The Portland daily press., 1881-05-11
WEDNESDAY, MORNING, MAY IL.

it rose, 50 as TO tell his gunners where to direct
their fire, and these were his exact words about
it to me long aftergard: 81 was we'll nigh up
to the maintop when the battle was over, but
certainly was not dashed there" Strictly
speaking, he was not an educated man. French
was the only language beside his own that he
understood.
He did not understand the classics and was
not as thoroughly conversant with the Bible as
some people. On one occasion, when the pre-
siding elder from this city came up to hold the
quarterly meeting OF our church. the Admiral
had us over to dine, and show around the navy
yard, and he talked on his favorite hobby, the
corruption of our Federal Government and the
m de of appointing officers there He mem
toned several instances of men being appoint
ed to positions with IS per diem, and nothing
whatever to do, merely to reward them for po-
ltical influence; told how devoutly he wished
that the system of Government patronage was
abolished, and concluded by saying: "When
see and hear these things tremble for nv
country. for am forciby reminded of pas
sage of Scripture, Whom the gods destroy they
first make mad
Yet he was not ignorant of literature. He
was familiar with the English poets the lead
ing prose writers and essayists. He was the
first man ever found who did not believe
that the moon had any influence on the tides.
He questioned it and was always ready to ar
que the point. But he could figure out with
his instruments, if a star was in sight Just
where he was in any part of the world to with
in 100 yards. He knew the tides in any part
of the world, their time and proportions; knew
ali about the ships in the navy, the guns, con-
diticns and capabilities of each-in short he
knew all abont his business. Politically he
was Wing, but in the great triangular figh
OF 1856 he took sides with the Democrats at
against the Knownothings and Freesoilerss
and voted for Buchanan, but with a very wry
face. He was pro-slavery man.
He was born in the South raised in the
South, and all his associations and ties of kim
dred and home, as we'll as his wife's were
there, and he believed that slavery was the
hast condition of the African race But he did
not believe in slavery as it existed. He told me
that he believed in its regulation so as not
to allow the separation by sale and removal of
husband and wife or parent and children; that
he considered that an eternal disgrace to the
nation. and that it should be prevented Re-
ligiously he was better than, under all the cir
cumstances, was to have been expected He
did not believe in the inspiration of the Old
Testament, but singularly to say, did believe
implicitly in the inspiration and truth of the
New Testament. He believed in the diversity
of the origin of mankind. He prayed in pri-
waite, and asked blessing at table when no
company Was PRESENT. DuG omitted IL IN COM
pany, sayingi it was somewhat of cross for
him to return thanks to God before navy Off
GERS. The first time dined with him he in
vited me to drink wine. I declined.
it, saying that 1 never drank it.
"Then," said he, 81 will have nv
of the tumbler with water He drank this in
stead of tea or coffee. He told me that he new
er took drink in saloon in his life, and new
er between meals, except as an act of courtesy
in company, occasionally. He never asked me
to drink again.
In the spring of 1869 he visited California
again and as he remembered me and said he
would like to see me, came down from Grass
Valley and had breakfast with him and his
wife at the White Sulphur Springs, and in the
long talk that followed he told me all about
his part in the war; told him that I had
feared at the first that he would go with the
South in that conflict He was much PANIED
and said: you do me great injustice. don't
know what have ever done to make any man
doubt my loyalty to my country" He told me
that when he sailed from New York for New
Orleans it was supposed by all the Government
authorities that his plan was to reduce Forts
Jackson and Philip below the city, and that
he was forced to take along for that purpose
the gunboats which he did not want, as he
never contemplated reducing the forts, but in
tended from the start to run by them, just as
he did, but that he did not d ire disclose that
fact for fear the command would be given to
another. He described to me in detail the
battle from his own standpoint, and he told
me that in all his life he never went into a
fight without first going on his knees before his
God to ask His protection in the conflict, and
he added that he thought he had gone through
more dangers than any other living man, and
had never received a scratch, except once,
when, in the heat Of eight, he noticed that
his hat was off, and putting up his hand for ii
was surprised to find that whatever had re.
moved that had taken off the top of his scalp.