Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-03-23
The Late Com. Perry, U. s. Navy

We yesterday announced the death of Com. Matthew Calbraith Perry, at New York, on Thursday morllng, after service of almost half a century in the United States navy. lie died in the siXty-third year of hs age. The father of the deceased was Christopher Raymoad Per ", who became an officer of the infant marine of the United States in 1195. His elder brother was Oliver il. Perry, the hero If the battle of Lake Erie. The first of the Perry family In this country emgrated to Massachusetts from Dcvonshire. England, about the middle of the seventeenth century. Matthew was born in South Kingston, Rhode Island, and entered the navy in 1909, d midshpman oil board the schooner Revenge, from which he was soon after transferred to the frigate P es lent
 In November, 1913, he Was ordered to the lrlSate United States, aud-in April 18l4 was sent back to the President Towards the end of 1914 he was ordered to the brig Chippewa, from which vessel he was transferred to the navy-yard at Brooky yn, With the rank of lieu tenant He thus learud the duties oi bis profes- sion am.d the s,lrriug events of the war ot 1872 with Great Britain, when every officer of our little navy was more or less iH active service
 h August. 1919, he was ordered to the ship C!ae, which was sent to the coast of Africa to aid the efforts of the colonization secietv in its attempts to found a settlement of free blacks upon the island Of SAerbro near Sierra Leone The mortality at Snerbro was so great tina, it become evident no colony could be planted there, and Lieut.. Perry selected Mesurado Cape IS a more suitable locality for a town ie therefore fixed the locality of the first settle meut of Liberia.
 h May, 1921, Lieut.. Perry was put in com mand of the schooner Shark, in which vessel he twice visited the colony at Mesurado In ba satan vpssaI als ,r.,i.,J the Wes; Indies, and captured several pirates
 O. his return he was again attached to the Brooklyn navy-yard, where he remained until 1924 when he ordered 60 the North Caro- lma of 96 guns, under the command of Com. madore John Rogers. H. this ship he served as first lieutenant and captain 0t the fleet dur ing her whole cruise He was then promoted to the rank of commMdeT, and took charge of the recruiting service at Boston, ul wh ch en- pioymeut he continued until 1830 when he took command of the corvette Concord, in which he conveyed John Randolph as U $ minister to s. Petersburg, and afterwards crused three years in the Mediterranean.
 w hen home agan he was once more actively employed at the Brooklyn navy-yard IS superin- tendcut of d school of gun pracace and m the organlzation Of a steam naval service. H. was at ths time promoted to the rank of captain,
 
 expedition alterward given to Commodore Wilkes, but for various reasons declined it.
 In 1858 Capt. Perry was sent to Europe to visit the dock yards and ight-houses. and col lect from personal inspection such facts as might be useful in improving those departments of the United States service. Early in 1880 he sub- mitted his report to the government, and re- sumed his duties as superintendent of gun prac- tice, and in preparing plans for the construction and eInip pment of the Missouri and the Mssis- slppl, the first two ocean steamers in our navy.
 While thus employed he was appointed to the chief command uf the Brooklyn navy-yard in which position he remained two years, when, at his own request, he was appointed to the command of the African squadron, sent out under the provisions of the Ashburton treaty. He succeeded so well in carrying ont the pro- visions of the treaty that he received the con- mendation of both the British and American governments.
 h 1916, he sailed as second in command to Commodore Conner to the Gulf of Mexico and on the retirement of that officer in March as sumed the chief command in time to direct the naval bombardment of Vera Cruz Commodore Perry's :" able co-operation' r the siege of Vera Cruz was cordially -acknowled 5ed by General Scott in his official dispatches
 But the most distinguished service in his long career was the expedition to Japan, which sailed from the United States on the 24rh of November 1852, and iii comman of which Perry negotiated the treaty with Japan, signed on the last day of March, 1854 The important events connected with the expedition are still fresh in the public mind, and we need not now do more than refer 10 them.
 The disease which caused Commodore Per rvs death was gOut in the stomach. lie had complained of feeling poorly Tor several days past, but was not considered in danger until the hour of his death.
 We believe he leaves widow and six chl- dren-three sons and three daughters o of the sons is now consul at Hong Kong O. the daughters, two are married, (Mrs Johu Hone and Mrs. August Bemont,) and one remains single. The wife of the Rev Dr. Vmton, of Trinity church, is niece of Commndore Mat thew c. Perry, and daughter of Commodore Oliver Il. Perry.-Neac York Commercial