTED my flag on board the Pensacola early in
the year 1885, and joined her at Hampton Koads early
in the month of May. The ship lay a week or ten days
off Fortress Monroe while we were making our final
preparations. There were a good many people at the
Hygeia Hotel at the time, many of whom visited the Pen
sacola. I remember that there happened to be there a
party of women school-teachers from the North, who
came on board in a body. One of their number, a smart
Yankee girl, who was very much interested in every
thing, not being able to suppress her curiosity, turned
to the Captain and said, " Captain, what is the object
of the expedition ?" She did not care to leave the ship
without knowing all there was to be known.
I invited my friend Dr. E. L. Keyes, of New York, to
take passage with me to Europe, and he accepted the invi
tation. It was a great pleasure to me to have him, and
I think it was a pleasure, as it was a novelty, to him to
go in that way. He was very much interested in what
was going on during the passage across, and became a
good man-of-war s-man. The apprentices seemed espe
cially to attract his attention, for they were a bright set
298
DESTROYING A DERELICT
of boys. "We had a school-master for them, and, strange
to say, the one who was at the head of his class in every
thing was a negro.
We sailed from Hampton Eoads on the 18th of
May, and soon after we hauled the fires and made the
best of our way under sail. We had not been out many
days when we made out to windward a barque appar
ently lying to under a spanker. Upon further observa
tion it was discovered that she was deserted, for no
signs of life whatever were apparent on board of her.
As she was dead to windward, there was no way of get
ting at her except with steam, so we lighted the fires,
steamed up to her, and sent a boat alongside. We found,
as we anticipated, that she was deserted. Her log-book
was on the cabin table, the last record having been made
about eight days before. As she lay there she was an
impediment to navigation. She was water-logged, being
loaded with lumber, so that there was no sink in her.
We at once went to work with our torpedoes, trying to
destroy her, but we found it was no easy undertaking.
The first torpedo drove a hole through her bottom and
carried away the starboard yard-arm of the maintop-
gallant-yard, leaving the port yard-arm intact. It
seemed a hopeless task to attempt to sink her with tor
pedoes, but we continued driving them through her un
til her hull was so disintegrated that we felt sure she
would go to pieces in the first blow. Night was now
approaching, and bad weather was coming on at the
same time, so we squared away on our course, leaving
her to break up, perhaps that very night.
We were bound to Madeira, and before many days we
anchored in front of Funchal. We passed a few days
here very pleasantly, living at one of the Reed hotels,
which are well known to frequenters of Madeira. The
299
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
hotel to which we went was exceedingly comfortable
and very clean. The roast-beef of Madeira is finer than
that of old England, and it was especially enjoyable af
ter our rather long sea trip. There was not much to do
during the few days that we remained here but loll
about and enjoy the change from life on board ship.
We did one thing, however, which I believe nearly ev
erybody does who goes to Madeira ; I refer to the ex
cursion on horseback to the Church of Pico Pico. This
Church is situated well up in the mountains which
form the Island of Madeira. The excursionists all
mount their horses and ride up to this point. Then
comes tobogganing on a large scale. The descent, that
is in a different direction, is made in large sledges which
hold two people very comfortably. Each of these sledges
is managed by two men. The start is then made down
the hill at a breakneck rate, the managers of these
strange vehicles running through nearly the entire de
scent at fall speed. The road over which the toboggan
ing is done is nearly as smooth as glass, and resembles as
much as anything to which I can compare it a huge
mosaic, with its millions of small stones packed into the
roadway. It looks dangerous, and feels so, as one
speeds along, flying through the air, accomplishing in
from five to ten minutes the descent, when it took more
than an hour to go up. I found it rather exhilarating,
and liked it so much the first time that I tried it again.
I sailed from Madeira on the 14th of June, and reached
Gibraltar on the 18th. I found the Kearsarge, which had
just arrived from a long cruise on the coast of Africa, at
anchor under the Bock. Her crew had been a long time
subject to the malign influences of that climate, so I de
termined to take her with me on a cruise into the Bal
tic. During the stay of the Pensacola and Kearsarge at
300
FESTIVITIES AT GIBRALTAR
Gibraltar, we received much attention. I quote from
my correspondence with the Department upon this sub
ject the following: " During the stay of both vessels at
this port I have received every kindness and attention
from the Governor, Sir John Adye, which have also
been extended to the officers and crews under my com
mand. I have endeavored on my part to show my ap
preciation of it by reciprocating as much as possible
what has been done by the Governor and the officers of
the garrison." "We gave a matinee to the officers of the
Station, which, of course, included the ladies of their
families, and we invited the citizens of Gibraltar, the
foreign Consuls, etc. I had constructed on the bridge
a sort of dais, from which Lady Adye could view the
dancing and get away from the crowd when she felt
disposed. She did not remain there all the time, of course,
and on one occasion, when she was mingling with the
throng, I invited one of the other ladies of the garrison
to accompany me to it, but she declined. I saw then that
there was some little feeling about it, and, therefore, did
not press her. My object was to do especial honor to Lady
Adye, the wife of the Governor, but I saw that the dis
tinction I made was not taken as I intended it should
be, and, perhaps, it would have been better not to do
it. The whole affair, however, was, I think, considered
very creditable, and I feel sure that the Americans pres
ent were not ashamed of it. Besides our Consul, Mr.
Sprague, and his interesting family, there were present,
also, Mr. Matthews, our Consul at Tangier, and his hand
some young daughter. I remember how proud she ap
peared to be that day as she danced under the folds of
her own flag, which she seemed to love so much.
Early in July I sailed with the Pensacola and Kear-
sarge for Cherbourg, where we arrived on the 10th of the
301
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
same month. The Naval Arsenal at this port is very
extensive and strongly fortified. The harbor has been
rescued from the sea by an immense breakwater, and is
safe and commodious. A statue of Napoleon with his
arm stretched towards the English Channel stands on the
shore, bearing the following inscription : " J avais resolu
de repeter d Cherbourg les merveilles cVEgypte" While
this declaration has not been fulfilled, the French nation
has made Cherbourg a military port of which any coun
try might be proud. The Prefet Maritime at this time
was Vice- Admiral du Petit-Thouars, whose wife was an
Englishwoman. He invited me to accompany him on a
grand review of the forces at Cherbourg, on the occa
sion of one of their annual celebrations, I think the " Fall
of the Bastille." I accepted the invitation, and found the
affair most interesting. At night there was a grand re
ception at his house, to which all the officers of both
ships were invited, and we received every attention from
the Yice- Admiral and Madame du Petit-Thouars. On
Sunday I went to mass, and was very much interested
in the manner in which the French churches are con
ducted. There is a sort of uniformed sexton called le
Suisse, who seems to be a kind of combination of sex
ton and police officer, for he carries in his hand a baton,
with which he could enforce his orders if necessary.
Two collections were taken up, one, as was called out by
the official, "Pour les pauvres" and the other "Pour
VEglise" It was all very novel and interesting to me,
although I had often been in French churches before.
There was at Cherbourg at this time an American
named Gower, who had become rich as one of the origi
nal stockholders of the Telephone Company, and amused
himself by spending his money in ways to suit his tastes,
which were peculiar. The scheme which was now oc-
303
FATAL BALLOON EXPERIMENT
cupying his attention was to blow up London or any
other city by means of balloons, or, rather, by heavy
projectiles dropped from them into the doomed city.
He came on board to see me the day after my arrival,
and explained his plan, which seemed to be visionary,
but not impossible. He told me that the prefet had
been very kind to him, and had sent some French sail
ors to assist him in preparing his balloons for an experi
ment which he was about to make. He was going to
accompany the experimental balloon, that was a good
deal smaller than his own, and of the size ordinarily
used by aeronauts. He had finished his preparations,
and was now waiting only for a favorable wind, which,
in order to carry him over London, should be southwest.
Finally, all the conditions seemed to be favorable. He
invited Yice-Admiral du Petit Thouars, Bear-Admiral
Kaznakoff, of the Russian Navy, and me to be present
at the start. We accordingly all appeared upon the
scene at the appointed hour. The inflated balloons
were pitching and rearing in their efforts to get away
from the fastenings. Gower was in the basket of his
own balloon. He looked pale and nervous, not, I think,
from apprehension of disaster, but rather from the feel
ing of how much was depending upon the experiment
he was about to make. We all stepped up to him and
shook him by the hand, and wished him " Ion voyage." It
was a lowering evening, the clouds and scud flying fast
from the southwest. At the appointed time the fasten
ings were cut, and the two balloons shot up into the sky,
darting off to the northeast with the swiftness of the
wind. We watched them for a while, but they soon dis
appeared amidst the mist and clouds with which the
atmosphere was filled, and were seen no more. About
ten o clock that night, just as I was retiring, I received
303
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
a despatch from the Vice - Admiral, in which he said:
" My dear Admiral, I am afraid we shall never see our
friend Gower again. The basket of his balloon was
picked up in the Channel by one of my fishing-boats
and brought to me. lie has probably been drowned."
It was a great shock to me, and I could not help recall
ing that pale and anxious face as we wished him bon
voyage, when he was about to cut his fastenings and
start off on his perilous trip. After the event which I
have just related, many theories with reference to the
fate of Gower arose, and were discussed in the news
papers of the day. It was said by some that he had
been picked up in the English Channel by some India-
bound steamer, and carried to India, and every now
and then some reference is made in the public prints to
his perilous venture. I was called upon afterwards in
London by his brother, who naturally desired to know
all about his last moments, for what I saw of him would
seem indeed to have been such, since surely he must
have perished soon after we three Admirals shook him
by the hand and bade him good-bye. His brother told
me that there was a widow, who would probably call
on me, but she never did. I have understood since that
she was a well-known singer, who has lately figured in
that capacity at musical entertainments at "Washington.
She and her husband, I think, had been divorced, and
were living apart at the time of his death.
The following extract from a letter of mine to the
Navy Department will show the feeling which existed
with reference to Americans at the time I was at Cher
bourg :
" I have observed during my stay at Cherbourg that
the French authorities have been very much impressed
with the attentions paid to the representatives of
304
THE ROYAL FAMILY OF DENMARK
France at the time of the reception of the Bartholdi
Statue in New York, and they have done all in their
power to show to me and the officers and men under
my command how much they appreciate this kindness
on the part of the people of the United States. On the
other hand, I have done all that I could to foster these
sentiments, and am sure that the presence of the Pen-
sacola and Kearsarge in a French port at this time has
done much towards cementing the good feeling which
already existed between the two peoples."
I sailed with the Flag -ship and Kearsarge for Co
penhagen, where I arrived on the 26th of July. I
had been presented to King Christian when I was at
this Capital on a former occasion, and had then had a
very agreeable dinner at the palace, where I met the
Royal family, not only at dinner, but afterwards in the
drawing-room. The evening which I passed with them
was such as one might pass with any well-regulated
family of well-bred people; the grandchildren, who were
not at dinner, were brought in and mixed with the
guests, and made themselves agreeable in their childish
way. The Crown-Prince of Denmark was at the Royal
palace on a visit to his family. He was accompanied
by his wife, a most agreeable person, with whom I con
versed a good deal during the evening. She was very
fond of dancing, and when she told me how much pleas
ure it gave her I suggested to her to make up her par
ty and I would give them a dance on board. She was
delighted at the idea, and told me that nothing would
give her greater pleasure, but she said that as she was a
guest at the palace she could not suggest the idea to
Her Majesty, as any affair of that kind would have to
originate with the Queen. I did not pursue the subject
further, so the matter was dropped. I lived on shore
u 305
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
most of the time that the ship remained in Copenhagen,
and roamed around seeing the sights, some of which
are especially interesting. The Thorwaldsen Museum
would be a credit to any city, but it is especially so
to Copenhagen, where are assembled so many of the
works of its great sculptor. Munkaczy s picture of
"Christ before Pilate" was on exhibition at Copenha
gen at this time, and attracting a great deal of atten
tion. It was then a great novelty. It has found its
way to this country since, where it has had a great
success.
Our new Minister, Mr. Anderson, had just reached
Denmark, having superseded Mr. Wickham Hoffman, an
appointee of the former Administration. I had known
the Hoffmans for a long time very pleasantly, and passed
a good deal of my time at their house ; I have had oc
casion to mention them before in the course of this nar
rative. Hoffman had always been a most creditable
representative American wherever he had been, having
before this always served as Secretary of Legation, and
he left Denmark with a high reputation both as a diplo
mat and a gentleman. I invited both the Minister and
the ex-Minister to take passage with me to Stockholm.
They both accepted my invitation, and we had a very
pleasant time together. Hoffman remained as the guest
of Captain Dewey and myself for a fortnight or more
and then returned to Copenhagen.
I left the last-named place with my small Squadron
after a brief visit, and reached Stockholm early in Au
gust. I had been at this port on a former cruise and
had had the honor of being presented to King Oscar
at that time, but I thought proper, as Commander -in -
Chief, to ask for another audience, which was promptly
granted. 1 quote from my correspondence with the De-
306
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM KING OSCAR
partment the following extract : " I asked for an audi
ence with the King of Sweden and Norway, which was
granted. I took occasion to say to him that if it would
be agreeable and convenient for him to visit the Pen-
sacola, I would be happy to receive him ; he appointed
Tuesday, the llth inst., for his visit, and came on
board that day with two of his sons and several mem
bers of his Staff. All the ceremonies usual on such
occasions took place, in addition to which I had the
ship s battalion exercised in his presence, which seemed
to interest and gratify him very much." To show the
appreciation of His Majesty of his visit to the Pensa-
cola, he immediately, upon his arrival on shore, sent me
a note, accompanied with three photographs one for
Captain Dewey, one for Commander Bridgman, and
one for me. The following is a copy of the note re
ferred to :
" STOCKHOLM, August lltk, 1885.
"DEAR ADMIRAL FRANKLIN, Hereby I send you three photo
graph portraits of mine, of which I hope you will keep one for your
self, and give the others to the Commanding Officers of the ships. I
wish you a good and happy time at sea, and have seen you here again
with great pleasure. Hoping it will not be the last time,
"(Signed) OSCAR."
At the audience to which I referred in my letter of the
Department, an extract of which I have just quoted, I
was accompanied by the two above-named Commanding
Officers. His Majesty invited us to partake of a sort of
mid-day dinner, which took place after the presentation.
On one side of the table were seated the King and
Queen and Royal family; just opposite to them sat
Captain Dewey, Commander Bridgman, and I ; the
Royal suite were distributed about the table on both
sides. As the dinner was served, the conversation be-
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MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
came general, and as King Oscar is a jolly sort of King,
who took a glass of American whiskey with me when
on board the Pensacola, the natural feeling of restraint
which one feels on such occasions had passed away.
His Majesty, who had succeeded his brother as King
of Sweden and Norway, had, before he ascended the
throne, been an Admiral at the head of the Royal Navy
of Sweden. He appeared to take great pleasure in con
versing about his experiences in his former profession,
and, while talking about it at the dinner, looking Bridg-
man full in the face, he said : " It is a profession to
be preferred to my present one; don t you think so,
Captain ?" "When, without a moment s hesitation, Bridg-
inan said : " Your Majesty, I have only tried one of the
professions, and therefore do not feel competent to de
cide which I would prefer." A courtier would probably
have agreed with the King, but this prompt reply pleased
every one very much, and there was a general laugh all
around the table. His Majesty seemed to have taken
an especial liking to Bridgman, who was a handsome
fellow of very pleasing manners. Indeed, this fancy ex
tended so far that he invited him to remain in those
waters and join a hunting-party that he was soon to
give to the Prince of Wales. After dinner we adjourned
to the palace grounds, where there was a free mingling
of all those who were at the table. I had quite a long
talk with the Queen, who was a German Princess, and
I think a descendant of Eugene de Beauharnais, and, as
the King himself was a descendant of Bernadotte, it
might be said that this Royal family is the outcome of
the French Revolution. In my conversation with the
Queen, she referred with much feeling to the prosely
tizing that was being done by the Mormons amongst
their people ; how, by their flattering representations,
308
RECEPTION AT STOCKHOLM
they have managed to induce many of them to embrace
their faith, and go with the Mormon emissaries to the
fertile fields of Western America. She asked me if I
did not think our Government could do something to
arrest this system, which she said caused her so much
unhappiness. I could, of course, give her no encourage
ment, and told her that I feared the Government of the
United States was entirely powerless in matters of that
kind, and I presume she felt the same way about her
own.
The approach to Stockholm from the sea is beautiful
beyond description. As the Pensacola and Kearsarge
would wind amongst the thousands of islands which bar
the way, they would seem to be in the midst of an archi
pelago of villas and country-seats, nearly every island
containing more or less of these prettily constructed
buildings. The band was on deck for hours replying
to the salutes of the people, who, as we would suddenly
appear in sight, would rush from the table with napkins
and table-cloths, and, when they were exhausted, with
sheets and pillow-cases, which they would wave fran
tically in the air to signify their welcome to the stran
gers. It seemed as if all Stockholm had gone to these
summer resorts, for they were as thick as ant-hills.
When we went to the audience and dinner at the
country palace of the King, we passed many islands
beyond the city, but we were then in a government ves
sel of Sweden, which was not quite the same thing as
approaching as visitors to their country, with our own
colors flying.
Our Minister at Stockholm at this time was Mr. Magee.
He had not been there long, and felt a stranger at his
new post. The advent of our little Squadron was a
source of great pleasure and gratification to him, as the
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MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
display of our flag always is to our representatives
abroad. He gave us a very handsome dinner at the
restaurant of the Public Garden a beautiful place of
resort on the outskirts of the city, to which the citizens
flock in great numbers, where, in feasting and revelry,
they pass half of the summer nights, which at this
season were nearly all daylight. He had invited to
meet us some of the members of the King s Cabinet
and other distinguished people. It was a feast, taken
with its beautiful surroundings, well worth remember
ing, and it has left a very pleasing memory. We drove
out to the dinner, but the night was so lovely that we
concluded to walk back, a distance of about two miles
from the point from which we started. It was eleven
o clock, and still daylight, as we marched in a proces
sion to the boat-landing, where we separated and went
on board the ship. My companion as we walked back
was the Minister of Marine, a bright fellow, who in
terested me very much in relating to me many curious
things about his country. He told me, amongst other
things, that the Swedes had been a very intemperate
people, but a great reformation had taken place in this
respect, and that they could be considered so no longer.
This trait in the character of this people was entirely
new to me, for when I first went to sea, fifty years ago,
we had many Swedes amongst the crews of our ships,
and my recollection is that they were amongst the best
and soberest men we had. Notwithstanding the high
latitude in which they live, they are a bright and sunny
people, and Stockholm well deserves its name of the
Venice of the North.
Sweden is no exception to the rule that at nearly
every Court in Europe there is at least one American
woman, a wife of a member of the Diplomatic Corps.
310
LEAVE STOCKHOLM FOR SOUTHAMPTON
At Stockholm it was Countess D Aunay, whose husband
was the French Minister there at that time, and a promi
nent member of the Corps. They lived in very hand-
some style, as I can bear witness, for one of the most
elegant dinners that I can remember I partook of at
their hospitable mansion. "We had an entertainment
for the Countess and other guests on board the Pen-
sacola, at which there was another American, the Coun
tess Rosen. Madame D Aunay is the daughter of the
late General Berdan, and a sister of the wife of Marion
Crawford. She was a very handsome woman, and, to
use a slang expression, she held up the American end
very well. Countess Eosen is the daughter of a well-
known Philadelphian, Mrs. Bloomfield Moore. I had
seen her ten years before, when I was cruising in the
Baltic, and at the time of the visit now described she
was still a handsome woman. Her husband is Count
Rosen, of the Swedish Navy.
The time which I had set apart for my cruise in the
Baltic was now nearly expired, and I sailed a few days
after the events about which I have been, writing, in
tending to touch at Kiel on my way to Southampton,
but the wind remained so persistently ahead that I
determined to put into Copenhagen for coal, abandon
the Kiel trip altogether, and go direct to Southampton.
"When I anchored at Copenhagen for the second time
my former passengers, the Minister and the ex - Min
ister, Colonel Hoffman, both of whom had preceded me,
were very much surprised until I related to them the
cause. I found Hoffman in bed with a bad fit of gout,
which he told me he had never had before ; I felt rather
flattered to think this attack was, perhaps, the result
of the good cheer of the Pensacola. As soon as we
had filled up with coal I got under way and went to
311
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Southampton, arriving there on August 26th, thus bring
ing the cruise in the Baltic to an end. I left the ship,
went to London, and took up my quarters at Carter s
Hotel, in Albemarle Street, where my wife had pre
ceded me.
CHAPTER XXVI
In English Waters Mr. Phelps on Board Among the Docks A
Southampton Banquet Boar Hunting at Tangier Changes at
Nice A Christmas Dinner American Diplomatists An Extraor
dinary Request Interview with the Pope Americans in Rome
The Highlands of Sicily.
I REMAINED in and about London and Southampton
for about six weeks before sailing for the southern part
of the Station. Our Minister at the Court of St.
James s at this time was Mr. Phelps. It is needless for
me to say here how well we were represented by this
distinguished diplomat ; he and Mrs. Phelps were held
in the highest respect and esteem by all classes of the
English people, and I am sure that our Minister at that
time ranked high amongst the great Americans who
have always filled this exalted position. Mr. Phelps
was very fortunate in having attached to the Legation
such men as Harry White and Commander Chadwick,
the latter of whom was our able Naval Attache. Mrs.
White and Mrs. Chadwick were both ladies who occu
pied high social positions at home, and were enabled,
thus, to assist their husbands in a very important branch
of the diplomatic career. I invited Mr. and Mrs. Phelps
and a party of Americans to visit the Pensacola, where
they were entertained by Captain Dewey and me at
luncheon. I had the honor of giving Mr. Phelps his
first salute, which I remember because he told me it
was the first he ever received. Amongst others pres-
313
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ent were some of my American friends whom I hold
in high esteem. I mean Miss Alice Riggs and her
sister, Mrs. Howard, and her children. The young peo
ple had a dance on the main-deck, while those of us who
were not so } T oung amused ourselves as best we could.
It was all a novelty to the Minister, and, as he seemed
pleased with everything that took place, I was satisfied
with the result of the entertainment. The party re
mained on board for several hours, and in the evening
took train back to town.
I met in London at this time Colonel Taylor, the secre
tary of the various dock companies and Equerry to the
Queen. The Tilbury Docks were just being construct
ed, an immense work, which, during the excavations, un
earthed many curious relics, going back even to the time
of the Romans. Colonel Taylor asked me and my Staff
to accompany a party of invited guests to visit this inter
esting work. I had the pleasure of meeting there Sir
Montagu McMurdough, who, with his charming family,
entertained us afterwards at their pretty country-seat
on the Thames. Lady McMurdough was the daughter
of Sir Charles Napier, of Sinde, and was, naturally, very
proud of the reputation of her gallant father. Colonel
Taylor invited us to lunch with him at his offices, in the
building of the East India Dock Company. We after
wards accompanied him to the East and West India
Docks. The sight which, interested me most in the
West India Docks was the American Frigate President,
which had been captured from us by the English in
the war of 1812. There she lay, a fixture, to remain as
long as she could be utilized for the purpose for which
she was then used, that, I think, of a school-ship for ap
prentices, and then, probably, to be broken up for fire
wood. It seemed an inglorious fate for this gallant
314
ELECTION BANQUET AT SOUTHAMPTON
American Frigate, which in her day was one of the
finest ships of our Navy. We visited also the ware
houses of the dock companies, filled with articles of
the world s commerce of every possible description. I
shall never forget the immense rum-cellar, stored with
great butts containing hundreds of thousands of gal
lons of this product of the West Indies. Amongst
those of our party on this occasion were Lieutenant
Mason and his wife, his mother, Mrs. Myers, and his
sister, Mrs. Julian James. We all lived at the same
family hotel, and formed friendships which have exist
ed up to the present time.
During these days in London I would frequently lunch
at the United Service Club. Lord Alcester had sent me
a card which gave me the entree during my official stay in
England. I was glad to be introduced by one for whom
I had so high a regard, and who was so highly esteemed
by the members of the Club. I shall never forget those
great English mutton-chops that were served to us for
luncheon, resembling porterhouse steaks more than any
thing else, nor can I forget the general air of good cheer
and comfort which pervades the whole establishment.
While the Pensacola was lying at Southampton, I was
a guest at one of the banquets for which its people are
quite famous. I had attended one on a former occa
sion, when Admiral Worden was the guest of honor, and
I was the Captain of his Flag-ship, the Franklin. That
was a far more elaborate affair than the one about which
I am now writing, for this, as well as I remember, was a
sort of electioneering feast, the most important person
present being Vice-Admiral Commerel, who was stand
ing for Parliament for the City of Southampton. Com
merel and I sat side by side, and were both expected to
make speeches. By great good luck mine was called
315
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
for first. I knew what was coming, and was prepared
for it. I had strung together a few phrases embrac
ing what was, I thought, the proper thing to say, and
had learned my speech by heart. I suppose I stumbled
through it well enough, for it was received with loud
applause, which I presume it would have received in any
case. Commerel congratulated me, and, he said, envied
me at the same time, for his speech was yet to come,
and he did not relish it any more than I had. It was
altogether a jolly occasion of speeches, song, and wine.
I sailed from Southampton with the Pensacola about
the middle of October, leaving the Kearsarge behind to
complete her repairs. I arrived at Lisbon on the 22d,
and anchored in the Tagus, where I remained about a
week. Our Minister at this time was Mr. Lewis, a de
scendant of General Washington s family. We dined
with each other, drove together, and so the week of my
stay passed pleasantly away. I found Mr. Lewis a rep
resentative of our country of whom all Americans might
feel justly proud. The British Minister was Mr. Petre,
an agreeable and accomplished diplomat. He invited
me to dinner, which invitation I accepted, and we passed
a very pleasant evening together.
I sailed from Lisbon early in November, arriving on
the 7th at Tangier, Morocco, where I remained until
the 12th. Our Consul at Tangier was Colonel Mat
thews, who had filled the position off and on for many
years. He is a very competent man, speaks Arabic
fluently, and has, I think, always been persona grata
to the authorities of Morocco. He is again an appli
cant for his old position, and I hope will succeed in
getting reappointed. While I was there Colonel Mat
thews made a boar-hunt for me. There was a large
party of us from the ship, but I think it was more of
316
BOAR-HUNT AT TANGIER
the nature of a picnic than anything else. "We were
joined about lunch-time by the ladies of the Consul s
family, who brought baskets well filled with everything
that was good to eat and drink. Before they came we
had all been placed in position in the brushwood, armed
with rifles and revolvers, for both long range and close
quarters, in case the boar should be wounded and make
an attack upon us. The Arabs were then sent out for
perhaps a quarter of a mile ahead ; they would then
deploy and beat the brush in front of them, when it is
supposed the frightened boar will go in the direction of
those who are waiting to pink him with a rifle. At the
same time the Arabs would hello, and make a tremen
dous noise, shouting as they advanced towards those
who were to kill the boar. On this occasion, however,
no boar appeared. A poor unlucky dog ran across
the line of fire, was taken for the game we were in
search of, and was shot, and thus ended our day s sport.
I was very much disappointed, for I had set my heart
on seeing a successful issue to what is generally found
to be at Tangier an exciting day s sport. "We all now
gathered about the luncheon, which was served on the
ground, and although we had not been successful in
killing the animal, yet some cold boar was served to us
from Colonel Matthews baskets, which we found very
good indeed. The Consul was good enough to get up a
large dinner-party for me while we were at Tangier,
but a Levanter (an easterly gale) came up, which pro
duced such an ugly sea that I was obliged at the last
moment to give up going. I was very much disap
pointed, and so was he, but it could not be helped.
I had intended remaining in Tangier until the Levan
ter had blown out, but it is not a secure harbor in an
easterly gale, so I got under way and ran over and
317
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
anchored under the Rock of Gibraltar. I remained at
Gibraltar until the gale blew itself out, meantime filling
up the ship with coal. I found on this visit our Con
sul, Mr. Sprague, as kind and attentive as ever, losing
no opportunities to make himself useful, always doing
something to hold up still higher the American name,
which both his father and himself had done so much
to sustain. When the Levanter was over I sailed for
Yillefranche, where I arrived after a pleasant passage
of six days.
Nearly ten years had elapsed since I had been in
Nice before, and I found naturally that many changes
had taken place, not only in the City itself, but amongst
the many friends I had known when I was there in
command of the Franklin. Mr. Yeasey, the model
Consul whom we all liked so much, was dead and gone.
Mr. Gignoux, at whose hospitable home I had passed
so many pleasant hours, had died, and great changes
had taken place in that interesting family. His two
handsome daughters had married Frenchmen of the
best type of the men of that nation, and were very
happy in their home lives. I had the pleasure of seeing
them and their husbands while they were on a visit to
their mother, who still resided in Nice. Mr. Yial was
still living, and was, as formerly, of great service to us
in providing for the wants of the ships, and in making
himself useful and agreeable to the officers and their
families.
During my stay at Yillefranche at this time the
usual routine which generally took place while our
ships were there was carried out. The crew were ex
ercised in their various drills on board ship, and by the
courtesy of the French Government we were permitted
to land the Battalion of Seamen and Marines for ma-
318
CHRISTMAS DINNER AT NICE
noeuvres on shore, while the boats were exercised in
fleet sailing in the waters of the Bay. The social life
was much the same as I have described it before in the
course of this narrative. The entertainments on board
the Flag-ship were, as before, the most popular of all
the fetes that were given, and all Americans in and
about Nice that were entitled to go to them were al
ways invited. Apropos of what I have just said, I
quote from my letter-book the following extract from a
letter to the Secretary of the Navy : " The usual num
ber of resident and travelling Americans are now here,
and it gives me pleasure to grant them every facility
for visiting the ships, which seems to afford them great
gratification. In the low state of our merchant ma
rine just now, it is about the only way they can expe
rience the pleasure of seeing our flag in foreign waters."
Amongst the Americans visiting at Nice this winter
were Admiral and Mrs. Baldwin, Mrs. Nichols Beach,
and her charming daughter. It occurred to me that it
would be a pleasant thing for them to take their Christ
mas dinner under the folds of the American flag. Cap
tain Dewey and I, therefore, made a little dinner-party
for them and a few other friends, which I think they
all considered a very happy way of partaking of a
Christmas dinner in a foreign land. Bennett s yacht,
the Namouna, was lying at Yillefranche. We ex
changed calls without meeting, but I happened to know
him by sight, and stopped him in the street at Nice and
introduced myself to him. When he heard my name
he said, " Upon my word, I am very much relieved,
for I thought you were some French Marshal with
whom I had dined and whose name I had forgotten."
Bennett made up a party of ladies and gentlemen and
took us on a little sea excursion as far as Cannes. We
319
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
had breakfast on board, and found him a charming
host. He told us that when he named the Namouna,
he thought it rather a stylish Persian name, but learned
afterwards that it was as common in Persia as Bridget
was in Ireland.
The Pensacola sailed in January for Naples. Mr.
Cope Whitehouse, the Egyptologist, went in her as pas
senger. He had a letter from the Navy Department
to me, asking me to give him an opportunity of making
a passage in a man-of-war, which I was only too glad
to do, for I was greatly prepossessed in his favor the
moment I saw him.
I did not go in the ship myself to Naples, but took
advantage of what seemed a good opportunity to visit
Rome. Mrs. Franklin and I took up our quarters at
the Hotel Quirinal. We remained in Rome but a few
days at this time, intending to return there, however,
at a later period. After a brief visit we went to Naples,
where I found the ship securely moored inside the mole.
"We went to the Hotel Nobile, which is pleasantly situ
ated on high ground in the new part of the city, where
I remained during most of the time that the ship was
in Naples. I had seen so much of this City when it was
the Capital of a Kingdom that it seemed rather tame
now compared to what it was in those days. Some of
the gayety, however, of the old Capital still remained.
There were grand balls given, at which the dancing
would begin at two o clock. People who frequented
them would go to bed and have a partial night s rest,
would then dress and make a night of it. As for my
self, I never went to any of them.
While I was at Naples at this time, our Minister to
Persia appeared upon the scene, en route to the country
to which he was accredited. He had succeeded in hav-
A MINISTER CRITICISED
ing himself created a Major-General on the Staff of a
Western Governor. He was full of a marriage which
he had in contemplation with a very charming actress,
a young woman of high character, who, as I understood,
had promised to marry him. He was going to his Sta
tion by way of Constantinople, and as I was going there
myself I told him that if he could arrange a firman
from the Sultan, permitting the Pensacola to pass the
Dardanelles, he could be married on board the Flag-ship.
He was quite full of it, and determined to make the
effort. As I never heard that the firman had been
granted, I presume it never was, and my impression is
that the marriage never took place. I took the Minis
ter on board ship with me one Sunday, and said to him
as we were going on board that our regulations did not
permit us to salute on that day, or I would be happy
to salute him, but I saw such an expression of disap
pointment creep over his face that I took the respon
sibility and fired the guns.
When I was in Eome for the short visit to which I
have just referred, I did myself the honor of calling
upon our Minister, Mr. Stallo, whom I found to be a
very original character. He was not a Chesterfield, and
the manner in which he deported himself as Minister
subjected him to very severe criticism. He was an able
man, and, I believe, of very high character, but he seemed
unwilling to submit to the usages which obtained
amongst his colleagues in the Diplomatic Corps and had
been the custom for centuries. He said to me as I was
taking my leave of him : " Admiral, do not expect me
to return your call ; I am going soon to Sorrento, and
will return it at Naples." I said in reply : " As you
please, Mr. Stallo. If you will let me know when you
are in Naples, I shall send a boat for you, which will
x 321
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
take you on board ship." He then said, " Oh no ! I
will take a shore-boat and go alongside." I then told
him that I could not permit him to do that, but that
it was my desire to treat him with all the respect and
consideration to which his high rank entitled him. His
reply was, "As you please," and so the matter ended.
I subsequently went to Home, and as my call had never
been returned I did not take the trouble to call upon
him again. I was in my hotel one day, when the card
of the Secretary of Legation was sent to me. When
he entered my room he told me that he had been sent
by the Minister to say that he desired to see me, when
I at once replied that he had never done me the honor
to return my call, and that if he desired to see me I
could be found at almost any time at my hotel. After
my first impulse, however, I reflected that he might
wish to consult me upon matters connected with our
Government, and I concluded to pocket the affront and
go. When I reached his house, he received me most
cordially, and told me that he had been searching for
me, without success, that he had been to several hotels
to look for me, etc., etc. I found when I was closeted
with the Minister that my conjecture was correct, and
that he desired to consult with me upon some matters
in which our own Government might be involved. I
passed two hours with him most pleasantly, and I have
rarely met with a more interesting and agreeable man.
I was almost willing to forgive him for his indifference
to the etiquette demanded by his high position.
During my stay in Naples at this time an extraor
dinary request was made of me by the municipal au
thorities, which I will relate in the form of an extract
from a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, as follows :
" A request was made through the U. S. Consul at this
322
VACCINATING A SHIP S CREW
place yesterday by the Municipal authorities for per
mission to come on board and examine the crew, for the
purpose of identifying, as it was stated, an unknown ;
they requested at the same time that the crew might be
mustered for that purpose. I told the Consul to inform
them that this was entirely out of the question, that an
American man-of-war was United States territory, and
that such a proceeding was unusual and unprecedented.
It does not appear that there is any charge against any
particular man, but against an unknown man they de
sire to identify. My own opinion is that there was a
sailors brawl on shore, an event which is not at all un
usual, and that some of our men happened to be con
cerned in it. It was entirely competent for the authori
ties to have arrested on the spot, and to have tried, any
offender against their laws, which it seemed they failed
to do. I did not see how it was in my power to assist
them, as I always do in such cases, when it can properly
be done. I have mentioned this in my despatch in or
der that the Department may be in possession of the
facts in case it should go any further ; I think, however,
that my refusal to grant the request will end the mat
ter."
There was a good deal of small-pox at Naples at this
time ; indeed, I do not believe that the City is ever with
out it. At the request of the Surgeon, I had two calves
brought on board, and all the officers and men were
vaccinated from them. It was a novel sight to see this
performance, which I had never witnessed on board
ship before. As it is the very best form of vaccine
matter to be had, we all felt now pretty well protected
from this terrible scourge.
The time was now approaching when I intended to
sail for a cruise to the eastward. I took advantage of
323
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
the interval to make another visit to Rome. This time
I went to the Hotel Molaro, where we found ourselves
comparatively comfortable. My wife and I had the
happiness of obtaining a card of admission to the Pope s
Mass, and of receiving Communion at the hands of His
Holiness himself. After the Mass, I had the honor of
a personal interview with Leo XIII., and was, as every
one is, profoundly impressed with the personality of
the distinguished head of the Roman Catholic Church.
His Holiness was very much interested to know all
about the Flag-ship. He asked me if we had a Chaplain
on board, and when I replied that we had, but that he
was not of our persuasion, he did not seem to care to
pursue the conversation on that subject any further. I
left his presence deeply impressed with what I had seen
and heard, and very much gratified to have had this
opportunity of seeing and conversing with one of the
greatest men of the age.
I met at Rome at this time Mr. Charles H. Marshall.
I had known him at home, but in my association with
him at Rome I formed a strong friendship for him
which has continued up to the present time. He was
quite domesticated here, and knew everybody that was
worth knowing in the place. He was especially atten
tive to us, and his politeness added very much to our
pleasure in the Eternal City. He was about making a
journey to the East, and, as I was going soon to sail
for that part of my station, I invited him to join me
and accompany me in the Pensacola, which invitation
he accepted, and was the guest of Captain Dewey and
myself for about six weeks. I need not say that I en-
jo}^ed his presence on board very much indeed.
I had the pleasure of knowing at this time Mr. Story
and his interesting family. The receptions at his apart-
324
AMERICAN GENTLEMEN IN ROME
ment were attended by the best people in Rome, and
were always most interesting occasions. Story was an
excellent sculptor, and was full of talent of every kind;
his art productions are familiar to all Americans. He
did me the honor to suggest giving me a dinner at
which would have been present all the Diplomatic
Corps, but my friends said they felt it their duty to
tell me that, although I should be the guest of honor,
etiquette demanded that I should have to sit below all
the Ambassadors and Ministers. I felt that under the
circumstances this would be somewhat embarrassing,
and so I was obliged to decline the honor. There were
two Americans here to whom I feel under especial ob
ligation Mr. Herriman and Mr. Hazeltine. The former
was a gentleman of wealth and culture, who made Rome
his home ; the other was an artist of great merit, brother-
in-law of my friend Marshall. Both of them were
American gentlemen of the highest type, and both lived
in very handsome style. At the houses of these two
Americans were assembled, twice a week, a number of
cultivated men, mostly of the Diplomatic Corps, who
would drop in after their dinner-parties, and pass the
rest of the evening playing whist, and in conversation,
which was always bright and interesting, for they had
all seen a great deal, and were all men of the world.
I attended some of these entertainments, and the mem
ory of them remains in my mind as amongst the most
agreeable evenings I have ever passed in any part of the
world. They were always accompanied with something
to cheer the passing hours and keep up our spirits until
about two o clock in the morning. I had the pleasure
of meeting on this visit to Rome Mr. Junius S. Morgan.
He was living in the luxurious apartment of Mr. Wirts,
and I shall never forget the pleasing impression that
325
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
his gentle manners left upon me when I called upon
him there. I also know his son Pierpont, who, like his
father, is an excellent specimen of the American gen
tleman.
One of the most pleasant occasions that took place
while I was in Rome at this time was a picnic to Ostia,
at the mouth of the Tiber, given by Mrs. Mason, an Amer
ican lady who was passing the winter here, and whom
I remember most agreeably for her kindness and atten
tion to us at this time. Ostia was a place of importance
in the days of Ancient Eome, but at this time was of
no consequence except as a place for excursions and
picnics. My friend Marshall had intended to sail with
me in the Pensacola from Naples for the East, but poor
Herriman became so ill after our excursion to Ostia that
he did not feel satisfied in leaving Rome while his friend
was in such a critical condition. Both Herriman and
Hazeltine had intended coming down to Naples to see
us off, but this desperate illness of the former, from
which he came very near dying, broke up this pleasant
arrangement altogether. I was accordingly obliged to
sail without Marshall, much to my regret.
From Naples I went to Messina, and placed the ship
in dry-dock. I went myself, accompanied by my staff,
to a place up in the highlands of Sicily, called Taormino.
There was a little Sicilian hostelry there, where we found
ourselves very comfortable, but there was absolutely
nothing to do but lounge about and look at Mount Etna,
which was in front of us, towering away up into the
clouds. It was too mountainous for walking, and so
we remained most of the time around our little hotel.
My Flag Lieutenant, my Secretary, and I would play
dummy-whist three times a day, and this passed the in
terval of time between our meals. The only occupants
326
ATTENDING MASS AT TAORMINO
of the establishment were two maiden ladies of a cer
tain age, who seemed to have gone there for rest and
solitude, for it was one of the loneliest places I have
ever known, but very restful. The scenery was grand,
and one never tired of gazing upon Mount Etna, cover
ed with eternal snow, and for ever pouring from its peak
volumes of steam and smoke. I happened to be at this
place on a Sunday, and went to mass, which was cele
brated in a very primitive church. The congregation
consisted of a very primitive people. I reached the
church too early for mass, and so I waited and watched
with great interest the people as they came in. Some
would be accompanied by very young children, too
young to leave at home unattended, so the mothers
would either have to bring them or stay away from
mass themselves ; some would be accompanied by dogs,
who would lie down and behave themselves decorously
during service. These people seemed to feel towards
the church edifice as though it was their own home,
for they would bring their knitting-work and ply their
needles diligently while awaiting the arrival of the
priest. It was all very edifying, for it proved to me
how earnest they were in their faith, and how they re
garded going to mass as a matter of course something
to be done without the least ostentation or display.
As we were leaving our little hotel to get into the
carriage that was to convey us to Messina, I observed
that one of the maiden ladies to whom I have referred
above slipped into the hand of the Surgeon, who was
one of the party, an envelope, which, upon being open
ed, was found to contain a fee. One of our party said,
" Doctor, I suppose you will return that, will you not ?"
" Not at all," he replied ; " I was called in profession
ally, and this is in payment of the services I rendered."
327
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Upon reaching Messina, I found the Pensacola ready
for sea, so I got under way and went to Malta. In
making the passage from Naples to Malta the naviga
tor passes the volcano of Stromboli, which rises abrupt
ly from the sea, and which served the ancients as a
light-house. Its fires are never extinguished, and they
burn with the same glow that they did in those far
away days. Scylla and Charybdis, at the entrance of
the Straits of Messina, were considered a great stum
bling-block to early navigation, but they have long since
ceased to cause any anxiety. The former, consisting of
some rocks on the Calabrian shore, and the latter of a
whirlpool, might have been considered obstacles to small
craft centuries ago.
CHAPTER XXVII
At Malta Royal Dukes in Port The Duke of Edinburgh s Ball and
Dinner Sir Lintorn Simmons Admiral Ward An Excellent
Consul At Alexandria Reception by the Khedive The Pyra
midsJaffa and Jerusalem American College at Beirut.
I BEACHED Malta on the 16th of April, when I found
at anchor a large portion of the British Fleet under the
command of Admiral His Eoyal Highness the Duke of
Edinburgh. Prince Alfred and I exchanged courtesies
at once ; I paid my respects to him, and he returned
my call almost immediately. It was early in the day
when he came on board the Pensacola, and in doing the
honors I said to him : " Perhaps it is a little early for
your Koyal Highness, but if it is not I shall be happy
to offer you a glass of brandy-and- water." He replied,
" Oh, not at all ; it will give me much pleasure." So we
retired to the after -cabin, and had our drink and a
cigarette. I found the Admiral Duke a most agreeable
fellow, and had a very pleasant conversation with him
at the time, and often met him very agreeably after
wards during my stay in Malta. At the time he was
on board he expressed his admiration several times for
a little water-color of a mulatto boy painted by my
sister-in-law, Miss Sands, and I have regretted ever
since that I did not present it to him.
Serving in his uncle s fleet, at this time, was the
young Duke of York, the son of the Prince of Wales,
who was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He was
329
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
attached to a ship commanded by Captain Stevenson.
When I returned the Captain s call he was not at the
gangway to receive me, but a dapper young fellow with
a spy-glass under his arm stepped up, and, apologizing
for the Captain s absence, invited me to his cabin, and
said he would go immediately and inform him that I
was on board. It turned out that this young gentle
man was the Prince himself, who was the officer of the
watch when I went on board. The Commanding Offi
cer, who had been unavoidably detained, soon appeared
in his cabin, the Prince accompanying him as far as the
door ; he was rushing off to resume his duties on deck,
when the Captain called him in and introduced him. I
had half suspected it was he all the time, but was not
at all sure. I found him a very pleasant young fellow,
and invited him to come and see me on board the Pen-
sacola, and told him I would be glad to have a battal
ion drill for him. He seemed very much gratified, and
accepted my invitation with apparent pleasure. In a
day or two afterwards he and Captain Stevenson came
on board, and I gave him the function I had promised.
He expressed himself very much pleased, and I have
no doubt that he was, for our Blue-Jackets, Marines,
and Band, organized as a battalion, made a very hand
some display. I then took him below, and gave him
a glass of wine and a cigarette. I remember his ask
ing me, as we were smoking our cigarettes, whether I
o o o
inhaled. I did not quite understand then what it meant,
but I have learned since that it is the act of drawing the
smoke into one s lungs, and then letting it remain for
a while and puffing it out again. Since then the Duke
of York has married, and is the father of a small fam
ily. He is heir-presumptive of the Throne of the British
Empire.
DINING WITH DUKE OF EDINBURGH
I was invited by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
to the grand ball given to the citizens of Malta and the
officers of the fleet and their families. I danced in
the opening quadrille in the Duke s set, having for my
partner an American woman, who had married an offi
cer in the British Navy, whose name, I regret to say,
I have forgotten. Afterwards I took the Duchess into
supper, and we sat down at the table with two others,
forming a partie carrte. I found the Duchess had a
charming personality ; she chatted away at the supper-
table, and made herself most agreeable. I was quite
prepared to like her, for I was told that in the passage
out in the Royal Yacht Osborne the weather was very
bad, and her maids all became sea -sick, so that the
entire care of her children devolved upon herself ; she
bathed and dressed them, and did all the work for them
that the maids were accustomed to do. She proved, on
this occasion, that, although she was a Royal Duchess,
she was entirely equal to the care of her children when
occasion required, and although I suppose any woman,
whatever might have been her rank, would have done
the same thing, yet I could not resist a feeling of ad
miration for her on this account when I met her face to
face.
The Duke invited me to dine with him and the
Duchess at the Palace of St. Antonio, near Yaletta. I
occupied the seat of honor on the right of the Duchess,
having followed immediately after her as we walked
into the dining-room from the anteroom in which we
had all assembled before dinner. Into this anteroom
had been brought the little Prince and Princess, the
former in the dress of a sailor. I do not know that
this was the custom before the State dinners, and flat
tered myself that the little sailor-man was produced in
331
MEMORIES OF A REAK-ADMIRAL
order that he might see the American Admiral. I found
the Duchess a most agreeable dinner-table companion.
The occasion passed off very pleasantly; while there
was sufficient reserve on the part of the host and host
ess to give dignity to the affair, yet no one was made
to feel that it must necessarily be an occasion of great
formality. As one, naturally, is more observant at such
times, I noticed the disposition that the Duchess made
of her impedimenta. As she took her seat at the table
she placed on her left, advanced about six inches from
the edge of the table, her fan, her gloves, and her lorg-
non close alongside of each other, so that they occupied
very little space and did not at all interfere with her
left-hand neighbor. I am thus particular in citing this
little incident, because I have so often witnessed the
struggle that ladies have with these articles, in their
efforts to dispose of them so as not to be embarrassed
by them, that I thought if any one who might by
chance read this narrative had no better system of
their own, it might not be a bad plan to follow that of
the Duchess. After dinner I sat down to a whist-table
consisting of Her Eoyal Highness, two officers of the
British Army, and myself. We played for shilling
points, and the Duchess, who, by the way, was an ex
cellent player, was, I think, when we settled at the end
of the game, about the only winner. She was most
amiable all the time, and by her gracious manner caused
the evening to pass very agreeably. There was a good
deal of hurnor in her conversation, visible from time to
time. I remember when we happened to be talking
about the Captain of her husband s Flag-ship, she said,
" I do not like to play with Captain Fellows, he always
scolds me so." Fellows, by the way, was a very supe
rior player, and he no doubt suggested sometimes to
332
SIR LINTORN SIMMONS
Her Highness how she might have made a better play,
and she put it, in her humorous way, as scolding her.
My whole intercourse with these distinguished person
ages was most agreeable, and I recall it all with a great
deal of pleasure.
Sir Lintorn Simmons was at this time the Governor-
General of Malta. He was a distinguished soldier of
high repute, and his fine appearance and military bear
ing marked him as a fine specimen of the British gen
eral officer. I had the honor of dining with him several
times during my stay at Malta, and Lady Simmons did
me the honor of coming on board the Pensacola two or
three times during my visit there. It was an agreeable
and interesting family, that of the Governor, and they
added very much to the pleasure of my sojourn at this
interesting stronghold of Great Britain. The palace of
the Governor was perhaps the finest of those occupied
by the old Knights of Malta. The stairway, if it might
be so called, was so gentle in its ascent that one could
easily ride up on horseback. The dining- hall was an
immense apartment, the walls of which were covered
by the portraits of many a grim old warrior, while the
halls were lined with the armor which their originals
once wore. One is vividly reminded by everything
he sees of the downfall and decay of these warrior
Knights, and is gratified to feel that the legacy has
fallen into such good hands. The Governor-General was
very proud of his dining-table, which he had had con
structed according to his own idea; it was a kind of sharp
ellipse, so made that the host without effort could see
every one of his guests. In the central part of this
ellipse was a large mirror, so arranged that it had the
effect of a lake dotted with islands. Forty people could
easily be seated at the table, which I think was the
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
number that sat down to it the first day that I dined
there.
This distinguished British General was a great ad
mirer of General Grant. He had just finished reading
his book, and told me that before that he was not an
enthusiastic admirer of the General, but he said that
the events described therein, in which he was actively
engaged, were so clearly the result of great military
genius that he could not fail to award to him general
ship of the very highest order.
The officer who commanded the Dockyard at Malta
at this time was Eear- Admiral "Ward. We had known
each other, I was going to say, from infancy ; as a mat
ter of fact, we first met as Midshipmen in the Pacific,
away back in the forties ; afterwards we met when I
commanded the AroostooJc, as one of the blockading
fleet off Mobile. He was commanding a British ship-of-
war at the time, and visited our fleet to communicate
with the Senior Officer present ; he sent me some bot
tles of rum, which were most acceptable. Ward and I
again met in the Mediterranean ; he commanded the
ironclad Swiftsure, and I was Captain of the Wabash.
Then again, as I have before stated, he was in com
mand at Malta, when I was Commander -in -Chief of
the European Station ; and, finally, we met again in
Washington, only a few years ago. There was a sin
gular parallelism in our careers, continuing from the
time we were both Midshipmen up through all the
grades until we became Kear- Admirals. He gave me a
very handsome dinner at Malta, at which were present
the young Duke of York and many other notables.
The American Consul was Mr. John Worthington.
He and his charming wife were great favorites, not
only with the Government people, but with the Maltese
334
GRANTED AUDIENCE BY THE KHEDIVE
generally ; their tastes were such as to commend them in
a high degree at a Military Post such as Malta is, where
a mere politician would be entirely out of place. Mr.
Worthington remained in this position for twelve years ;
he held over the first term of the Cleveland administra
tion, but was superseded during the second. He is
again an applicant for his old place, and I sincerely
hope he will be successful in getting it. The Worthing-
tons had as a guest at their house a relative, Miss
Gregory. I was a guest at the same time, and occu
pied a room which had been hers before it was mine ;
in the closet of this room her dresses were still hanging.
One evening when I was absent from the house, and
she was dressing for an entertainment of some kind,
having already donned her satin slippers, she approached
this closet for the purpose of getting her gown, when
she plumped both slippered feet into my bath-tub, which
happened at the time to be filled with water. I met
her only a few years ago, when the incident was still
fresh in her memory. She was a very interesting young
girl, very pretty and very attractive. She is now the
wife of Commander Savory, of the Ro}^al Navy. Worth
ington took passage with us to Alexandria, and was the
guest of the Captain and myself for a week or more.
My friend Marshall joined the ship at Malta.
My visit, which was a very satisfactory one, was now
at an end, and I sailed for Alexandria, where I arrived
early in May. I quote from my report to the Depart
ment of the presence of the ship there the following :
" On my arrival here I communicated with the Consul-
General at Cairo, informing him that I desired an au
dience with His Highness the Khedive. The audience
was promptly granted, and I accordingly proceeded to
Cairo with the members of my staff, and was received
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
by the Khedive on May 8th. His reception was of
the most cordial and friendly nature. He expressed
himself as having the most kindly feelings towards the
United States, and referred with great pleasure to his
association with General Stone and the other Americans
who had served in his Army. After a reasonable time
spent with His Highness I retired, much gratified with the
reception which he had given me." During the audience
Chibouks were brought in filled with the most delicious
Turkish tobacco. A number of slaves, with Fez caps
on their heads and with skins so black that charcoal
would make a white mark on them, placed these in our
hands, and then each one that had given us the pipes
returned with a live coal to the guest whom he had
before served and placed it in the bowl of his pipe.
Coffee was then brought in, and, while we conversed,
we smoked and sipped our coffee, and enjoyed the nov
elty of the occasion.
A visit to the Khedive is attended with a good deal
of ceremony. For instance, the carriage which contains
the visitor, if he is of sufficiently high rank, is pre
ceded by what is called a Sais. He is a man dressed
in a showy uniform, with a staff in his hand, who runs
at a rapid pace about twenty yards in advance of the
conveyance. The idea is, I presume, to clear the way
as a sort of avant-coureur for the distinguished comers.
On our arrival at the rail way -station at Cairo, I was
very much struck with the manner in which the Sta
tion-Master seemed to preserve order. When a train
comes in there is a rush of baggage-carriers for the un
wary traveller in such force that if one is not careful
his hand-baggage will be seized by these importunate
Egyptians, who insist upon carrying it nolens -volens.
This wave of humanity is, however, generally arrested
336
"DOING" THE PYRAMIDS
by the Station-Master, who stands at the top of the
steps as one ascends towards the station, brandishing
a horsewhip with a lash long enough to sweep the
crowd ; this he brings down every now and then with
a tremendous whack, and thus manages in a general
way to keep the gang at bay. Lieutenant Staunton, of
my staff, remarked as he witnessed this scene, " Well,
a people that will stand that sort of thing does not de
serve to be free."
Our party all put up at Shepheard s Hotel, which
seemed to be the best in Cairo. Although it was early
in May, the weather was intensely hot, and the flies
were so thick that one was obliged to keep some sort
of fly-brush always on hand. I never saw these pests
in greater numbers than they were at Cairo at this
time. I presume as one ascends the Nile they are less
in number, or I cannot conceive how the trip up the
river could be enjoyable. The British had been in pos
session of Egypt for some time when I w r as at Cairo,
and the City was as orderly as possible ; one could roam
the streets then at any time without fear of molesta
tion. This civilizing people are still there, and I hope
they are there to stay. Wherever they go they seem
to influence the inhabitants for good. They bring or
der out of chaos, cleanliness out of filth, and good out
of everything. Our Consul - General at Cairo at this
time was Mr. Caldwell, a very efficient officer, who thor
oughly appreciated his position, and was most zealous
in the performance of his duties.
Unless one ascends the Nile, there is really not much
to see or do in this part of Egypt after having made a
visit to the Pyramids and Museum. Our party made
the first of these excursions in a body. Some of them
ascended Cheops, the greatest of all the Pyramids, and
Y 337
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
entered the place of the tombs, but I was satisfied to
look on and see them tugging their way to the top. It
is a difficult work, and one should be young and vigor
ous to undertake it. The guides are very expert, and,
of course, are of great assistance to those who mount
these vast structures; the visitors have to be boosted
up, and almost lifted at times, from one step to the
other. There was a time when some of the most expert
guides would for a consideration mount like monkeys
to the top of the great Pyramid and then rush down at
a breakneck pace to the bottom ; and when it is remem
bered that some of the steps are from four to six feet
high, it will be seen how hazardous it seems. Those
who were in the habit of performing this feat almost
always died of heart disease, so that the Egyptian Gov
ernment intervened, and finally forbade it altogether.
So much has been said and written about the Great
Pyramids and the Sphinx that I propose to touch very
lightly upon them here. Descriptions of them are fa
miliar to all those who are interested in Egypt and
Egyptology. I will only say that they are great won
ders, and that it is worth a trip across the Atlantic
Ocean to see them. The American Egyptologist, Mr.
Cope Whitehouse, who has been a student of everything
Egyptian for many years, I have been told has a the
ory that the Pyramids were built from the top down,
and when one reflects upon the immense undertaking
of transporting the great blocks of stone of which they
are composed from the base to a point five hundred
feet above, it would seem that there might be some
thing plausible in his theory. I have never heard that
any one else agreed with him. He had another theory,
which was that if Lake Moeris could be restored to
what it was in the days of the Ancients, the surround-
AT CAIRO, JAFFA, AND BEIRUT
ing country would be as fertile as it was in the time of
Joseph.
When I was in Cairo the Museum was in charge of
the greatest of all Egyptologists, Maspero. He person
ally conducted me around that interesting institution,
and pointed out to me, amongst other mummies, that
of Rameses II., one of Egypt s most famous Monarchs ;
I think he reigned when the Children of Israel were
captives in that country. My visit to the Museum was
so hurried that it has left a very faint impression upon
my mind, but I remember how interesting it was to
wander around amongst the relics of this famous portion
of the globe. Our party returned to Alexandria, and
soon after our arrival there I sailed for the North.
Before leaving I wrote to the Department a letter, from
which I extract the following : " Everything seems to
be quiet in Egypt at present, and the British are about
to withdraw some of their troops, but it does not ap
pear at all likely that they will remove them altogether
in the near future, if they do at all." I arrived at
Jaffa about the middle of May. While there I gave
the officers and crew an opportunity of visiting Jeru
salem, of which twenty - five officers and one hundred
and fifty seamen availed themselves.
At Jaffa the house of Simon the Tanner was pointed
out to me. I went from Jaffa to Beirut, and met there
the Governor-General of Lebanon, who, in accordance
with the treaty between Turkey and the Powers, must
be a Christian. He was a charming, agreeable man ; if
I remember aright this was Rustem Pasha, an Italian
by birth. While at Beirut I wrote to the Department
as follows :
" The presence of the Squadron here seems to have
been a source of great gratification to the American
339
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Missionaries; they felt that it strengthened their posi
tion very much with the Ottoman authorities, and en
couraged them in the good work in which they are
employed.
" The American College, of which Dr. Bliss, a Pres
byterian clergyman, is at the head, is in a very flourish
ing condition. In addition to the college proper, there
are attached to the institution a Theological Seminary
and a Medical School. The establishment is not at all
sectarian in its character, but opens its doors to every
branch of the Christian and Mohammedan faiths. I
gave the Missionaries a very cordial invitation to visit
the Pensacola, of which they availed themselves, and it
was gratifying to see how much pleasure it gave them
to find themselves for the time under the protection of
their own Flag. They held a reception on shore, which
was largely attended by the officers in uniform. The
Orientals are so much impressed by display that when
ever I desire to sustain the Consular Office or give
strength to the Missionaries I direct that the uniform
shall be worn."
CHAPTER XXVIII
Damascus Entrance to the City Shops and Churches The Public
Gardens Scriptural Scenes Damascene Houses Constantinople
"Sunset" Cox Courtesy from the Sultan The Salaamlic
Audience at the Sublime Porte Social Enjoyments The Charms
of Prinkapo An American Prima Donna Dining at the
Palace.
I TOOK advantage of the presence of the Flag-ship at
Beirut to make a visit to Damascus. My party con
sisted of Lieutenant Staunton, my Flag - Lieutenant ;
Lieutenant Potts, my Secretary; and my friend Mr.
Marshall, who was now on board the Pensacola. We
made a very early start, I think about four o clock in
the morning, and were soon rattling over a beautiful
macadamized road at the rate of eight to ten miles an
hour. The vehicle was a comfortable diligence of the
French pattern; the road and everything connected
with it were the property of a French company. The
distance to Damascus was about seventy miles, and we
changed horses, I think, ten times, so we always had a
comparatively fresh team. The journey across the Leb
anon and Anti- Lebanon mountains, although a long
drive, was not fatiguing. The Druses who occupy this
region are Christians, and I think Roman Catholics ;
they were extremely polite to us as we passed along
through their country, almost to obsequiousness, and
would raise both hands over their heads and bow almost
to the ground, always expressing with a pleasant smile
341
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
their gladness to see us amongst them. The country
through which we drove, especially in crossing the
mountains, was arid and uninteresting. Almost parallel
with the beautiful smooth surface over which we were
travelling was the old track or roadway, if it deserves
the name, which has been in use for centuries. The
caravans of camels and donkeys, which in order to
avoid the toll always traverse this path, made a very
picturesque feature of the landscape. These Ships of
the Desert, as the camels are called, were transporting
supplies from the coast and the rich valleys of Syria
and Asia Minor to Damascus in the desert. Except to
change horses, we made but one stop during the whole
journey, and this was at the junction where a road
leads to Baalbec, about half-way between Beirut and
Damascus. "We were very anxious to visit these famous
ruins, perhaps the grandest in the world, and were
deterred from doing so only by our unwillingness to
submit to what we considered to be an imposition, for
instead of charging us the fare from the junction to
Baalbec, they insisted that we should pay all the way
from Beirut in addition to the fare we had already
paid to that point. This was too much opposed to our
American ideas of fair play, so we abandoned the trip
altogether. I regretted afterwards that we had not
permitted ourselves to be imposed upon, rather than
to have missed seeing these interesting ruins. After
leaving the junction referred to above, we traversed a
country in which one sees scarcely a blade of grass ;
from that point until one reaches Damascus it is a
barren desert. Not a dwelling nor a tree is seen for
miles and miles, when suddenly the City of Damascus
comes in full view, and a thrill of delight passes through
the mind at the sight of the green trees and flowering
342
IN DAMASCUS
meadows which go to make up this charming oasis. At
about one league s distance from the City, the diligence
reaches the River Bareda, and then comes what seems
like a race between the diligence and the river. The
horses are put at their highest speed, and the river, as it
rushes and dashes and splashes along, seems almost to
gain on the diligence. From that time until Damascus
is reached, which seems but a few moments, the excite
ment is very great ; the driver, the horses, the passen
gers, and even the diligence itself, all seem to partake
of the general enthusiasm. The Bareda as it enters
Damascus divides itself into three separate streams, each
one taking a different course as it flows through the
City, so that no portion is left without the cleansing and
fertilizing effect of its waters.
When we alighted at our hotel we found a comfort
able bath awaiting us, after which we sat down to an
excellent dinner, and it was difficult to realize that we
were now in the land of the Arab and the Bedouin.
We were so little fatigued by the journey that I sat
down with my staff officers and played several games of
dummy-whist. Our representative here was a commer
cial agent; I am not quite sure of his nationality, but
he was a subject of the Turkish Empire, and I think a
Christian. He was bed-ridden, but was very anxious
to meet me, so I called upon him in his bedroom. He
was a fine-looking fellow, with a -strongly marked East
ern face. He had never been to America, but was a
most enthusiastic admirer of the country which he rep
resented. Of course his health was such that he could
not give us his personal attention, but his son, an intel
ligent young fellow, was untiring in his efforts to make
things agreeable for us, and acted as our cicerone dur
ing the whole of our stay. Turkish towns are so much
343
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
alike, and the bazaars so nearly resemble one another,
that what one sees in Constantinople he sees in every
other place, perhaps on a smaller scale. The imper
turbable Turk sits cross-legged on a sort of platform,
which is a part of his store, and is surrounded by his
wares. These bazaars are directly on the street ; im
mediately behind the place where the proprietor sits
is a doorway leading to a sort of warehouse, where he
keeps an inexhaustible supply of the special article in
which he deals. Each street has its specialty : there is
a street for rugs, another for shoes, another for tinware,
another for brass ware, and so on. I was very much
interested in an artificer of brassware. He was em
ployed manufacturing plaques, which were repousse
work. He would place the plaque on a sort of anvil,
or rather on that which served its purpose. This was an
ordinary barrel sawed in half and then filled with pitch,
which, when it hardened, would become the anvil. He
would then place the plaque upon it, and it would pre
sent just resistance enough to enable him to work with
ease. I purchased a couple of these plaques from him,
and I prize them, not for their intrinsic value, but be
cause they are very curious specimens of that particular
art. Our guide showed us all there was to be seen in
Damascus, which, after all, is not very much.
I went to church, and was surprised to see the Chris
tian women masked like the Orientals. I did not know
then that it was the custom, but it seems that it belongs
to the East, and not to any particular sect. While the
Mohammedans mask at all times, my impression is
that the Christians and the Jews do so only on special
occasions, for on visiting the Public Gardens, where the
women assemble in great numbers, I have no recollec
tion that any of them were masked. It was very in-
344
SIGHTS OF DAMASCUS
teresting to visit these gardens and witness the distinc
tion amongst the different sects. The Christians would
sit in clusters by themselves; at some distance from
them would be an assemblage of Jewish women, and
at about equal distances from these two sects would be
the Mohammedans. Not a man was to be seen amongst
them. The Oriental idea cannot brook anything which
violates custom. The gardens were pretty places, filled
with flowers and shrubbery, traversed by little streams
diverted from the Bareda Kiver, which added very much
to the beauty of these places of resort. We would sit
apart, smoking our narghiles and sipping coffee, while
enjoying the novelt} of the scene.
One of the most curious spectacles which I witnessed
was the general bazaar, or market, where can be seen,
if it might be so called, the peasantry of that part of the
East selling their wares. Amongst others were some
Bedouins of the desert, who scowled at us as if they
would like to cut our throats a thing they probably
would have done if they had found us in some by -place
where there would have been no fear of discovery. The
time of the last massacre of the Christians was not so
far remote as to make it entirely safe for them even
then. When we went about the streets in our carriage,
the driver would drive recklessly amongst the crowd,
and I was in constant dread that he would kill some
one, then we probably should have been mobbed out
right, which, in all likelihood, would have been the end
of us.
We saw the street spoken of in the Acts of the Apos
tles as "the street which is called Straight," which, as
a matter of fact, is crooked ; but great changes have
taken place since the Apostles days, and it may have
been straight at that time. We were shown the place
345
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
in the wall where St. Paul was let down in a basket, and
I can quite understand how the spot could have been
marked, and known to generation after generation to
the present time.
Damascus is said to be the oldest city in the world at
this time. Our Consul at Beirut, Mr. Bissinger, who
was an excellect Oriental scholar, gave me a list of the
different places in the Bible where it is mentioned. I
think they were eighteen in number, beginning with the
Book of Genesis. The Turkish dog, which is of no par
ticular breed, exists here in great numbers. As at
Constantinople, they are the only scavengers, and but
for their presence these Eastern cities would be more
pestilential than they are now, for I doubt if the in
habitants would take the trouble to remove what the
dogs devour. They are a noisy, yelping set, but so use
ful that they are never seriously molested; they are
cuffed and kicked, as a matter of course, but never are
killed. These dogs do not belong to any one, but might
be considered the property of the State ; they go on from
generation to generation, unthought of and uncared
for; their kennels are the street -corners, where may
often be seen a mother with a litter of puppies. The
noise of these brutes is something very annoying. I
remember when I was lying in my Flag-ship, the Kear-
sarge, close to shore at Constantinople, every now and
then I would hear a dog concert. I happened to look
on shore one day, in the direction from which it came,
when I saw a sentinel swinging one of these animals
by the tail. He was yelping as if he were being killed,
and all the dogs in the neighborhood joined in sympa
thetic concert. The sentinel had not much to entertain
him, so he amused himself from time to time with this
interesting diversion. Our cicerone, the son of the
346
"SUNSET" COX
Commercial Agent to whom I have referred, conducted
us around amongst the different quarters of Damascus
which were inhabited by the Christians, Jews, and Turks.
The first two were more interesting than the other,
for we were asked into the houses of the occupants, and
invited to sit down and take a cup of coffee, in the
most friendly way. The houses had surrounding them
a sort of yard, or what the Spaniards would call a patio /
here the family would assemble, and, although it was
surrounded by a high wall, the gate was always open,
and they would invite us to join them there, and when
we accepted would appear extremely gratified. We
made several efforts to get into a Moslem habitation, but
without success. These people are prejudiced against
strangers, and they feared the contamination of admit
ting them within their walls.
We had now seen all that there was to see in and
about Damascus, and returned to the ship after an ab
sence of five or six days. Soon after my arrival on
board I got under way and went to Smyrna, where I
arrived about the end of May. At this port I shifted
my flag to the JKearsarge, as a vessel of the size of the
Pensacola was not permitted, under the treaty between
the great Powers and Turkey, to pass the Dardanelles. I
sailed from Smyrna for Constantinople in the Kearsctrge,
and fully endorse all that has been said of the beauties
of the approach to the Golden Horn ; it is grand, even
sublime, but I shall make no effort to describe it, for I
do not feel that I could do justice to that about which
so much has been often written by many skilful pens.
Upon my arrival off the City, I went, accompanied by my
staff, to call on our minister, Mr. Cox, commonly called
" Sunset." I was very much pleased with the manner
of his reception, for I might say that it was with open
347
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
arm**; and I feel sure that he was extremely gratified
to have an American Admiral within the JirnitB of his
bailiwick. Mr*. Cox, the charming wife of the Minister,
wan with him, and assisted him in doing the honor**
with ease and grace. Champagne tagan to flow, and
the occasion wa, I am sure, pleasing and satisfactory
to all concerned. Every one who knew Mr. Cox is
aware of what a kindly, genial gentleman he was, and
how he excelled a* a man of wit and enprit. I remem
ber how he would often in a laughing way refer to his
"damnation " (Dalmatian ) servant, and would ring all
the change* on a joke, and get out of it all there was
in it. My intercourse with him, during my stay in and
about Constantinople, was most agreeable, and it given
rne much pleasure to record it here.
The day after rny arrival the Hultan sent an officer
on board to welcome rne to the Bublirne Porte, and to
tell me how much pleasure it gave him to see an Ameri
can Admiral there. He also detailed an officer of the
Imperial Navy as rny aide-de-camp, to be in constant at
tendance upon rne as long as I remained in the waters
of Constantinople. I found this aide most useful, for he
bad been directed by the Hultan to take rne to the Irri-
p-.n;j.l Treasury, a pla/:e of great inten-. -.t,, and al;io to
show mo the great palaces arid other objects in and
about the City which he thought it would be agreeable
to see. At all of these places where it was worth while
to take more than a passing glimpse we would rest
awhile, and coffee would be served in the Hultan s cups
and saucers, and we would smoke his cigarettes, and
thus further fortify ourselves for sight-seeing. I drank
o much coffee that day that I doubt if I slept much
during the night.
Constantinople is traversed almost entirely by water,
THK MOUCHK AT CONSTANTINOPLE
for the streets are so rough and so constantly out of
repair that it would be almost impossible to use car
riages. The places of interest are almost all bordering
the edge of these beautiful waters, so in any case the
conveyance by water is more agreeable. The harbor is
always filled with boats of every description, from the
.Alouche of the Ambassador, down to the tiniest craft of
the rank and tile. The Mouche to which I have re
ferred is a small steam-yacht which is a very important
part of the equipment of every Ambassador. In it he
makes his official calls, his calls of etiquette, and his
pleasure excursions. They can be seen flitting about at
all times, just as one sees the diplomatic carriages driv
ing around in any capital city. 1 do not know whether
our Government allows one to our Minister, and per
haps Mr. Cox was obliged to pay for his out of his
salary ; I infer from the shabby appearance of the Ameri
can Alouche that the latter was the case. I had, while 1
was there, a small steam-cutter built by Ilerreshoff,
which answered my purposes for this kind of work ad
mirably. Steam could be gotten up in her in about
five minutes, so that, when I ordered her, by the time I
was prepared to go she was at the gangway ready for
work. The Turks took a great fancy to her, and the
dockyard people borrowed her for the purpose of con
structing a boat of the same pattern ; they had her a
good while longer than I intended they should, but they
are proverbial for not doing things in a hurry. Besides
these small steamers which 1 have just described, the
groat Powers keep always at Constantinople small sea
going steamers in which the Embassies, in case of neces
sity, could take refuge, for in this ill-regulated country
there is no telling when an emergency might arise which
would render such a step essential to personal safety.
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
One of the great functions in Constantinople is what
is called the Salaamlic. This event occurs once every
week. On that day the Sultan, attended by the ladies
of the Harem and slaves, proceeds to the Mosque, which
he enters, remaining for fifteen or twenty minutes at
prayer. Most of the attendants await outside, and the
horses are unhitched from the carriage which contains
the Sultan s wives, for fear, I presume, that they might
run away and wreck this precious cargo. In front of
the Mosque a regiment of troops is drawn up as a body
guard to His Majesty, and the occasion is one of great
ceremony and Turkish solemnity. A few privileged per
sons are permitted to occupy a position set apart for
that purpose, where they can see all that is going on
without being jostled by the crowd. I happened to be
amongst the favored few, and so saw it all to great ad
vantage. The Sultan was accompanied on the occasion
upon which I was there by Osman Pasha, the hero of
Plevna, who at that time was the close friend and ad
viser of His Majesty ; they drove up together in an open
buggy, and this part of the function seemed to me to be
so simple and unpretending that I could hardly realize
that it was a portion of this glittering pageant.
After the Salaamlic, to which I have just referred,
the Sultan received our Minister and me at a private
audience. The only persons present were His Majesty
and his Chief Master of Ceremonies, who was also his
interpreter, Mr. Cox, Mr. Garguilo, our dragoman, and
I. As we entered the audience - chamber, the Sultan
was standing, and gave me a most cordial grasp of the
hand, just as he would have done to the President of the
United States. We all then took seats, and he opened
the conversation with me, through the Master of Cere
monies, for even if he had had a knowledge of English,
350
RECEIVED BY ABDUL-HAMID
the same thing would have obtained ; the etiquette is,
that the Sultan never converses directly with a for
eigner; he communicates what he has to say to his in
terpreter, he in turn to the dragoman of the foreigner ;
the dragoman then communicates it to the foreigner.
The reply gets back to the Sultan by precisely the same
process reversed. This renders conversation somewhat
slow and rather tedious, but nevertheless we managed
to have a good deal to say to each other. Amongst other
things he asked me if I should see the President upon
my return, and when I replied in the affirmative he
asked me to congratulate him in his behalf upon his
recent marriage, and also upon the success of his Ad
ministration. I promised that I would do so, which, as
a matter of fact, I did at a private audience given to me
by Mr. Cleveland on my return to the United States.
While we were in the Sultan s audience - chamber the
inevitable coffee and cigarettes were brought in, of
which we partook while we carried on the conversation.
He had also brought in to show me the model of an
ironclad man-of-war which he proposed building, but I
doubt if its keel has ever been laid. Abdul-Hamid, the
Sultan about whom I have been writing, is the same
who has come so prominently to the front during the
recent troubles in Turkey, with regard to the Armenian
massacres and the war with Greece about the Island of
Crete. He impressed me, during the brief conversation
I had with him, as a kindly man, whose face was ex
pressive of good-nature and amiability, withal of a se
rious character, and sensible of the high responsibilities
which his position imposed upon him. I have always
thought that Mr. Gladstone s strictures on him were
not altogether fair, for I have no doubt that so far as
in him lay he did all that he could to suppress the ir-
351
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
regularities in his Empire. Between the fear of assas
sination and the desire to benefit his subjects, he has
for a long time been between the hither and the nether
millstone. I doubt if he is a man of the sturdy courage
of his predecessors, for during the rebellion of Arabi
Pasha in Egypt he sent for Lew. "Wallace, our Minister
at that time, with whom he was on very intimate terms,
and asked his advice as to what he should do. Wallace
said to him : " My advice to your Majesty is to put
yourself at the head of ten thousand men, go to Egypt
in person, and the rebellion will be crushed out at once."
He immediately had a sort of paroxysm, and called upon
his attendants to have the Minister taken out of the
room, but, instantly recovering himself, he saw the error
he had committed and became reasonable. The race
of great Sultans has long since disappeared, and will
probably never be seen again. Their headquarters were
in the field, and the life they led was calculated to pro
duce rugged warriors, while the mode of life of the
Sultans at present can only produce effeminate men.
During the first part of my stay at Constantinople I
kept the ship at anchor off Topane, where the Ambassa
dors gunboats are moored. It seems the most con
venient point from which to reach the heart of the City.
Later on, I took her up the Bosphorus and anchored at
a place called Buyukdere, near the entrance of the
Black Sea. At this point I was near Therapia, which is
beautifully situated on the Bosphorus, and the resort of
all the Diplomatic Corps during the summer months.
The Bosphorus is more like a canal than an arm of the
sea. Its shores on both sides are lined with palaces, the
occupants of which step out of their front doors into
their boats, which stop the way just as a carriage does
in the street. There is no room for a vehicle of any
352
ENTERTAINED AT PRINKAPO
description, the distance between the door and the water
being only a few feet. Indeed, the Bosphorus resembles
the Grand Canal at Yenice more than anything else to
which I can compare it, and, if the gondolas were there,
one could easily imagine himself in that unique city.
The houses at which I visited most frequently while at
Therapia were those of Sir Edward Thornton, the British
Ambassador, and our Consul - General, Mr. Heap. Our
Minister, Mr. Cox, was passing this summer at Prinkapo
instead of at Therapia, as was his usual custom. The
Thorntons were very polite to us, and gave us dinners
and entertainments of all sorts. Lieutenant Potts, my
Secretary, was a guest at their house for several days.
The hospitable home of our Consul-General was always
open to us, and evening after evening we assembled
there for a rubber of whist. I would occasionally take
my steam-cutter and run up into the Black Sea, but the
contrast between its murky waters and the sunny Bos
phorus was so great that I was always glad to get back
again.
Thus passed a week or ten days in this lovely spot
most agreeably, but it was time for me to be again on
the move. I bade farewell to these pleasant shores, and
in a few hours the Kearsarge was at anchor off the Island
of Prinkapo, one of the Princess Islands, which form a
group in the Sea of Marmora. Within a few hundred
yards of the place where the ship was anchored stood
the palace of an Armenian, Mr. Azarian, who was a
naturalized American citizen. He had married an
American woman, who was very proud of her country,
and she urged me to make her house my home during
my stay in those waters. She told me, moreover, that
I must have with me a member of my staff and my ser
vant ; in fact, she said, " You must here make your keif"
z 353
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
which is an Eastern word to express positive and entire
comfort. I passed a charming week with this interest
ing family. Mrs. and Miss Azarian were very intimate
with most of the diplomatic people in Constantinople,
and often on Saturdays the Thorntons and other young
ladies from the different Embassies would come down to
Prinkapo as their guests. The Secretaries and Attaches
would also be on hand, so the times were very lively
until Monday morning, when the men would return to
the City. The house was very bright during their stay ;
there were games of all kinds, and music and flirting,
which would continue into the small hours of the morn
ing. We sat down to dinner at nine o clock, and gener
ally arose about midnight, when the evening would just
begin. I would generally take advantage of some mo
ment of confusion to steal off to bed. My room was so
far removed from the sound of revelry which would
naturally follow a dinner of three hours duration as
not to cause me any inconvenience or interfere at all
with my slumbers. The Orientals have a custom of
placing near the head of the bed of every guest a jar
of sweet substance, somewhat resembling marmalade,
which they call " Turkish delight." I would console
myself with a little of this, and forget the joys that I
was missing below. The Kearsarge was lying so close to
the Azarian palace that the band could be as distinctly
heard as if it was in the house on shore. This proximity
of the ship to the shore was a source of great pleasure to
all parties, for there was a constant change of civilities of
one kind or another going on from morning to night.
Our Minister, Mr. Cox, and his wife were passing the
summer quietly at Prinkapo at this time, and I had the
advantage of seeing a great deal of them during my
visit to the Azarians. I remember with much pleasure
354
HELPING AN IMPRESARIO
a breakfast I had with them the day before I left the
island.
The servant who accompanied me to the house of
Mrs. Azarian was a handsome mulatto named David.
He was always a great favorite at the hotels where he
happened to be with me. He would sit at the table of
the host with the couriers and people of that class, and
knew how to make himself agreeable. At the Azarians
there was a rather pretty English nursery governess ;
she and David happened to be thrown a great deal to
gether. One day David wrote a note to her contain
ing a proposal of marriage. We all considered it a good
joke, but one of the young ladies of the family said that
the governess had confided to her that if David had
been a young man of better family she might have con
sidered his proposition. As it was, however, she rejected
him, and I do not think he ever quite got over it, for he
was never the same afterwards. I was obliged soon to
send him home, for I could never get any good out of
him after the love affair.
There was an American prima donna at Constanti
nople at this time known as Mrs. Byron, who had
taken a troupe of singers there for the Grand Opera,
and was her own impresario. The result was a dismal
failure. We all felt sorry for her, and were anxious
to assist her in her difficulties. I first met her at the
Salaamlic, and she afterwards came on board ship to
see me. She happened to learn that the Sultan was
going to give me a dinner, and the object of this visit
was in connection with that event; she was accompa
nied on this occasion by our Secretary of Legation, who
desired to befriend her. She had sung, I think, at one
of the Sultan s dinners, and I believe had received after
her performance a hundred-pound note. She thought if
355
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
she could be engaged for the dinner that was to be
given to me, the same good-fortune would attend her.
It was agreed that our dragoman should see the Chief
Master of Ceremonies, who would naturally ask him
how the American Admiral could best be entertained,
which, as a matter of fact, he did. Our dragoman, Mr.
Garguilo, who was a bright Italian, replied at once
that he thought the Admiral would like to hear some
American songs. The Master of Ceremonies said, at
once, "How is it possible for us to find some one in
Turkey to sing American songs?" whereupon Garguilo
suggested to him that Mrs. Byron, the American prima
donna, would be the very person he wanted for that pur
pose. The Oriental mind at once seized upon this idea,
thought it a good one, and thought also that it might
be arranged. Nothing, however, came of it, for the Sul
tan does not always appear at the dinners which he
gives to strangers I believe he seldom does therefore
such a plan as we had been trying to manage could not
be carried out. As he did not appear at the dinner
given to me, poor Mrs. Byron did not get her five hun
dred dollars, and our little scheme to put some money
into her pocket fell to the ground. She bettered her
condition, later on, by marrying Colonel Mapleson, who
arranged engagements for her and brought her to
Washington, where she was entertained at the White
House during the administration of President Harri
son.
It will perhaps be remembered by many that the Sul
tan presented General Grant, on the occasion of his visit
to Constantinople, with a pair of gray Arabian horses.
The General did not care to accept so valuable a present,
but finally consented to take one horse. His friends, how
ever, urged him to accept another, which he finally agreed
356
EFFECTS OF VISIT TO CONSTANTINOPLE
to do. When the second horse was sent it turned out
to be a black one. Our dragoman, however, who was
always ready for any emergency, went immediately to
headquarters, and informed them there that the Presi
dents of the United States rode on white horses, having
in mind perhaps " Old Whitey " and President Taylor.
Now, if there is anything which the Oriental mind holds
dear, it is precedent and custom, so the black horse was
withdrawn and the gray one substituted. I cannot
vouch for the truth of this story, but it was told me by
those who were present at the time and were parties
to the transaction.
In reference to the dinner given to me by the Sultan,
to which I have referred above, I think I cannot do
better than to insert here an extract from my letter to
the Department about that time, as follows : " I have
been assured by the Minister that my stay in the waters
of Constantinople has been productive of great satis
faction, not only to the Legation, but to the various
religious and educational establishments which exist
there and in that vicinity, and which are almost en
tirely American in their character. I took occasion to
visit with my staff the American (Robert) College and
the American Female Seminary, at the time of their
respective Commencements. I was much gratified to
find that they felt that their positions were greatly
strengthened by the presence of an American man-of-
war, and the sight of the Flag in their midst seemed to
encourage them to renewed efforts in the good work in
which they are engaged. I also visited an American es
tablishment in Stamboul, called the Bible House, which
is under the management of the Rev. Dr. Bliss, a Pres
byterian Clergyman. At this place is published the
Bible in many languages, as are also other books of a
357
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
kindred nature. Dr. Bliss called on board the Kear-
sarge, and especially requested that I should visit him
there, which I did with very great interest, and I think
with much gratification to himself and all his employes.
I was very much surprised and pleased to find in the
midst of a people almost entirely Mohammedan this
Christian Institution, conducted and managed as it
might have been had it existed in an American city,
instead of in Stamboul, and I am satisfied that it is
doing a great deal of good amongst the Christians of
the Turkish Empire. My relations with Mr. Cox, our
Minister, have been of the most agreeable and cordial
nature, and we have always been in accord in every
thing that has been done during my presence in these
waters, in my efforts to uphold the American name,
which I am happy to say is highly esteemed throughout
the whole East. On the 7th instant the Sultan enter
tained us at dinner, and was represented by the Minister
of Marine. In the adjoining room were also entertained
fifty of the Rear Barge s crew, and he further extend
ed his civilities by sending on board, to those who were
not at the dinner, an entertainment of the same char
acter. Mr. Cox accompanied us to the dinner at the
Palace, and made some very happy and appropriate re
marks on the occasion. On the following day the Sultan
sent his son, the Prince Imperial, on board, as his repre
sentative, to visit the Kearsarge / the appropriate honors
were extended to him, and he made a speech to the
officers and crew expressive of the Sultan s gratification
at the presence of the ship at the Sublime Porte, and of
his desire to make our stay there as agreeable as pos
sible, to which I made a suitable reply. On the 9th
instant the Sultan received the Minister and myself in a
private audience, at which he was most cordial in his
358
THE SULTAN COMPLIMENTS CLEVELAND
manner, and where he expressed himself in terms of the
greatest friendship towards the President of the United
States."
In addition to the despatch from which I have just
quoted, I sent a special one to the Department in refer
ence to the conversation I had with the Sultan about
the President. It was as follows :
"PiRjsus, GREECE, July 13th, 1886.
"Hon. W. C. WHITNEY, Secretary of the Navy.
"Sir, I have the honor to inform the Department that at an au
dience with the Sultan of Turkey of the 9th inst. he was so marked
in his desire that I should convey to the President of the United States
the expression of the high regard and esteem in which he held him,
as well as his most cordial congratulations upon his recent marriage,
that I feel it my duty to make a special despatch upon this subject.
Had he made this request casually, I should have merely regarded
it as one of the compliments usually paid on such occasions ; but after
conversing with him awhile upon other subjects he returned to it
again, and in an earnest and especial manner requested that I should
not forget to convey his messages to the President ; I therefore place
this despatch in the hands of the Department, in order that if it sees fit
it may make known its contents to the President, and feel that I have
thus fulfilled the obligations which the Sultan imposed upon me.
" Very respectfully,
"(Signed) S. R. FRANKLIN,
" Rear- Admiral U. S. Navy,
" Commanding U. S. Naval Force on European Station."
CHAPTER XXIX
Athens and the Greek Islands Sea-Bathing at Leghorn Americans
in Italy Society in Genoa Eastward Again Winter in Alexan
dria Marvels of Our Consular System An Agreeable Visit Mrs.
Franklin at Athens Royal Hospitalities Visit of the King and
Queen Domestic Dinner at the Palace.
I HAD now been several weeks in the waters of the
Turkish Empire, and had, I thought, accomplished the
object of my visit to that part of my Station. I got
under way from Prinkapo, and rejoined the Pensacola
at the Island of Syra. I then went to Pirasus and Pha-
lerum Bay. From the latter place I was, together with
my staff and Commander Sigsbee, of the Kearsarge,
presented to King George of Greece by our Minister at
Athens, Mr. Fearn. Commander Sigsbee is the gallant
officer who commanded the Maine, and behaved so
handsomely when his ship was wrecked by an explosion
in the harbor of Havana. The King, on the follow
ing day, visited the Pensacola and Kearsarge, when we
manned the yards and gave him a Koyal salute. Mr.
Fearn, our Minister, was an agreeable man, and had a
most interesting family ; they did great credit to the
United States in representing us as they did there, and
were great favorites with the best people, as well as
with the Royal family. A few years ago he was ap
pointed one of the Judges of the International Court
in Cairo. When last I heard of him I am sorry to say
he was very ill.
BATHING AT LEGHORN
I sailed from Phalerum Bay, which is near Athens,
on the 20th of July, and arrived at the Island of Zante
the next day. A friend of mine, Mr. Phocian Barf, a
resident of Naples, had large interests at this island,
and was the proprietor of a very pretty estate there.
He had requested me if I went to Zante to visit his
place, telling me, at the same time, that probably he
would not be there himself, but would like me to see
it. I accordingly paid it a visit, but found no one but
the steward. When he discovered who I was, he placed
in my hands a package which he said he had orders to
give to me in case I should come to Zante. When I
opened it I found, to my surprise, that it contained sev
eral dozen doilies, made in varieties of patterns, and of
the most delicate fibre. It was a beautiful present, and,
as the proprietor was not there, there was nothing for
me to do but accept it, which I did.
I had now completed my cruising in the East, and
sailed from Zante for the coast of Italy, arriving at
Leghorn in the latter part of July. It was the height
of the bathing season, and the place was filled with
strangers from Kome and Florence and all the surround
ing country. My wife, who had been in Switzerland
during my cruise to the East, joined me here, and we
took up our quarters at the Grand Hotel. The sea-bath
ing of Leghorn is, to my mind, the finest in the world ;
the water is beautifully clear, and the temperature most
agreeable. The bathing-houses, or baraccas, as they are
called, are so constructed as to project over the sea, as
there is no beach like that to which we are accustomed
in this country. The bathers enter the baracca from
the shore side, and, when ready for the bath, descend
a ladder into the water, which is about four feet deep ;
then, by raising a sort of canvas flap, which is on the
361
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
outside, they emerge into the ocean and find any depth
they may desire. This system does away with the
awkwardness of walking down a long beach to the wa
ter, which is embarrassing to so many. There one sud
denly appears to the spectators with only his head above
water, and so can remain, if he desires, through the
whole of his bath. Stockings are never worn by the
ladies, for it is entirely unnecessary, since their feet are
never seen. I remember on one occasion an American
woman appeared upon the scene encased in black stock
ings; she produced a sensation like unto that which
would take place with us if the situation were reversed.
I took almost daily swims at these beautiful baths,
which were rendered very attractive, not only by their
convenience, but also on account of their pretty sur
roundings. Within a stone s -throw of them was the
Grand Hotel, one of the finest in Europe, and closer
still were a number of excellent restaurants, where one
could dine or breakfast in great comfort after the bath.
The officers of the ship and those of their wives who
were present were constant patrons of these baths.
There was nothing in Leghorn that gave us more pleas
ure or rendered our stay there more agreeable than this
daily diversion. I call to mind a little incident which
occurred one day while I was swimming along that
amused me at the time, and still amuses me when I
think of it. Ensign Eames, the brother of the celebrated
Emma Eames, was swimming in the opposite direction,
and when he came abreast of me he brought himself
to an upright position, and, treading water for an in
stant, gave me a full military salute and passed on.
Eames was always ready for a joke, even to not ignor
ing the Commander-in-Chief, under any circumstances
whatsoever.
ATTRACTIONS OF GENOA
There were several American Countesses at Leghorn at
this time, amongst others the Countess Gianotti, whose
husband held a high position in the household of the
King of Italy. She was, before she married, a Miss
Kinney. Another was the Countess Gherardesca, for
merly a Miss Fisher, of New York. Both of them were
excellent specimens of American women, and were both
very much respected in Rome and Florence, where they
respectively resided. My friend Mr. Fabricatti, whom
I have mentioned before in the course of this narrative,
gave me a dinner-party. Amongst the guests was Count
Gianotti. Although, as I have stated above, he held a
high position at Court, he seemed to go upon his sum
mer travels without a dress-coat; thus the host was
obliged to ask us to appear in frock-coats, in order to
conform to this peculiarity of the Count. One of the
most agreeable families residing at Leghorn at this time
was that of Mr. Torrey, who was formerly our Consul
at Carrara ; he lives here in great ease and comfort. At
his table would be found green -corn and buckwheat-
cakes, the products of his own country-place, and given
to his American guests to remind them of their own na
tive land. His daughter married an American Naval
Officer named Berwin ; they reside in New York, and I
think are very prosperous. I believe he is still on the
retired list of the Navy.
I left Leghorn late in September, and went with the
Pensacola to Genoa; went on shore and took up my
quarters at the Hotel du Pare. It was surrounded with
beautiful gardens enclosed by high walls, which gave it,
shut in as it was, the appearance of a beautiful chateau ;
indeed, it was formerly the residence of an Italian noble
man. We lived there very comfortably for several
weeks. Amongst the distinguished guests tha,t were
363
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
there at the time we were was the Comte de Paris. He
seemed to be on easy terms with the landlady, consid
ering the difference in their stations in life. We could
hear them chattering away from where we would sit
in the garden. I think he found her a good-natured
person, and amused himself by gossiping with her. The
Prince also knew very well Madame Garcia, a woman
of Buenos Ayres ; her husband had been the Argentine
Minister to the United States some years before; she
was at our hotel, and seemed to be an old acquaintance
of the Count s. Madame Garcia was a cousin of Manu-
elita, the daughter of the famous Dictator of Buenos
Ayres, Rosas, who held all that country in a state of
terror fifty years ago. Manuelita was a great friend
of American ISTaval Officers in those days, and there are
some now living who no doubt remember her with pleas
ure, for she was a great favorite, although the daughter
of a bloodthirsty tyrant. Our Consul at Genoa at this
time was a Mr. Fletcher, an excellent officer, who I
believe still occupies that position. He was a great
friend of Miss Folsom s, who afterwards became the wife
of President Cleveland; she and her mother spent a
long time in Genoa, and Mr. Fletcher was very kind
and attentive to them while they were there. Mrs.
Folsom was quite an invalid at the time, which I think
caused them to make the protracted stay at Genoa. On
one occasion during the cruise they both made a visit
to the Pensacola, but I was not on board at the time.
Mrs. Cleveland talked to me afterwards about the visit,
after she had become the wife of the President of the
United States. As a great secret my wife and I were
taken to see a marble bust of Miss Folsom which was
being made by a sculptor in Genoa ; it was the inten
tion of Mrs. Cleveland to surprise her husband by pre-
364
DRIVEN FROM GENOA BY CHOLERA
senting it to him on the first Christmas after their mar
riage, which, as a matter of fact, she did.
About this time the cholera made its appearance in
Genoa. The Consul came on board and informed me
that it was spreading rapidly, so there was nothing to
do but leave at once. The Surgeon went on shore and
obtained a clean bill of health, when I got under way
immediately and sailed for Villefranche. There we
were subjected to a quarantine of twenty-four hours,
and as there were no evidences of the disease on board
we were permitted to land at the expiration of that
time. I had received an order from the Navy Depart
ment, at the suggestion of the Department of State, to
send one of the ships of the Squadron to the coast of
Africa. I directed the Quinebaug to hold herself in
readiness for this service, and despatched her, as soon as
she was prepared for her cruise, to that part of the Sta
tion. As it was important that our flag should be con
stantly shown in the East, I sailed myself for Alexandria
soon afterwards, touching at Palermo and Malta en
route. I passed but a few days at each of these places,
having found nothing of importance at either of them
to detain me longer. Our Consul at the former port
was Dr. Lee, who had been an official of the Depart
ment of State, and was well adapted to the position
which he occupied. Palermo is a pretty Sicilian city,
built with the regularity of an American town, the two
principal streets crossing each other at right angles, hav
ing a small square at their intersection, resembling very
much in that respect our Pennsylvania cities. On a
former occasion when I visited this port, in consequence
of the brigandage then existing, it was not safe to wan
der far beyond the limits of the city, but now it was
all changed. Palermo is not an interesting city to the
365
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
ordinary tourist, but to the archaeologist the Island of
Sicily is full of objects of the deepest interest.
At Malta I found the Duke of Edinburgh with the
British Fleet. I had met him there on a former visit
to this island, as I have stated in another part of this
narrative. We exchanged civilities, and I received every
attention from him and the British authorities of the
port, as I always did at their Military Posts. I re
mained here but a few days, when I made the best of
my way to Alexandria, where I arrived on the llth of
December. I passed nearly the whole of the winter at
this place, staying most of the time on board ship, where
I was very comfortable far more so than I could have
been on shore. The members of my staff messed with
me, and as I had a good steward and an excellent
French chef, we lived delightfully ; and so in this de
licious winter climate the three months that we were
there passed pleasantly away. Lieutenant Staunton and
Potts, of my staff, and Lieutenant Alger, when he could
be spared from duty, would go to the Club nearly every
day after luncheon and have a rubber of whist. This
recreation we kept up pretty much all the time we
were there; indeed, without it I think our existence
would have been dull and monotonous enough, but with
this amusement the afternoons went like a flash. I
would return on board ship towards dinner - time, and
after dining would devote myself to reading and exer
cise ; I would generally walk the bridge for two hours,
and feel that I had then accomplished all the constitu
tional that I required. I made it a rule not to dine out
while I was here, for the trouble and exposure to which
it would have subjected me deterred me from it. My
cabin was so comfortable, and even luxurious, that I
was entirely contented on board. I was often urged to
366
WHAT ALEXANDRIA LACKS
break through my resolution, but I was inexorable.
The Club people of Alexandria were extremely polite
to us ; several Clubs were placed at our disposition dur
ing the whole of our stay ; they would not entertain any
proposal to pay for their use as ordinary subscribers
did. These Clubs were delightful places of resort ; they
were furnished in the very best style, and I have seen
none more comfortable in any part of the world. Of
course, they are kept up entirely by foreigners, general
ly men of wealth. In going to and returning from the
Club we would almost always drive. The horses, al
though rather scrubby -looking, were all more or less
thoroughbred. The street which we traversed was gen
erally filled with people, but the drivers did not seem to
heed that, and would dash along at a fearful rate, so that
I was in constant dread lest some one should be killed.
What struck me as most peculiar was that here in a
seaport of more than two hundred thousand people
there was no American Consul. Americans were con
stantly passing through on their way to the Pyramids
and the Nile, and yet the only person who could at all
serve their interests was a sort of Commercial Agent,
who, at the time I was there, was either a Missionary
or a School-teacher, or perhaps both. I remember how
difficult it was to find him. I have spoken of this
want at home, but I doubt if any measures have been
taken to remedy it. It is difficult to understand the
workings of our Consular system, but we are all the
time hoping for better things in this branch of the
public service.
The incident which I remember most distinctly while
at Alexandria was a sand-storm. These do not often
occur, but when they do they are about as unpleasant
as any storm could be. The wind blows a gale as it
36?
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
drives across the great Desert of Sahara, bringing with
it not only clouds of sand, but, one might say, thick mists
of it, filling the air, and penetrating everything, even
to the ears and eyes. In passing over the ship it would
find its way into every crevice and crack and key -hole.
Nothing could escape it, the hair and tooth brushes were
filled with it, and after the storm subsided there had to
be a general cleaning-up of everything. "While this
storm was upon us, although then not as severe as it af
terwards became, there appeared upon the scene, as if
she had come on the wings of the wind itself, a charm
ing young woman whom I had known from her child
hood Mrs. Mason, the wife of Lieutenant Mason, who
was then in China. She was on her way, alone, to join
him there. She was a brave woman, but she was so
womanly and attractive that the passengers took the
greatest interest in her, and were constantly minister
ing to her wants. She had come in one of the P. & O.
steamers to Alexandria, whence she would take the
train to a point on the Eed Sea where she would re-
embark for the far East. She happened upon us just
at breakfast-time, and I know it gave her pleasure to
be there, as it did us to have her. I feel sure that we
all enjoyed our meal the more for having her with us,
and that she felt happy at being once more under the
folds of the American Flag. The wind had increased
considerably while we were at breakfast, and I felt
some concern about sending her ashore ; but it was neces
sary for her to go and catch the train or miss her pas
sage in the steamer, and she was the daughter of an
Admiral and a sailor s wife, and seemed to have no
hesitation about making the effort. I placed her in the
steam-cutter and gave her in charge of Lieutenant Potts,
of my staff, with the injunction that he had the care of
368
MEET MRS. FRANKLIN AT PIRAEUS
a precious cargo, and that he must see to it that it was
safely landed. As the tiny craft left the ship, pitching
and tumbling and tossing about, I watched her with
profound anxiety ; and when I saw her turn the point
which placed her in smooth water, I heaved a sigh of
intense relief. The days of the three months passed at
Alexandria were so much alike that but for the few
incidents that I have mentioned one was only the repe
tition of another. Upon the whole, however, the retro
spect is pleasant, notwithstanding its monotony, and I
am glad to have had this experience.
I sailed from Alexandria, and reached Piraeus about
the middle of February. I had recently received an
order from the Navy Department to send Lieutenant
Staunton, of my staff, off upon special duty connected
with the Office of Intelligence at Washington. I accord
ingly despatched him at this point, and, as Mrs. Franklin
was on her way from Switzerland to join me at Athens,
it was convenient for him so to time it as to meet her at
Brindisi en route. He accordingly did so, and placed
her on board a little Greek steamer bound for Corinth.
It can be easily imagined what kind of a craft it was,
for when she called for the stewardess a small boy
presented himself and said that he was the stewardess,
and that there was no woman except herself on board.
However, although this condition of things was not
encouraging, she arrived safely at Corinth, where she
was met by her son, Cadet Dutton, and me, when we
went by train to Athens. Since that day a canal pierc
ing the Isthmus has been opened, so that steamers can
go directly there by water. Upon our arrival we went
to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, where we took up our
quarters and remained during the stay of the Pensacola
at Piraeus.
2 A 369
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Mr. Fearn was still our Minister at Athens. He gave
a handsome entertainment soon after our arrival, at
which their Majesties the King and Queen of Greece
were present. Mrs. Franklin, who had just arrived, met
them there for the first time, and was presented to them
that night. The Queen afterwards sent for her and
gave her a private audience at the palace. Their
Majesties then gave me a state dinner, at which my
wife was one of the guests. There were about thirty of
us altogether. It was a very pretty affair, and seemed
to me to be an enjoyable occasion for every one. As it
was the season of Lent when we were at Athens, society
was quite at a stand-still ; there were no entertainments
save those of the most quiet kind. We dined with
the French Minister and breakfasted at our Legation,
where we met Mr. Tricoupis, the Prime Minister of
Greece, and one of her most distinguished men. These,
and a few teas, were about all the affairs of that nature
which took place during our stay. We passed most of
our evenings at our hotel, after dinner retiring to the
coffee-room, where we would generally meet some agree
able Greeks and Americans, and spend an hour or two
with them.
I invited the Royal family to visit me on board the
Pensacola, and to take the mid-day meal with me, dinner
or luncheon. It was really a dinner, for the distance of
Piraeus from Athens, and the fact that they had to go
afloat, would have made it very inconvenient for them
to go on board at night and return afterwards to Athens.
Besides that, they were very fond of going on board
ship, and I felt sure they would like to pass the after
noon there, which, as a matter of fact, they did. At the
appointed time their Majesties came, accompanied by all
the members of the Royal family. I invited our Minis-
370
ATHENS AND ITS RUINS
ter and his wife, Captain Dewey,* and some of the prin
cipal officers of the ship. My Staff-officers, Lieutenant
Sargent and my step-son, Cadet Arthur H. Button, were
also amongst the guests. The dinner passed off, as it
seemed to me, very pleasantly ; there was no restraint,
and as soon as the wine began to flow the conversation
became general and animated. The band was some dis
tance removed from the cabin, so that, while we enjoyed
the music, our conversation was not at all disturbed by it.
When the King came on board the yards were manned
and a Royal salute was fired. The battalion of blue
jackets and marines were put in full uniform, and drilled
in the presence of their Majesties. The troops were then
marched around the deck to the music of the band, and
the whole scene was attractive and interesting. Towards
evening the Royal family took their leave, apparently
much gratified by their day on board.
Except to the archaeologist, there is not much of inter
est to be seen in or about Athens. We went to Eleusis,
the scene of the mysteries, and lunched in the Temple
of Ceres. We were frequent visitors to the Acropolis,
and often strolled amidst its beautiful ruins. We never
tired of gazing upon the Parthenon, with its exquisite
proportions, mutilated as they are by the vandalism of
both Christians and Moslems. We would stroll about
amongst the columns of the ruined Temple of Jupiter
* Since writing the foregoing, Captain Dewey has been promoted,
and is now Commodore Dewey, commanding our Fleet in the East.
He has just gained a most brilliant victory, has annihilated the Spanish
Fleet at the Philippine Islands, and has, no doubt, by this time posses
sion of the whole group. The country is now anxiously awaiting his
report, filled with gratitude for what is already known, but it will not
be satisfied until this gallant achievement is rewarded by the promo
tion of Commodore Dewey, and by a vote of the thanks of Congress,
both of which would be well merited and richly deserved.
371
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Olympus, some of which are still standing, marking the
site and bearing witness to the grandeur of this beauti
ful structure of many centuries ago. We would some
times pause in our walks and take a seat in an ancient
Theatre, the ruins of which are not so complete but
that marble seats are still there, with the initials of
the owners yet upon them, which time has not entire
ly obliterated. The names of the streets still remind
one of the ancient Greeks, for many of them bear the
names of their distinguished Poets and Warriors. The
modern Athens is well built, and, if water is ever intro
duced into it, promises some day to be a beautiful city.
What it now wants is a sprinkling of green trees
amongst its buildings, which are at present all white,
and not a blade of grass exists to relieve the eye. The
King told me that he had formulated a plan by which
water was to be introduced into the City from a point a
good many miles distant, for there was none available
in any quantity close by. If he is successful, there is no
reason why Athens should not be one of the most beau
tiful cities in the East.
I was very much struck with a peculiar custom of
the Athenians in burying their dead. The body is
borne upon a bier, dressed in the same costume that it
was in the habit of wearing when living. The face is
exposed to view and is painted so as to make it, as
much as possible, resemble life. It is thus borne along
the streets in procession, the mourners and other follow
ers all being on foot. As it passes along the curious gaze
upon the painted face of the dead, and perhaps think it a
pleasant sight ; to me it was ghastly beyond expression.
The time had now arrived which I had fixed for leav
ing the East. I determined to take a leave of absence,
go to Venice, and pass down through Italy to Ville-
372
DINING WITH KING GEORGE
franche, which I eventually did. I had taken ray pas
sage in one of the Austrian Lloyds steamers for Sunday
evening. On Friday the King sent one of his aides to
me with an invitation to my wife, my step-son, Cadet
Button, of my staff, and me to dine quietly with him
and the Queen on Saturday night, requesting at the
same time that I should not wear my uniform, but
should come in a plain evening suit. Mrs. Franklin
and I were glad to accept, because we knew that we
were going to meet the Royal family at a family dinner
such as they had every day. At the appointed time we
appeared at the palace, and were met at the drawing-
room door by His Majesty himself. As we entered the
room, my wife made her reverence to the Queen, and
was about to kiss her hand, when she said, " No, that
must not be," and kissed her on the cheek ; I regretted
that it was not the custom to serve us both alike. I
then kissed her hand, and the reception was accom
plished. In a few moments dinner was announced, when
the King gave his arm to Mrs. Franklin, and I gave
mine to the Queen. At state dinners the Royal family
always sit together, but on this occasion my wife sat on
the King s right, and I, on the opposite side of the table,
sat at the right of the Queen. The Royal children who
were old enough sat at the table, and the younger ones
hovered around us as we dined. Towards the end of
the dinner, when it was time for the j^oungest to go to
bed, he lingered, as if not quite ready to go, when the
Queen said, " Do you know why he is hesitating about
going?" and when my wife replied in the negative she
said, "He has been promised that he might kiss you
good-night, and that is what he is waiting for." This
dinner was absolutely simple, just such as one might
partake of at the house of any gentleman, at which no
373
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
special preparations whatsoever had been made. There
was red and white still wine on the table, but no cham
pagne. There were no maids of honor, no gentlemen-
in-waiting, absolutely no one but the Royal family and
ourselves. After dinner we adjourned to the library,
where His Majesty and I smoked our cigars, and the
Queen and Mrs. Franklin joined us there. The little
Princesses amused us by grinding a sort of organ-piano.
A heavy frame containing the music that was to be
played would be roused about by these girls and placed
in the piano, when they would go to work and grind like
mad. It was very interesting to see their efforts to enter
tain their parents guests, for it seemed to give them so
much pleasure to do it. After they had kept this up for a
while, they retired, and at the proper time we took leave.
The Queeii kissed Mrs. Franklin good-bye, and we return
ed to our hotel, having passed a most agreeable evening.
King George is the same Monarch who has so recent
ly come before the public in the Greco - Turkish war.
My pleasant acquaintance with him and his charming
Queen added very much to the interest I felt in the late
conflict. My sympathies would have been, in any case,
with the Greeks, but this feeling was very much inten
sified by my personal acquaintance with these interest
ing Sovereigns. The King of Greece and his family
are the only persons in the kingdom who have titles of
nobility. Every other Greek, with the exception of the
officers of the Army and Navy, never mind how exalted
his station, is simply Mister. The Government is Re
publican in its character, with an hereditary ruler, who
has the title of King ; in all other respects it resembles
a pure Democracy. I visited the Parliament, which
consists of one Chamber, and was very much impressed
with the dignity and simplicity of that body.
374
CHAPTER XXX
A Run through Italy Trieste, Venice, and Bologna Life at Beau-
lieu Cadets in a Collision The Baths of Lucca Country Ex
cursions Retirement from Active Service Ceremonies of Fare
wellHome Again.
ON the Sunday following the dinner which I have
just described I gave a parting breakfast to our Min
ister and his interesting family, and embarked that
evening on one of the Austrian Lloyds steamers for
Trieste. We had a pleasant run up the Adriatic, touch
ing at Corfu en route. Just before entering the port
we had an ugly collision with a brig, which carried
away her bowsprit and broke in our rail on the star
board quarter. It was quite dark, and the grinding
noise of the two vessels as they scraped by each other
was most unpleasant ; but when I went on deck and
heard the cocks crowing on shore I felt that if the
worst should happen assistance was not far off. As it
was, the damage was slight, and we were thankful to
get off so easy. "We merely touched at this beautiful
island, and kept on our way to Trieste, where we ar
rived after the usual passage. The only incident besides
the collision that impressed itself upon my mind during
the passage was the fact that the agent of the com
pany, who happened to be on a tour of inspection, drank
every day at breakfast two bottles of red wine, and
two also at dinner. Towards the end of the second
bottle he would become exceedingly amiable and very
375
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
talkative. We remained at Trieste only a portion of a
day, but took advantage of our presence there to visit
Miramar, that beautiful spot where Maximilian and Car-
lotta had passed so many happy days together, and
we could not help contemplating the sad fate which
befell them both. The former, as is well known, be
came the Emperor of Mexico, and was shot, while Car-
lotta s life has been one of sadness ever since.
We left for Venice by steamer about midnight, and
reached that lovely place early in the morning. The ap
proach was beautiful as we steamed along the Lido over
a sea as smooth as a mirror, with hardly wind enough
to fill the sails of all colors which were carried on the
tiny craft amongst which we threaded our way tow
ards the Grand Canal. We took up our quarters at the
Hotel de 1 Europe, not far from where the steamer an
chored, and were comfortably lodged in our apartment,
in which it is said Yerdi composed the opera " Luisa
Miller." Lieutenant Sargent, my Flag -Lieutenant, ac
companied me from Athens. He sent for his wife, and
we thus had a partie carree. We did in Venice what
everybody else does went about in the gondola to
gether, and saw all the sights. Amongst other things
we did was to have our photographs taken while in the
gondola, a trifling matter, which I mention only because
our gondoliers, who were oldish fellows, and generally
wore common though good clothes, got themselves up
in their best garments for this, which to them was a
grand occasion. They looked so different from what they
did ordinarily that it was really pathetic to see the old
fellows doing honor to their patrons in this way. When
we were not doing the City in the gondola, we would
lounge about the narrow streets, drift into the shops,
and sometimes find a bargain. One day we happened
376
DRINK VODKI AT NICE
to see a time-worn but beautiful engraving of the Blessed
Virgin made from one of Rafael s paintings ; we priced
it and were told it was fifty centimes (ten cents). We
lost no time in clinching the bargain, and it is now, hav
ing been cleaned and framed, hanging up in my dress
ing-room at home. After we had passed a fortnight in
Venice, we left for Nice, touching at Bologna on the
way. In wandering about the latter city, I drifted into
an umbrella store, and purchased what seemed to me to
be a purely Yankee invention, although I had never seen
one in this country. This was an umbrella that was
opened by merely touching a spring in the handle, and
it responded immediately. I was perhaps induced to
purchase it because it seemed to me so strange that a
labor-saving machine like this should be found in the
ancient city of Bologna, where labor is a drug in the
market. From Bologna we continued our journey, and
took up our quarters, upon reaching the neighborhood
of Nice, at Beaulieu, a pretty little village not far from
Villefranche, situated between Nice and Monte Carlo.
The hotel at which we stopped was prettily situated
on the direct carriage-road between Nice and Monaco,
which was rendered quite gay by the frequenters of
Monte Carlo, many of whom preferred driving to going
there by train.
Amongst the sojourners at Nice at this time were
the popular Russian Minister, M. de Struve, and his at
tractive wife. He did us the honor of inviting us to
breakfast, and gave us as a pousse-cafe some vodki, a
Russian drink which corresponds with our whiskey. I
found it very palatable, but strong enough to take the top
of one s head off. They came on board the Pensacola,
and gave us the pleasure of their company for part of
the afternoon. Struve gave us some lessons in the use
377
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
of the samovar, which was very useful to us afterwards,
for without a knowledge of how to manage it, although
it is very useful at a tea entertainment it is very diffi
cult to manipulate ; I know of one instance in Washing
ton where the tea was put into the boiler, and when the
contents were drawn off the result was a kind of tea-
soup. The samovar is really only a tea-kettle, a portion
of which is the furnace that keeps the water contin
ually boiling. It is of much use in the country where
they have not hot and cold water constantly at hand;
and in Eussia the samovar is very useful. Where one
is travelling, he finds them of all sizes at his tavern; if
he desires a bath, a large one is sent to his room ; if only
a cup of tea, a small one. With the Russians they seem
almost indispensable.
While we were living at Beaulieu, the Pensacola was
lying at Villefranche. The distance around Cape Ferrat
by boat was several miles, counting from one of these
points to the other, but there was a very narrow Isthmus
touched by the water at Beaulieu and also at Ville
franche. By crossing the Isthmus, which was a walk of
about ten minutes, we were within a few yards of the
ship anchored at Villefranche. In good weather Mrs.
Franklin would come on board and breakfast and dine
with me, and I would accompany her back to the hotel
in the evening. The Quinebaug was with me at Ville
franche at this time, and advantage was taken of so
favorable an opportunity to exercise the crews of the
two vessels, both in fleet tactics and in the landing of
their crews for military exercises on shore ; the French
authorities having very kindly given us permission to
land an armed force on their territory, a privilege not
often granted by one foreign Government to another.
I had received an order, while at Villefranche, to send
378
AT THE BATHS OF LUCCA
the Naval Cadets of the Squadron to the United States,
preparatory to their examination, which would take
place in June. They had left for Havre, and were to
take passage in the French steamer Champagne. My
wife and I were taking breakfast one Sunday morning
with Mr. Pollonais, the Mayor of Yillefranche, when a
despatch was slipped into my hand stating that a col
lision had taken place between the Champagne and an
other steamer, in which the latter had been sunk and
the former so much injured as to render necessary her
return to Havre. As my step-son, Cadet Button, was
on board the Champagne^ I knew that my wife s anxiety
would be intense if she knew of this before she heard of
the safe arrival of the Champagne. I therefore withheld
the information contained in the despatch, thinking to
gain further knowledge of the matter when I reached
the ship. When I returned on board a despatch was
placed in my hands from Mr. Dutton himself, announc
ing his safe return to Havre, and his intention to sail
in another French steamer of the same line. My wife
was made as happy by the last despatch as she would
have been rendered miserable by the first. I learned
afterwards that the American Naval Cadets were of
great assistance to the Captain of the Champagne after
the collision in quieting the fears of the passengers, in
encouraging them to feel that there was no doubt that
they would arrive safely in port.
Soon after the events which I have just related the
Flag-ship went to Spezzia, where she was placed in the
dry -dock and thoroughly overhauled. I went, accom
panied by my wife, to the Bagni di Lucca, where I re
mained for several weeks. Lieutenant Staunton, my
Flag-Lieutenant, and his wife were also of the party.
We went to Pagnini s Hotel, where I had stayed nearly
379
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
forty years before. I had the curiosity to look at the
register of the hotel, and there saw inscribed the names
of some of my shipmates during my first cruise as a
Passed Midshipman. These baths at this time were no
longer of the importance as a place of summer resort
that they had been during my first visit. At that time
the Grand Duchess of Tuscany held her court here, and
many persons were attracted by the gaj^ety which that
circumstance gave to the place. Since those days Italy
has become a united country, and these Princes and their
Principalities have all disappeared. I amused myself
while here in taking the baths, not for medicinal pur
poses, but because they were pleasant and even luxuri
ous.
Through this beautiful valley in which the baths are
situated flow two small rivers, the Lima and the Serchio ;
their waters are clear and sparkling, and, as they are in
sight from every quarter of the village, they impart to
the whole place an air of freshness which produces a
most pleasing effect. The Stauntons and ourselves oc
cupied much of the time while we were here by making
excursions on mule -back to the various points of in
terest about the baths. The mountains which surround
this lovely valley are nearly all surmounted by little
villages, resembling, more than anything else to which
I can liken them, wasps nests plastered about on the
different points. They were probably first placed in
these inaccessible positions from motives of safety, so
that they could more easily be defended than in the
valleys below. As a rule, all the occupants of these lit
tle towns were tillers of the soil. They would sally out
each morning from their little nests on the tops of the
hills, taking with them their agricultural implements,
and after the day s work would drag them back again
PREPARING TO RESIGN COMMAND
and lock them up within the walls of their little cities.
My impression is that this custom, which had obtained
for centuries, has continued until a very recent date ;
but now that Italy is united, and peace reigns amongst
its inhabitants throughout the length and breadth of
the land, it would seem to be no longer necessary. In
our excursions we visited many of these villages, almost
always meeting with some object of interest, besides
the view from them, which was always superb. There
were, of course, the churches, with sometimes a his
tory connected with them, which the priest in charge
seemed always glad to relate to us. It was thus that
we passed two or three weeks very pleasantly, when
we went to Leghorn by way of Pisa, where we passed
one night at a hotel placed close down on the banks of
the Arno. I met here, at the table d hote dinner, Mr.
Eugene Schuyler, our former Secretary of Legation in
Eussia, and we spent an interesting evening with Mrs.
Schuyler and him; they were both cultivated people,
and their presence there, caused the short time of our
stay to pass very agreeably. Mrs. Schuyler belonged
to the well-known New York family of Kings. Mr.
Schuyler had seen a good deal of the Turkish atrocities
in Bulgaria, and wrote a most powerful expose of them,
which I think at the time was considered as having had
some weight in bringing about the Kusso-Turkish war.
We left Pisa the following day and went to Leghorn,
where again we took up our quarters at the Grand
Hotel. I found the Flag-ship there, and went on board
and made my preparations for turning over the com
mand to my successor. The 24th day of August was
approaching, when by the operation of law I would be
placed upon the retired list. My Flag-Lieutenant, Staun-
ton, and I despatched our wives to Paris some days in
381
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
advance of our intended departure, in order that all the
preliminary arrangements with the dressmakers and
cloakmakers and bonnet people might be made before
our arrival. My successor, Eear- Admiral Greer, arrived
at Leghorn a day or two before the day upon which I
was to be relieved. On the 24th, at noon, my flag
was hauled down and saluted with thirteen guns, and
that of Admiral Greer was hoisted and saluted with the
same number. The officers and crew were all assem
bled on the quarter-deck. I read my orders detaching
me as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Naval
force on the European Station, and Admiral Greer read
his, appointing him as my successor. I made a few re
marks to the crew, shook the officers by the hand in
bidding them farewell, when the parting Admiral and
the coming Admiral went below and drank each other s
health ; and the function was at an end. Admiral Greer
was duly installed, and I was free to go and come as
I liked.
I passed the rest of the day on board, and did not
leave the ship until about ten o clock, when I went di
rectly to the train. I gave to the new Admiral and his
staff that night the last dinner-party that I was to
have on board the Pensacola, at which everything
passed off in the most agreeable manner. When it was
time to go to the train the barge was manned, and
Admiral Greer with his Staff -officer, and Lieutenant
Staunton, my Flag-Lieutenant, and I got into the boat.
It is contrary to the regulations for the crew to be
ordered to cheer any officer upon his taking or relin
quishing a command, but it seems almost impossible to
prevent an involuntary impulse of the kind. On this
occasion, as the barge shoved off from the ship, I ob
served an unusual commotion on board, and three hearty
IN NEW YORK AT LAST
cheers went up from the forecastle, which we returned
from the barge ; then all was quiet, and we sped away
for the landing at Scala Eeggia. When we reached
there I bade my old barge s crew good-bye, when they,
fifteen in all, stood up in the boat with their oars erect,
the blades high over their heads, and gave me three
rousing cheers. This last demonstration was most touch
ing, for these hearty fellows had been rowing me about
the waters of Europe for more than two years, and I
felt very much attached to them. I then went to the
train, where I found some of my Leghorn friends to
speed me on my way. I kissed the hands of the ladies,
and shook those of the men, and was off for Paris.
Staunton and I took the night train, and reached our
destination in due time the next day. I had never
crossed the Alps before, and as I was now free from all
the care and responsibility of my late command, I en
joyed to the fullest extent the grandeur of the scenery
through which we passed.
We went to the Hotel de P Empire, and found our
selves very comfortably lodged in a central position in
Paris. Our passage had been taken in the Bourgogne
for New York, and in a few days we were on board of
her on our way home. My friend Charley Marshall,
who had been with me on board the Pensacola in the
East, had since then been appointed by Mr. Hewitt, the
Mayor of New York, as one of the Dock Commissioners.
I had written to him, asking him, now that he was a
Dock Commissioner, to appear upon one of his docks
when our steamer arrived and help me through with
my trunks. Marshall was the first man I saw, and he
did render me very great service in facilitating the ex
amination of my baggage.
CHAPTER XXXI
At Home in Washington Admiral Raymond Rodgers A Club Co
terie Patriotic Societies The Memorial Society of Washington
Suggestions and Plans International Marine Conference The
Delegates and their Work Courtesies to their President Notes of
the Proceedings.
AFTER our arrival in America we made a few visits
to friends in the North, and then took up our abode in
the City of Washington, where some years before I
had built a small house, to serve as a sort of moorings
after I had completed the active work of my profession.
I resumed my old habits and went to the Metropolitan
Club every afternoon for whist, and, with the other oc
cupations that I found myself taking up, I learned that
the retired list was not at all a place for simple loung
ing, and soon discovered that all my time was fully
occupied, and that it was, chiefly, to be so in the
future.
My most intimate friend and almost constant com
panion at this time, and even up to the day of his death,
was Admiral Eaymond Kodgers. I never in all my
intercourse with men had so great an admiration for
any one as I had for him; to this was added an affec
tion which ripened from day to day into a friendship
such as I had never formed with any other man. There
was a long period of time during which not a day
passed without our seeing each other. I had an attack
of la grippe which confined me to the house for a fort-
384
DEATH OF TWO INTIMATE FRIENDS
night. Rodgers came to see me every day except the
last, when I felt sure that there was something wrong.
The first time that I went out of the house after my
attack, I called immediately at his hotel and found him
ill in bed. I continued my visits each day, and soon
felt that my poor friend would probably never recover ;
and when I learned that his physician had given orders
that no one but the members of his immediate family and
I were to be permitted to see him, my worst fears were
realized. He lingered but a few days after that, and
then passed quietly away. Admiral Rodgers through
out his whole career had always been an ornament to
the Service ; in him were embodied all the finest traits
which go to make up the highest type of the J^aval
officer. Taking him altogether, he was, in my opinion,
the most complete all-around man that I have ever
known in any walk of life.
Another of my intimate friends at this time was
Kearney Warren. His sweet nature endeared him to
every one who knew him. He and Rodgers and I would
take long walks together, and the memories of those
promenades rest with me as amongst the most pleasing
recollections of those days. I would often dine with Mrs.
Warren and him at their charming home, and I never
shall forget how delightful those entertainments always
were. The last few years of Kearney Warren s life were
passed as an invalid, but owing to the tender care of his
devoted wife his illness was almost painless, and his
faculties up to the very last were as bright as ever.
It was a melancholy satisfaction to me to have been
selected as pall-bearer to these two friends, to whom I
was so much attached during their lives, and for whose
memories, now that they are gone, I cherish the fondest
devotion.
2s 385
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Amongst the other fine fellows who figured at the
Metropolitan Club in those days, of whom I was very
fond, were Jerome Bonaparte, Titian Coffey, David
King, and Admiral Temple. They are all now dead.
During their lifetime a number of us would assemble in
a certain corner of the Club ; every day, about eleven
o clock, Temple would occupy the same seat, and was
tacitly acknowledged as Chairman or Head Centre of
this little coterie. There is no subject under the sun
that was not discussed there, and as those composing it
were all men of the world, full of experiences of all kinds,
what was said was not only instructive but interesting,
and if it could have been collected into a volume might
have been extremely entertaining.
Governor John Lee Carroll, one of my most intimate
friends, although not a resident of Washington, passed
most of his winters there. I saw a great deal of him in
those days, and formed a very strong attachment for
him and his interesting family. I have visited them at
their country-seat, Dougheregan Manor, where hospital
ity is dispensed in the best Maryland style, and where
American country life is seen in its very best form.
When the signer of the Declaration of Independence
said, " Write me down as Charles Carroll of Carrollton,"
he established for this family a motto and granted to it
a patent of American nobility, both of which will endure
as long as there is a United States of America. The
Governor is still comparatively a young man, and I trust
he has yet many good years before him.
Amongst the notable characters in Washington at the
present time is Colonel James G. Eerret, whom it gives
me much pleasure to enumerate amongst my warmest
friends. He is now about eighty-three years of age,
and seems to me to be as full of youth as he was at sixty.
386
CLUB ENJOYMENTS
He has been in political life since the days of General
Jackson, and has filled many positions of trust and
responsibility during that interval. He was sent a few
years ago to the Legislature of Maryland, and held then
identically the same position which he had occupied
fifty-five years before. He looks now as if he might
live to be a hundred.
My habit is to go to the Metropolitan Club in the
morning, where I get my exercise at pool for the day,
and in the afternoon, for my recreation at whist. The
most unique figure in our pool-party is General Van
Yliet, and although he is upwards of eighty years of age
he plays as well as any of us. Our party generally con
sists of five ; its personnel changes from time to time,
some disappear and others come along. Van Yliet,
Admiral Greer, and I have been constant attendants for
a number of years. The three that I have mentioned,
and Mr. Lequer and Mr. Kichardson, at the present time
make up the five. Our whist -party has consisted of
much the same men for a number of years. As it is now
constituted, the members are Colonel Berret, Admiral
Greer, Ex-Surgeon-General Grier, Judge Hilly er, and
I. JSTow and then an outsider comes in, and there
are times when we form two tables, but these that I
have named can be relied upon to be at their posts
every day during the winter, when the weather is
suitable.
I have been thus explicit in mentioning the persons
who figured in these games at the time I write, for if
these reminiscences should ever be published, and some
member of the Metropolitan Club of the future should
happen to see them, it might not be uninteresting to him
to know who the people were that did the same thing
one hundred years ago that he was doing in his day,
387
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
and it might be still more interesting if he discovered
that some one of them was his great-grandfather.
After my return from my last cruise I became a mem
ber of a number of societies of a patriotic character
such as the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, the
Washington Monument Society, and the Memorial So
ciety of the City of Washington. I was also chosen
an honorary member of the Society of Foreign Wars.
The Washington Monument Society seems to have out
lived its usefulness, but it still holds meetings from time
to time, generally for the purpose of electing new mem
bers to fill vacancies. During the lifetime of Dr. Toner
it was his habit to entertain at luncheon a large num
ber of well-known people every 22d of February. A
formal meeting of the Society would be held on that
anniversary, after which several hundred guests would
appear and do honor to the occasion*.
The object of the Memorial Society of the City of
Washington is a very commendable one. Its purpose
is to preserve and mark with tablets containing inscrip
tions any place or house which would be interesting as a
landmark in history, and would serve to perpetuate the
name and deeds of distinguished Americans. This Society
is composed of a number of distinguished gentlemen.
The President is Chief -Justice Fuller of the Supreme
Court of the United States, and the Secretary is the
Rev. Dr. Hamlin, pastor of the Church of the Covenant.
Amongst the members are : Judge Hagner, Judge Ban
croft Davis, Mr. Gardner Hubbard, Mr. Leiter, Mr. My
ron Parker, and a number of other well-known men.
I have made one or two suggestions to the Society
which I hope some day will be carried out. I proposed
that when the Constitution, Hartford, and Kearsarge
were no longer utilized as ships of war they should be
SUGGESTIONS TO MEMORIAL SOCIETY
brought to Washington and permanently moored at
some convenient point of easy access to the public.
These ships should, as nearly as possible, be equipped
in the same manner and have the same batteries that
they had when they fought their battles. Once in a
good state of repair, it would be an easy matter to keep
them so, and it would require but few men to take care
of them. An entrance-fee of, say, a dime might defray
all the necessary expenses of such an establishment,
even if but a fraction of the tourists who visit Washing
ton should go on board of them. At the time I made
this suggestion the Kea/rsarge^ which has been since
lost, was still in existence. The other suggestion which
I made was to have a tablet placed on the house now
occupied by Mrs. Beale. On the H Street side of the
house is now a blind door, which was formerly a real
door ; I proposed to have placed there a tablet contain
ing an inscription which shall read somewhat as fol
lows : " This house is the property of Mrs. Beale. It is
a portion of the estate of the late General Beale, who
was formerly an Officer of the Navy, and later United
States Minister to Austria-Hungary during the Admin
istration of General Grant. It was through this door
way that Commodore Decatur was carried when he was
mortally wounded in a duel which he fought with Com
modore Barron, from the effects of which he died soon
afterwards. Decatur was one of the most gallant offi
cers the Navy ever produced, and the burning of the
Philadelphia, on the Barbary Coast, was pronounced
by the great Admiral, Lord Nelson, the most daring act
of the age." The only tablet which our Society has
thus far placed is upon the house now used as the Cos
mos Club, formerly the residence of Mrs. Madison, but
it is in such a position that it is hardly legible from the
389
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
street. The energies of the Society have been hitherto
centred upon getting Congress to make an appropria
tion for the purchase of the house in which Mr. Lincoln
died. In this they have met with success, and it is now
the property of the Society, or, at all events, under its
control. It is to be hoped, now that this more impor
tant point has been carried, more attention will be given
to those of minor consequence.
Early in the year 1889 the Secretary of the Navy,
Mr. Whitney, sent for me and informed me that he de
sired me to serve as one of the delegates to the Inter
national Marine Conference which was soon to assem
ble in Washington. Congress had passed an Act creating
the Conference, and had invited all of the maritime na
tions of the world to send delegates to participate in
its deliberations. By the end of September nearly all
of them had gathered at Washington, ready for the dis
cussion of the programme which this Government had
prepared and proposed to lay before them. We all
assembled at the Diplomatic Chamber of the Depart
ment of State, where we were met by the Secretary of
State, Mr. Elaine, who made a brief but impressive ad
dress. Then, upon motion of Mr. Charles Hall, a Mem
ber of Parliament and the leading delegate from Great
Britain, I was elected President of the Conference. We
afterwards called in a body at the White House, and
were presented to President Harrison. Lieutenant Cott-
man was chosen Secretary, and by his able management
we were soon prepared to proceed to business. Our first
meeting was held at the house of Mrs. Wallach, which
was hired for the occasion, and we continued our sessions
there for a few weeks, when it was thought advisable to
move to Wormley s Hotel, the large hall of which we
occupied throughout the rest of the Conference.
390
DISCUSSIONS OF MARINE CONFERENCE
The " Eules of the Eoad " was the topic that occupied
most of our attention, but there was hardly a maritime
subject that did not come in for a share of our delibera
tions. The delegates from Great Britain at first declared
their intention of taking part only in the consideration
of the "Kules of the Road," but when they discovered
that the delegates were almost, if not altogether, unani
mously in favor of discussing the whole programme,
they fell into line and continued with us to the end.
When we were fully organized and in good working
order, we found that we had a great deal of work before
us, more than I had anticipated, and I fancy more by far
than many of the delegates had contemplated. Instead
of eating their Christmas dinners at ho3ne 5 as they had
expected, when that day arrived they were a deliberative
body on this side of the water.
The proceedings of this Conference were published by
the Department of State in three large volumes, so I do
not propose to refer much to them in the course of this
narrative. Easy access can be had to them by any one
interested in their contents. The leaders in the debate
were Judge Goodrich, then an Admiralty lawyer, but
since then elevated to the bench, and Mr. Charles Hall,
then a Member of Parliament, now Sir Charles Hall.
Others who participated were Dr. Sieveking and Captain
Mensing, of Germany; Captain Richard, of France; Cap
tain Sampson,* of our Navy; Mr. Carter, Minister from
Hawaii; Rear- Admiral Bowden- Smith; Rear- Admiral
* Sampson served with me as Assistant Superintendent of the Naval
Observatory when I was the Superintendent, and also as one of my fellow-
delegates to the International Marine Conference. He now commands our
fleet in Cuban waters, and is engaged in most important work, and I am
confident that when he is heard from he will give an account of himself
of which the country will be proud.
391
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
Sir George Nares ; Mr. Flood, of Norway, and many
more, but these I have mentioned were generally the
talking delegates, though they were working members
as well. They gave a great deal of information to their
hearers, and were as intelligent a body of men, in my
opinion, as ever discussed these important subjects. I
have forgotten the exact number of the delegates, but
it was somewhere in the neighborhood of seventy.
Including myself, seven Admirals sat in the Conference :
those from Great Britain were Sir George Nares, Bow-
den-Smith, and Molyneux ; from Eussia came Admiral
Kaznakoflt ; from Austria - Hungary, Admiral Spaun ;
from Chili, Admiral Yiel. Admiral Bowden-Smith said
to me, " Admiral, you command more Admirals than any
one whom I have ever known or read of" he meant,
of course, in a parliamentary way. Nothing could have
been more harmonious than our proceedings ; points of
order seemed to adjust themselves, and the manner of
the delegates towards each other was always character
ized by the utmost urbanity and courtesy. Towards me,
as their Presiding Officer, and, indeed, at all times, they
evinced the most profound respect, and I feel sure that
when we separated there was a mutual feeling of the
kindest nature between the delegates and the President
of the Conference.
There were some very handsome entertainments given
during the stay of the delegates amongst us, but they
left just before the gay season was at its height, so that
in this respect they did not see Washington at its best.
The Metropolitan Club extended to them its privileges,
and they were in all respects treated with a considera
tion which I think they highly appreciated. They pre
sented to me a handsomely bound Album containing
cabinet -size pictures of themselves, which I prize very
392
OPENING OF MARINE CONFERENCE
highly as a memento of this gathering of most interest
ing men from all parts of the maritime world. The
Department of State also did me the honor to present
me with the chair from which I presided, together with
the gavel I used on that occasion. The latter had
written upon it suitable inscriptions explanatory of the
event.
This seems to me to be an appropriate place for in
serting into this narrative the few brief remarks which
were made at the opening and closing of the Conference,
which I quote from its protocol as follows :
"WASHINGTON, D. C., Wednesday, October 16, 1889.
" In response to the invitation extended by the Presi
dent of the United States to all the maritime govern
ments to be represented at an International Marine
Conference to secure greater safety for life and proper
ty at sea, delegates from the following countries, Aus
tria-Hungary, Belgium, China, Chili, Denmark, France,
Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Siam,
Spain, Sweden, the United States of America, and Ven
ezuela, assembled at eleven o clock in the forenoon of
October 16, 1889, in the diplomatic reception-room of
the State Department.
"After the presentation of the delegates to the Secre
tary of State, the latter welcomed them in the follow
ing words :
" i Gentlemen : It is the cause of extreme gratification
to the Government of the United States that its invita
tion to the maritime powers of the world has been met
with so general a response. Representatives from Asia,
from Europe, from North and South America, and from
the Isles of the Sea, will compose the Conference. On
393
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
behalf of the United States I welcome you all, gentle
men, to the honorable, the scientific, the philanthropic
duties which lie before you. The already and the rap
idly increasing intercourse between continent and con
tinent, between nation and nation, demands that every
protection against the dangers of the sea, and every
guard for the safety of human life, shall be provided.
" The spoken languages of the world will continue
to be many ; but necessity commands that the unspoken
language of the sea shall be one. That language must
be as universal as the needs of man for commerce and
intercourse with his fellow -man. The deep interest
which the maritime nations have taken in the questions
at issue is shown by the eminent character and the
wide experience of the delegates to whom they have
committed the important work. Again, gentlemen, I
welcome you, and, after your preliminary organization
is completed, it will be my pleasure to present you in
person to the President of the United States.
" The delegates having then assembled for permanent
organization, Mr. Charles Hall, Q.C., M.P., one of the
delegates from Great Britain, being granted the floor,
nominated Hear- Admiral S. R. Franklin, one of the del
egates from the United States of America, as permanent
President of the Conference. This motion being sec
onded by several delegates, and voted upon in the af
firmative unanimously, Rear- Admiral S. R. Franklin was
declared elected to the Chair; in accepting which honor
he addressed the Conference in the following words :
" Before proceeding to the further organization of
the Conference, I desire to express to the delegates my
high appreciation of the distinguished honor they have
conferred upon me in selecting me to preside over their
deliberations.
894
MARINE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED
" < The little experience which my profession affords
in the parliamentary duties I am now called upon to per
form encourages me to hope for the indulgence of the
Conference in any errors of judgment I may commit.
" I feel that it is needless for me to say that in any
rulings or decisions which I may be called upon to
make, I shall endeavor to be governed by a spirit of
entire fairness, and I trust that my efforts will meet the
approval of the Conference.
" Thanking you, gentlemen, for the honor you have
done me, I now declare the Conference ready for its
further organization.
" Mr. William W. Goodrich, a delegate for the United
States of America, then moved that the Conference
adjourn until eleven o clock in the forenoon of Thurs
day, October 17, 1889, to meet at the Wallach House.
This motion being voted upon and carried unanimously,
the meeting was declared adjourned.
"The delegates \vere afterwards formally presented
to the President of the United States; the latter, stand
ing in the centre of the semicircle, spoke a few informal
words of welcome, expressing his gratification that the
Conference had assembled under such pleasant auspices.
He expressed his deep personal interest in the result
which might be anticipated, and, he trusted, attained,
by the Conference, and hoped that the passage of the
seas might be made as safe as it has been made rapid.
" The President, in conclusion, said that the object
for which the Conference had assembled was one which
would attract universal interest, and its attainment
would be warmly welcomed by all nations. . . .
" Mr. Hall (Great Britain). < Mr. President, now that
the labors of the Conference are concluded, I would ask
395
MEMORIES OF A REAR-ADMIRAL
your permission to be allowed to move a resolution,
which, I can assure you, is not a mere matter of form.
I wish to move a proposition which I am sure will be
accepted without a single dissenting voice iri this room,
for it is a resolution to tender a hearty and cordial vote
of thanks to you, Mr. President, for your courteous, im
partial, and able conduct in the chair.
" Now, Mr. President, I believe that there is not
recorded in history any Conference at which so many
Powers have attended as that which has been under
your direction for the space of nearly three months;
and I am certain that in future years we shall all of us
look back with pride and satisfaction to the fact that
our proceedings have not been marred by a single un
pleasant feeling, by a single angry thought or word. I
would fain like to say, on behalf of my immediate
colleagues, the delegates for Great Britain, that we have
a very deep sense of the kindness and good feeling
which we have received from all of our brother-dele
gates. We shall go away from here feeling that we
have made many, many good friends, and with the firm
belief and hope that we have not made a single enemy.
" i When I refer to the good feeling and harmony which
have prevailed throughout, I desire to state that it is
due not only to the delegates themselves, but it is due
in no little degree to the calm, judicial, and unbiassed
manner in which you have conducted our proceedings,
Mr. President. Therefore, it is with very great pleasure
and very great pride that I express, however imperfectly
I have done so, our gratification and thanks to you for
your conduct in the chair. Mr. President, I would fain
say more, but there are occasions when words will not
come to the lips of the speaker, and I therefore move
formally that a cordial vote of thanks be tendered by
REPLY TO VOTE OF THANKS
the Conference to its President, Bear-Admiral Samuel
R. Franklin, for his courteous, impartial, and able conduct
in the chair.
" The President. i I thank you, gentlemen, for the
kind words which have just fallen from the learned first
delegate for Great Britain. Any language which I
can command would inadequately express the feelings
which I have upon this occasion. If I have administered
the duties of my office to the satisfaction of the delegates
present, it is owing in a great measure to the kind cour
tesy which they have always displayed towards me, and
to the courtesy which they have at all times extended
to each other, even in the midst of the most heated
debates. You have done your duty, gentlemen, with
great ability, and with industry such as is rarely wit
nessed in a Conference of this kind. Y T ou have worked
untiringly and unceasingly, day and night. Now the
results of your labors will come before the world, and I
trust they will be found most satisfactory, as I hope and
believe they will. In wishing you good-bye and a Happy
New Y r ear, I trust that you will find the Atlantic smooth
for your passage across, and that you will be received at
home by your Governments with the credit which you
all so well deserve.
" The motion of the delegate from Great Britain ten
dering a vote of thanks to the President of the Confer
ence was put to the Conference, after having been sec
onded, by Admiral Kaznakoff (Eussia), and unanimously
adopted."
The American delegates remained in session a month
or two after the adjournment of the Conference, and
then dispersed. The history of what occurred after
wards it is not my purpose to discuss ; any one interested
397
MEMORIES OF A RE AR- ADMIRAL
can find it in the archives of the Department of State
and the Treasury Department. I will state, however,
that it was thought expedient to pass an Act of Congress
which provided for calling together the American del
egates as a sort of advisory board, for the purpose of
reconciling differences which had arisen between the
nations interested in the recommendations of the Marine
Conference. However, to make a long story short, the
President s proclamation with reference to the "Kules
of the Road," after many delays, went into operation on
July 1, 1897.
Upon the supposition that the American delegates
might yet be called upon in reference to certain maritime
matters, it has not been thought fit to adjourn that body
sine die, so that after having been ten years on the
retired list as a Rear -Admiral I still find myself in
harness.
THE END
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