The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-08

came cabin boy on merchant vessel, from which
position he gradually made his way up through all
the grades Of the service to that OF captain OF an
East Indaman.
This latter rank he attained before he had COM
pleted his twentieth year, and having thus fully
qualified himself for his long and illustrious public
career, he was, on the 9th of March, 179s, commits
stoned by President John Adams as a Lieutenant in
the Navy. His first service I'm this capacity was with
Commodore John Barry, on the frgate United
States on which vessel he remained for nearly TWO
years, while It was employed in the West indies Ior
the protection of American commerce against
French privateers. In july 1900, he was appointed
to the command of the Experiment schooner car
rying twelve guns, and continued upon the same
station. Soon after assuming this command he de-
manded, and after some negotiation, secured inc
release of an impressed American seaman from tue
British man-of-war Siam, of which case he learned
while his vessel was at anchor in Ruperts buy,
island OF Dominica.
On September I, 1900, he partcipatedslin mis- nfst
regular naval encounter, capturing the Frehch
schooner Deux Amis Of eight guns, after an action
which lasted but ten minutes. This was 1ouoWeu
soon after by the capture the island OF BarOuu'
Of the French schooner Diana, OF fourteen guns ate
an encounter of almost equal brevity. numoer Oh
American vessels which had been taken by trench
prvateers, were also recaptured by the Experiment
during this cruise, which terminated in 1901, when
the vessel on its arrival at Norfolk, Virginia. went
out of service, and was sold by the Government
In 1902 Lieutenant Stewart made a short cruise III
the frgate Constellation, during which ne particl-
pated in the blockade of Tripoli He was then placed
in command of the brig siren one Of She vessels OF
Commodore Edward Preblc's squadron, and partici-
pated in the naval operations against Tripo In the
year 1904. Besides taking part in the dlnerent at
taCks upon the city and its deenses he co-operateu
actively with Lleutenant-C Commander stephen Oeca-
tur, JT, in the destruction of the frgate PIladel-
phia which had fallen into the enemys hands before
Con prnb
occurring on the 10th Of February. For his gallant
services in the bombardment Of August he received
the thanks OF Commodore Prebie in general orders,
and during the same year was promoted success
sively to the ranks of Master and Commander.
on the conclusion OF peace with Tripol, Com
mander Stewart returned to the United States, in
chief command of the frigate Constellation, and in
1906 promoted to the rank of Captain the high
est then known in the service, For some time after
wards, he was on duty at New York, engaged IN
experimenting the construction Of gunboats, the
building of 25T vessels of this character having been
authorized by Congress. But this class OF vessels
was found to be both expensive and inefficient and
the project for their employment was soon aban-
doned.
On the declaration OF war against Great Britain in
1912, the United States Government resolved to
withdraw all its vessels from the ocean, and eXpend
all its energies upon the defense of our harbors it
being feared that If offensive policy were adopted
the overwhelming naval force OF the enemy would
soon sweep our comparatively insignificant fleet
from the seas. This contemplated policy was earn
estly opposed by Captains Stewart and Bainbridge,
and they succeeded In persuadng the Government to
abandon 1t. The navy was accordingly ordered to
proceed to sea. Captain Stewart, in December,
1872 was ordered to the command of the
frigate Constellation, then lying in the harbor of
Norfolk, Va. But the port was blockaded by a
powerful British squadron, and as 1t was deemed
neXpedent to encounter the risk of inevitable can
ture by attempting to run the blockade with the
Constellation, Captain Stewart was, in the summer
of 1918, transferred to the command of the frigate
Constitution. In this vessel he sailed from Boston,
in December following, upon cruise extending to
the coasts of Surinam, Berbice, Demerara, and the
Windward Islands, and resulting in the capture, on
the 14th of February, 1914 OF the British vessel OF
war Pictou, foarteen-gun schooner, together with
prvateer and several merchantmen which she
had in convoy.
In the month Of April following, his offensive ope-
rations were interrupted for short period by the
Constitution being chased into the port of Marble
head by two British frigates, La Nymphe and Junon.
But about the middle of December of the same year
the Constitution sailed upon second cruise, which
was even more successful than the first. On the
goth of February 1875 Captain Stewart fell IN with
the British shlps-of-war Cyane and Levant, and one
of the most memorable conflicts recorded in the
naval history of this country ensued The Constitu-
ton mounted SO guns, and was manned by 40 men.
The Cyane, commanded by Captain Falcon, mounted
"a guns with 1S5 men, and the Levant sloop, under
the command of Captain Douglass, had 81 guns and
1856 men. While the British vessels, therefore,
mounted three guns more than their American an
tagonist the latter had about 130 in excess but
as these were all confined to the one ship, the odds
were manifestly in favor of the enemy.
At the commencement of the action,
which occurred at night, the three
vessels were drawn up close together, forming nearly
an equilateTa triangle, with the Constitution to
windwaId. BY expert and judicious maneuvrng,
Captain Stewart forced both of the enemys ships to
leeward, raklng them badly, while his own vessel
avoided such fire. The encounter lasted forty
minutes, and resulted in the capture of both the
Cyane and the Levant The loss sustained on board
the Constitution was three men killed and twelve
wounded the Joint loss Of the two British vessels
being stated at forty-one, although no official ac-
count Of the battle has emanated from British
sources. ..
On the 10th of March the Constitution put into
Port Praya, in the Cape Verd Islands, with her
prizes; but while arrangements were there in pro-
gress for forwarding the prisoners to the United
States, British squadron, composed of two line-of-
battle ships and heavy frigate, made its appear
ance of the port. Captain Stewart had good reason
to believe from the manner in which British naval
operations were conducted in those days, that the
neutrality Of the port would not be respected and
he therefore cut his cables and put to sea- the two
prizes following in the wake of the Constitution.
The British squadron made an active pursuit, and
succeeded in recapturing the Levant but the Cyane
and the Constitution succeeded in euding their pur
suers, the former arriving at New YORK on April 10
and the latter about month later.
The brilliancy of Captain Stewards achievements
during this last cruise were duly appreciated and
rewarded. Congress voted him gold medal, and
n silver one TO each of his commissioned officers,