The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-27
COMMODORE HUNTER.

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A Short Resume of That Gallant
Commanders Eventful Career.
1t was benefcent Providence that ordained
the heart should never grow old. Year after
year may slip away from beneath our feet,
gray hairs may steal In upon the black, but
our inner selves only realize that simple fact
and forget that we are not the vigorous boy
or tile athletic youth. The days when we all
first learned the intricacies OF d top Or the
vagaries Of marble come up to us with all
the well-marked definition Of q yesterdays
picture II but some little incident opens the
trap-door Of our by-gones, and we feel, even
with our whitened hairs, like the boy Of years
agone No salamander safe, no combination
lock 10 necessary to keep out that crafty old
burglar. Age, from d heart that was born to
be always young. It's defenders are ever on
the alert, and neither Jimmy nor ehisel can
effect an entrance. No better proof of this Is
necessary than to point to that well-known
gentleman and courtly sailor, 80 highly es-
teemed here, the genial Com. VIM. II. Hunter,
d Louisianian that the State has good reason
to be proud OF.
Strolling along Canal street during the cool
Of the evening, many q promenader has been
attracted by q gentleman, apparently Of not
more than sixty years, with sllyery hair, q
snowy moustache and beard and d calm gray
ish blue eye, Indicative OF intelligence, deter
minatlon and courage. The weight of years
seems. for him, to have lost It's avoirdupois,
for his step Is still elastic and every montion
full of energy. With Com. Hunter In his even
ing walks Is that noble old cavalier, Gen. John
r. Lewis, Of whom everybody In our city
knows In the quiet OF the twilight these
two veterans stroll along talking over their
old SCHOOL days at Prof. Hull's, and thinking
of times long gone, when our boulevard was
not what 1t now is.
After some rerseach and inquiry, we CLEANED
something Of Com. Hunters eventfu life as
an officer, both In the United States and Con-
federate navies
He was born in our State In the year 1902,
and after the usual preliminary education
entered the navy In the early part OF 1922 as O
mdshipman Annapolis was not at that time
established rs naval school, and the Com
modore learned his first lessons In seaman-
ship ut the school, then under the auspices OF
man no was sent to the navy yard here, and
then ordered On board the famous schooner
Grampus, OF twelve guns, commanded by
Capt. Gregory, belonging to Com. David Por-
ter's squadron, lifted out to put down piracy
In the West Indies.
The first actual service Midshipmnn Hunter
was put to was the survey OF Key West, or,
as twas then known, .sThompson's Island
This was Just after Florida had been admit
ted as a State III the Union
Under Com. Porter, the father OF the present
Admiral. Com. Hunter, then a commander
was captured by the pirates off the coast Of
Cuba in the Bahama channel on Cayo Ro-
mano. After desperate struggle he was car
ried ashore and the sentence Ut death passed
upon him. AS this was a favorlte channel for
vessels bound to gulf ports or South America
1t was, as IT were, . sort OF highway, Offering
Inducements for plratical cruisers. Ships be-
coming becalmed were boarded by the pirates
living on shore, and after the crews had been
overpoWered the cargo would be taken ashore.
Circulars would then be sent, and the planters
in the vicinage would attend the auctions to
purchase what they needed. On account OF
the heavy duties on importations there was
always d very large number Of planters pres
ent at these sales. The profits were
80 great these piraticl ventures
became popular along the coast. But to
ono of his dashes after these pirates, was
taken and ordered to be put to death. With
out succor In sight he was brought out and
the sentence was about being put into execu-
ton when he determined to make q ruse to
save himself and comrades. Strengthening
himself Up, his eyes burning with the desper-
ate cause he was espousing, he told the
commander OF the pirates that certain death
was In store for them If o single hair WAS
squadron and what would ensue ii he was ex-
'sauteq. After parley the execution was de-
terred afsei>the Commodore. soon after made
his escape. r'Rulldozing" In this case was
most effectual. N,~s
The name Of the schooner Grampus, United
States navy, has long since been ~fhadehs-
down TO history. Her career was most event.
ful, and her officers and crew shared together
the varying chances OF sea and battle.
While under the command Of Com. Porter
our gallant commander In both oceans was
his fayorite, and the reports on file In the
Navy Department show what good ser vice he
What more could be expected from youth
who had been the careful student under Com.
John Rogers, the then senior officer OF the
United States navy, commanding the line-of-
BATTLE ship North GaEUttua tho Meeitef-
ranean station. Here our friend remained
between the years 1924 and 1927. Com. Hun
ter, whose good seamanship won for him the
respect of all atioat, commanded the frigate
st. Lawrence in the Pacific ocean, bearing the
broad pennant Of Com. Blanden Dulaney, the
last sailing ship OF the navy he had charge of.
For years our friend had been devoting him
self to the changes necessary In vessels OF
war, owing to the improvements In gunnery
and the increased force OF projectiles. Heap
preciated, before the fact became well known
that something must be done to more securely
protect both vessel and company, and he de-
voted arduous study and close attention to
meet the demands which he thought the
future might bring forth. After O long study
he invented q means OF propulsion designed
to be the best adapted for naval purposes and
after some delay secured an appropriation Of
$l750o0 from Congress to build a vessel after
his own model and according to his plans.
started at PittsburR, Pa, and the Allegheny
was launched, Of 104O tons burden. From
Pittsburg down the Mississippi he brought
her successfully without touching bottom