Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-12-13
NUMBER 5
carr. JosEPm FRY.
ssme Account OF his services Tor the
Confederates DurlEtE the WaF-

sssIie Aeeousst OF his services fer ths
Confederates DuriEtE the War
Correspondents Baltimofe Gazette.
From a few months intimate ac-
quaintance with Capt. Joseph Fry.
late commander of the Yirginius.
during our war, gathered from his
lips a few incidents Of his life. He
was born in Florida, and served many
years in the United States NAVY (:
from the latter he resigned to Join the
COnfederacy, in which he held the
rank of lieutenant As such he
served on the Mississippi, first under
the command and on the flagship of
/ Commodore Hollins at New Orleans.
After the fall OF that city he had COM
mand of small gunboat which the
Federal fleet drove into one of the
| smaller Western riYers-the White.
| think-and finding It impossible to
/ save her he burned his boat, landed
| his battery on bluf, and opened a
/ fire that sunk one of his pursuers
and drove the remainder of. The
| fleet, however, returned. and throw
/ ing a body of some five hundred ma
/ rines IN his rear, while some four or
i've steamers opened on his front,
made 1t hot for his two guns and sixty
or seventy meR. Fighting all around
to the bitter end, Fry never did sur
render, and the first knowledge he had
OF the battles finish was when re-
stored TO consciousness IN Federal
hospital, when lie fonnd5 himself So
verely wounded in the shoulder. and
learned that his little band lad been
nearly all killed or wounded before
the bluff was taken. After he was ex-
changed and was assigned to duty,
his wound breaking ont afresh com
PEELED him reluctantly to yield regu-
lar service. and still suffering from
his shoulder and a semi-paTalyzed
arm, he undertook the lighter duty Of
commanding a Confederate steamer,
the Eugenie, in the blockade run
Ming. In this steamer, one of the few
sailing regularly under the COnfeder-
ate flag, Captain Fry approved him
self slIillful, daring commander, and
was uniformly successful.
On one occasion the Eugenie, /
loaded with gunpowder, grounded /
outside of Fort Fisher under the |
guns of the blockading squadron, and |
when, in view of the heavy cannon /
ade which was opened upon her. he |
was commanded from the fort, from 1
Wilmington, and finally from Rich 4
mond, to abandon his boat and save 4
his crew from what was considered 1
the inevitable explosion. Fry posi-
lively refused to do so; stood by his
ship, ightened her, got a good tide,
and carried her safely ina measure
of cool gallantry not easily surpassed,
as he was utterly defenseless, carry
ing no armament. He simply stood
the chance of being blown up with
out the excitement of battle to sus-
tain his nerve, while on the other
hand the adjacent coast made escape
easy. From this service Fry was
Withdrawn to superintend the con-
structiOn of torpedOes, and for that
purpose went TO Scotland, where the
closing Of the ports rendered his eff
forts fruitless. After the war heard
of him in New Orleans, working on
some patents for saving ships and
curing timber, and very poor. OF
his connection with The Cubans 1
know nothing, and can only suppose
his poverty and natural love of adj
venture combined to bring about his
murder. Personally, he was a tall,
well-made, handsome man, with the
most mesmeric eyes have ever seen,
having great power of control, both
over himself and others. His mind
was remarkably good :sri well culti-
waited. He was deep reader and
thinker, fond of speculating on alb
struse subjects, and apt 10 be led by
his genius TO extreme views. In dis
position he was sweet, but firm-tem-
pered true friend and a strong enc
my, not given, perhaps, to a large
circle, but very social aud conversi-
BILE with his intimates, and, withal,
as modest as brave. This slight
sketch of the man may serve to throw
some light on his surrender. AS an
old naval officer, having personal ex-
perience of the laws of blockade, he
both knew the legal limits of his liza
bility if captured and trusted the flag
he bore for protection from all other
penalties. Had the Virginius been
Caban privateer, as alleged, as such
she would have carried battery, and
Captain Fry would never have sar-
rendered without resistance. Had he
borne q Cuban commission, three or
four shots over his steamer, within
reach almost of Jamaica's coast would
never have brought him to. The
truth must be he commanded an
American steamer, and believed that
the flag under which he had so long
served, and which had conquered
him, could and would insure him at
least civilized treatment.