Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-15

49, 49, @[% ~
p~earance, caused, as he told me, by the
fine impalpable dust from the Sahara,
where he was engaged in the war with
TripOli, seventy years ago. He went 90
sea at the age Ofthirteen, to escape what
seemed impending death from pulmOn-
airy disease. A brother had died Of con-
sumption, but the rough ~sea-faring life
infused a tone and vigOr 10 the system
Of young Stewart and gave a rugged
health and tOughuess Of frame that Sc
cured him his extraordinarily long life.
he and Decatur were bosom friends az
long rs the latter lived. When boys
they attended the Old Academy III Phil
adelPhia together, which sent forth other
pupils who became distinguished I'm af-
ter life j our naval service. IL never
knew q boy who loved to fight as
much as Decatur, - said the Admiral.
Every day IN school he would manage
to arrange a bout with some z Of his
mates, and when the session was over
they would adjourn to the Quaker bury
ing-gr0und, and pound and pull and
haul each other over the graves, and
bang theirh heads against the tOmbstones.
He was a year Younger than I, anil re-
ceived his commission as Lieutenant a
year later-1799. When We were Off
TripOIi in 1893, and be was engaged in
cutting out the Philadelphia, that had
been captured BY the TripOlitans, he
showed the same characteristic Of his
nature, by pitchIngintO a barbarian that
was nearly double his weight and size.
In the scuffie both fell to the deck, De-
catur underneath. Finding It imPOssi-
bic 70 throw Oft the incubus, and seeing
a dagger in the hands Of his antagonist,
he drew his body close against his own
breast, and jerking out his pistol reached
over the back Of the TipOlitau, and dis
charged both barrels. Had the bullets
passed through the body Of his foe, they
would have buried themselves in the
breast OF Decatur himself. But they did
not, and casting Of the dead weight. he
rose to his feet unframed. He brought
away the dagger and gave it 10 me" I
examined the weapon placed in my
hand, and found the blade about nine
inches in length, curved ike a Turkish
scimeter, very sharp, and with a handle
Of yellow ivory. Among his relics,
Stewart also showed me a sword, pre-
scented 70 him by the King Of Spain, in
recognition OF his humanity 20 q Span
ISL vessel that was found drifting in
m~id-Ocean, with all hands dead dying,
or helpless from yellow fever. Il was
u AttAEAAD NAL4AEf WIKI = AOlAAf GAklLL-LA-
ed hilt. II was carrying il under my
arm, during the engagement with the
Cyane and Levant, when q grape-shOt
carried away the hilt, and the gunner
made thisOne for me-" The battle with
these two ships, it viii be remembered,
was fought by moonlight on the TWEEN
tieth of February, 1915, and was really q
magnificent victory, as Stewards force
was much inferior TO the enemy. He
won as much by his superior seaman
ship as his bravery; his maneUveFs be-
ing directed with such skill that he kept
the two vessels, in spite Of their efforts
to the contrary, at the w corners of q
triangle, he maintaining the third and
firing into both at the same time.
Stewart had only three killed, while
the British lost seveuty-seven killed
and wounded. The news Of this victory
made Stewart the hero Of the hour. The
Common Council of New York gave
him the freedom Of the city in a gold
box; the State Of Pennsylvania present.
ed him q gOld-hilted sword, ard official
" thanked him for the victory; Con-
gress voted him the thanks of the nation
together with q gold medal. He con-
tinued in active service until 1913, and
died November 9Th, 1853, in his ninety
second year. In recalling the name of
Admiral Stewart, I despair Of attempt
ing to give the merest glimpse OF his
long and eventfuI career. His memory
extended back to l7S1, when he saw
Benedict Arnold burned in efigy, in
Philadelphia. He vas then but three
years Ofage, and was 50 terrified at the
grOtesqne image that his nurse gave him
an Unmerciful spanking to save him
49, --Tnor into .aar0 uhfaL rr-H-HE-
edlV accounts for his vivid recollection
of the incident. Stewart had drunk wine
with Washington, and Gined with all
the succeeding Presidents excepting Har-
risOn and Taylor, who diedsO soon after
their installation, and the present in
cumbent. 1t was mainly through his
representations that OuT government
was led to fight Great Britain upon the
ocean in 1872 He was in Over sixty
engagements, and was wounded but
once. During the heat Of q naval con-
test apigeOu that had escaped from the
coop in its furry and terror lit upon his
shoulder. Almost at the same instant
a mUsket ball struck its foot at the point
Of the junction of the claws with the leg,
and the bullet entered the officers shout
der. The wound was comparatively
slight, however, and the surgeon said
the pigeons foot saved the shoulder
from being shattered. When peace had
come again, and Stewart could well be
spared, be obtained a furlough and took
command of an East Indiaman. Here
his unsurpassed seamanship made him
me Of the most successful of captains,
and at the end of four years he had made
one million five hundred thousand dol
lars for his employers, had paid six
hundred thousand dollars for duties, and
received one hundred and twenty thou
sard dollars for his own services. At
the breaking out of the last civil war he
was sUmmOnd to Washington more than
once BY Lincoln and his cOunsels fire.
quently solicited. Although then III his
eighty-fOurth year he asked for a COM
mand, and when the President told him
as kindly as possible that he was too
old, and had well earned rest, the old
veteran got in high dudge0n. For sew
eraI wears later his activity was remark
able. He was constantly at work about
his farm, and upon Oue Of the coolest
days in mid-winter, when he was close
upon ninety, found him sbeliing corn
in his barn (which years ago had been
his mansiOn), able to make q "WhOle .
man" too. For many years the old
Commodore waged q relentless wax
against the Camden and AmbOv rail-
road. When they laid two tracks
around White Hill, and lover his ground,
he declared that il was a violation Of
their charter, and building 4 fence across
one Ofthem, he stationed himself nearby,
with a loaded rifle in hand, ready 10
shoot the first one who attempted to re-
move the rails. He was constantly in
court with them, and when he died his
son inherited q lawsuit, which has been
very recently. The disease that
carried him of "a q scirrhUs canceri in
the mouth. The physician told him
that he believed il could I've successfully
removed, but he would not consent, and
seemingly weary of life he quietly per-
mitted it to take its course, although it
caused the most extreme suffering, and
he met death as calmly as he had con-
frOnted it so many times upon the deck
of his vessel. He was married j 1913,
but the union was not q happy one, and
3 few years later man and wife separat-
ed. He was a prominent candidate for
the Democratic nomination Tor the
Presidency in1S4 but Why he was not
nominated, and his private social life,
are themes which 1 pass over in silence.
His memory, running back nearly to
the close Of the Revolution gave him an
acquaintance with 3 majority Of our
leading statesmen, and army and navy
officers, who figured in that and the
subsequent wars. His duties called him
to almost every prominent port in the
civilized world, and he was on intimate
terms with others who were equally
great in their country. But his REM
.iniseences would I'll volumes, and / may
as well pause at once, as I find them
erOwding upon me 5 fast that I cannot
to record atithe Of them.
The proposed tunnel under the Har-
river, between New York and West