The Portland daily press., 1868-04-23

gress and placed under command of Gamma
dore Manly. In the year 177G Can't. Thicker
in the Franklin and the Hancock, to which no
had been transferred, captured from 30 to 30
British vessels, some of them very valuable,
loaded with ammunition and supplies for tho
British army. In March 1777 he received
commission from Congress as Captain Of the
frIsate Boston and made successful cruises in
tnat year, captuing several vessels Of the en-
emy. In February 177S orders were given him
to prepare his ship to take John Adams as en-
voy to France, and ON the 18th of that month
he sailed from Boston with his honored pas
sehser, and after perilous voyage of 4S days,
III winch he bafled numerous English cruisers,
ne arrived at Bordeaux. On the passage he
captured ship bound from London TO New
YORK. Judge Sprague, in q eulogy on the
death OF Adams and Jefferson in 1860 at Hal
lowell, thus speaks of Commodore Thicker in
connection with the voyage. "The pnblIc shin
on which he (Mr Adams) embarked, was COM
manded by the gallant Commodore Tucker
now living, and a resident OF this State, who
took more guns from the enemy durGg tho
Revolutionary war than any other naval COM
mander"
we cannot follow the interesting narrative
of the perilous adventures, hair-breadth es-
capes and noble deeds OF this skilfuI and brave
officer during the revolutionary conflict, and
must recommend the reader to turn to the
pages OF this work, where not only his
gallant achievements, but much of the ma
val history Of that heroic age of our country, is
most graphically narrated.
AT the close of the war, there being no fur
ther occasion for his service at sea, he return
ed to private life, and having been made rich
by his numerous prizes, he established himself
in Boston, where hospitable and luxurious
mode of life and liberal loans OF money to
false friends, in five or six years compelled
him to retire from the gay capital and reduce
his expenditures. He returned to Marble
head, and in 1892 came to Maine and establish
ed himself on farm in that part of Bristol
which is now Bremen. Here he spent the re-
mainder of his days honored by the people
about him for his manly qualities and strict
integrity, and loved for his genial temper and
his social, liberal character.
He entered as a mediator into the bitter con-
fict which prevailed in the county of Lincoln
in the early part of this century, between the
land proprietors and the squatters, which was
marked by the murder of Paul Chadwick, en-
ployed in the survey of land in 1sO9 the call
ing out OF the militia, numerous mobs and
general confusion over the central part of the
State These disturbances were quieted at
last by compromise under an order of the
legislature.
He represented his town in the legislature
of Massachusetts four years 1915 ISIS, and in
the legislature of Maine two years, 1920 and
1921, and was member of the convention
which formed the constitution of Maine in
1S19 In 1918 he made a visit to Ex-President
John Adams, Of which that veteran patriot
with his accustomed enthusiasm thus speaks:
Il was delighted to see once more, the Man
who in 1878 carried me safely to Bordeaux,
through the six and twenty misfortunes of
Harlequin"
The varied career of this estimable man was
closed by ''a short and sharp Sickness March
10, 1888, aged S5 years months" MIR. Shep-
pard thus describes the Commodore: "His per-
sonal appearance was striking and always ac-
companied with dignity. He was five feet and
nearly nine inches in height, very muscular,
strongly built and remarkably broad across
the chest" His portrait in the book gives the
impression of intelligence and force of charac-
ter. A very aged lady who knew him when
he lived in Boston So years ago, thus speaks of
him: HE was gOodly man to look upon,
so handsome, SO animated. Often have dane
ed with him in the minuet, which was fash
ionable accomplishment in those days, and he
was SO light of foot upon the floor''
Mr.. Sheppard has done full justice to his
subject, and has taken the opportunity from
his ample resources, to illustrate this narrative
by interesting contemporaneous events which
occurred in the long career of Tucker, and
made his monograph valuable history of the
time. We heartily commend the work to the
lovers of anecdote and history. w.