New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-05
DEATH OF COMMODORE PERRY

The death OF the distinguished naval officer, Com
modore MATHEW CsLBR.ITH PERRT, took place
Yesterday morning at his residence in this city No 80
West Tbiry-second street. He attacked With
cont about four weeks since, but it had assumed 80
mild form that no ears Of its fatal issue were enter
aired by lis friends until about o'clock yesterday
morning, when it changed to bis stomach, ord in 8
short time after he breathed his last.
Commodore Perry was born in 1895, in South Kirs
ston, r. L., and consequently in his SD yesr at
the time of bis death HE father became an officer s
the L. S. Navy in 1898 and hs elder brother, Oliver
H. Perry was the celebrated heso Of Lake Erie in the
war Of 1872 with Great Britain lie entered the naval
service of the United States as q midshipmap, Jan.
l8, 1902 and made his first cruise in the schooner
Revenge. Shortly after he was transferred to the
frigate President under the command Of Commodore
Rodgers in which vessel he served little more than
three years. In Nov, 1919, Ire was ordered to the
frigae United States and after five months duty, was
returned to the President then commanded by Com
modore Decatur, nnder whom he served for eight
months. He was then ordered to the big Chppews,
in which he served until Nov, 1915, when ne was
stationed at the Navy Yard at Brooklyn, where he
remained for nearly two years, having, in the
mean time been promoted 30 the rank Of lieutenant.
During the above period OF active service, he was
engaged in many perilous transactions, and was ini-
tiated into his profession amid the din of conflict.
In August, 1919, Lieut. Perry was ordered to the
ship Cyane under Capt Trenchard and served n that
vessel for about nineteen months iIe assisted in the
attempt of the Colonization Society to form a settle
ment of free blacks upon the Island Of Sherbro, rear
Sierra Leone, bnt the spot proving in the highest de-
gree unhealthy, he selected Cape MesuIado as more
favorable locality and thus decided the first settlement
7 ,h.r,a In Max he ed N -
command of the schooner Shark, in which vessel he
twice visited the colony at Mesurado, and also crused
in the waters Of the West Indies where he captured
several pirates On his return, he again stationed
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where he remained until
1924 when he joined the shipofthene North Carolina,
commandedby Commodore Rodgers, in which he served
as fist Lieutenant and Captain Of the fleet during her
whole cruise. He was then promoted to the rank oi
commander and after tour Of duty at Boston, in the
recruiting service in 1850, he was ordered to the
command of the corvette Concord in which he con-
yeyed John Randolph a. United States Minister to
ST. Petersburg and afterward made cruise OF nearly
three years chiefly in the Mediterranean. On his
return to the United States in January 1873 he was
again stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and
served there as second in command for over four
wears experimenting the School of Gun Practice, and
taking an active part in the organization OF Il steam
naval service.
He was promoted to the rank Of Captain, February,
1885, and after declining the command of the ENplor
rg Expedition afterward given to Commodore Wilkes
he was transferred 10 the steamer Fulton, in which
vessel he cIuised on the coast Of the United States for
nine or ten months. In 1888, lie was sent to Europe
to visit the dock yards and lighthouses, report on
which, Offering valuable suggestions ior the United
States service was made the following year in loi0
he WAS appointed TO the command of the steamer Mis-
souri, and in June Of the next year took command OF
the Brooklyn Navy-Yard where he remained till 1873
when he was ordered at is own request, to the COM
II and of the African Squadron sent out under the
provisions Of the A.hburton treaty for the suppression
of the saverade. After serving for three years N
that position he returned to New York in s4b, where
| he superinteT ded the construction Of Government
decks and steamers, and then sailed to the Gull OF
Mexico as second in command to Commodore Conner.
On the retirement of that officer in March lSf he
| assumed the chief command of the Home Squadron,
and in that capacity directed the naval bombardment
OF Vera Cruz and performed other important services
ON the Coast Of Mexico during the war of the United
| States with that country. In Nov, 1878, he was
ordered 10 New York as the general superintendent,
| on the part of the Navy, Of the construction OF
| the ocean mal-steamer squadron. In this posi-
| tion he remained until March, 1872 when he was
| ordered TO the commsnd Of the Japan Expedition,
which sailed from the United States Nov "a Of that
| wear. The treaty with Japan was signed March 81,
1854 and since the return Of the expedition, Commo-
dore Peny has resided for the most part in this city.
The deceased leaves widow and six children-three
cons and three daughters. One of his sons is now
| Consul at Hong Kong. Two of his daughters are
married Mrs. August Belmont and Mrs. John honel'