The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-18

The LATE CAPT. TILToN.-On Friday, at meet
ing of the Lighthouse Board, of which the Secre
tary of the Treasury, Hon. John A. Dix is ex-ocic
Chairman, the sudden death of Captain E. G. Til
| ton was announced by the Secretary. Captain
| Semmes, in submitting resolutions of coincidence
| and sympathy, which were adopted, stated that
Captain Tilton entered the Navy on the LIST of Nav
lo22, as an acting mdshipman, and served until be
reached the grade of Lieutenant which he did in
1881, In the following vessels SUCCESSFULLY, viz
The frigates Congress and Constellation the sloop
Lexington, the ship of-the-line Delaware and the
| surveying sloop Florida.
AS a Lieutenant he served in the following yes.
sels:-The Ontario and Fairfield soops, the Con-
gress frigate, and the brig Perry, which latter
sci he commanded.
Proceeding in this vessel from the coast of Brazil
to the East Indies, he was appointed in June, 1884,
soon after his arrival upon this station, to the
sloop-ofwar st. Louis, to fill vacancy caused by
the REIMBURSEMENT of the command of that vessel
by Commander H. II. Cooke.
Whilst in the command of the st. Louis, Capt
Tilton had an opportunity, of which he promptly
avaied himself, to render essential service to his
countrymen domiciled in Canton. The following
despatch from Commodore Parker to the NAVY
Department, under date of July Is, 1874, gives
brlet account of the important service. The Com
modore after stating that he had been informed by
Mr.. Forbes, United States Consul at Canton that
mob had surrounded the American factories, that
Chinaman had been shot by an American and
tnat ne the Consul) deemed the lives and property
OF the merchants in danger, goes to say 81
Immediately ordered force adequate to the pro-
lection OF our countrymen to proceed to Canton,
(the Commodore was himself at Macao,) but act
lng-Commander Tilton, anticipating my wishes,
proceeded at once, on the news reaching him, with
the st. Louis to Whampoa, and from thence in
boats to Canton, with sixty men. He found the
mob in possession of the square where our flag
staff is erected, bat no attack had been made on
the factories, and am convinced his timely arri-
val prevented serious injury being done to the pro-
perty, and in all probability preserved the lives of
our citizens"
The following brief and characteristic despatch
from Commander Titon to his commanding officer
informed him of these proceedings: "Commodore
The Am. Factory is this moment surrounded by
mob. am here with force to defend the lives
and property of our countrymen."
To appreciate properly the boldness and decision
OF this movement it is necessary to state that there
was dense mob of several thousand of Infatuated
sem-barbarians surrounding this factory, thirstng
for vengeance for the blood of one of their number
who had been recklessly killed in private quarrel
by one of the inmates of the factory. The whole
space from the factory to the landing was packed
with human beings, so that Commander Tilton,
with his sixty men and small piece of artillery,
had literally to push his way through the dense
throng; and his in efecting an entry at all
is no doubt due to the rapiditv of his movements,
by which he took his enemy by surprise. The
least untoward event, as notice of his coming, or
the accidental discharge of musket after he had
landed, might have resulted in his instant destruc
ton, giving US another beautiful illustration of the
adage, as trite as it is true "Fortuna auet ortt-
bus ~