The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-15
REAR-ADMIRAL MARsroN.


| HOW - heCcntfy-Oece8SeQ OMccr Maue HIS
Fame by Disobeying Orders.
Philadelphia Special
John Marston, Rear admiral United States
navy, is dead, at the age of eighty-nine. He
was born In Boston, Feb. 26, 1885, and he was
therefore the oldest officer of the navy, as we'll
as the senior in service In his boyhood Admiral
Marston lived at Quincy, Mass, near neighbor
of ex-President John Adams. and it was through
the influence of Mr. Adams that Marston entered
the navy in 1913. His first cruise in the last
war with Great Britain was in the old frigate
President. Commodore John Rogers. He after
ward sailed in the well remembered Constitution
and In the Washington, seventy four gun ship,
the United States, and others. In 1929 Admiral
Marston accompanied back to France General
Lafayette, and during the voyage the two be-
came close trlends-so intimate, indeed, that 1t
was jestingly asserted that Marston was to go to
La Grange and marry one of General Lafayette'S
granddaughters
He always considered the most important act
of his life was the risk and responsibility as
sumed by his disobedience of orders in Hamp-
ton Roads when the Merrimae came out. He
had orders from the Navy Department to send
the little Monitor direct to Washington upon her
arrival at Fortress Monroe, the idea being that
she would be able at least to assist in the defense
of the Capital By means of spies the Admiral
had kept himself fully informed about the work
on the Merrimac, and the authorities at Wash
ington were terribly frightened when he in
formed them that the confederate
iron-clad r. was , coming out of Elizabeth
the Merrimac would have assuredly
demolished the Roanoke and Minnesota, the
two remaining United States war vessels after
the Congress and Cumberland had been de-
stroyed She could readily thereafter have
passed Fortress Monroe if she did not silence Fit,
and then she could have gone up to Baltimore
and there dictate terms of peace for the Confed-
crate States.
In letter to Harpers Weekly dated No.
A IL t..
1879, Admiral tthen Commodore) Marston made
some corrections in a published sketch of the
late Admiral Paulding, in which the credit of
fighting the Merrimac with the Monitor was
sought to be given to that distinguished officer.
1t seems that Paulding had been ordered to send
the Monitor to Washington as well as Marston,
but the Admrals dispatch boat failed to speak
to the little iron cheesebox."
"At this time" wrote Admiral Marston, II
was in command at Hampton Roads. Some two
or three days before the Merrlmac came down
from Norfolk, received from the Navy Depart
ment four kilograms ordering me most per-
emptorily to send the Monitor to Washington
Immediately on her arrival The night of the
9Th of March, the day which the Merrimac came
down and sunk the Cumberland, and the Con-
gress was burned at about o'clock, the little
Monitor arrived Captain Worden Immediately
came on board the Roanoke, and reported him
self to me. | inquired into his condition,
which was not a very favorable one. His
men were all green; they knew nothing Of
the peculiar armament then on board the Moni
tor A few moments reflection, however de-
termlned me as to the course l should pursue.
| informed Captain Worden that my orders were
very positive to send the Monitor to Washing
ton, but was going. at the risk of my commits
sion, to disobey those orders, and send him up to
Newport News to look out for the Merrimac.
In this Captain Worden most cheerfully acqu-
esed, and the following day the result was known
to an astonished and admiring world. After a
service of more than sixty six years. look back
on part of that service with the pleasure and
satisfaction do on having on that memorable
| occasion disobeyed my orders. Some one has
asked: Where would the United States at this
moment have been if Ericsson had not given us
| the Monitorp And may l not ask the question,
Where would the United States at this moment
have been if had not disobeyed my ordersf
There nothing to prevent the Merrimac
going to Philadelphia, New York or Boston, and
the fall of either of these cities would have been
the signal for Europe, and especially for Eng
land, to acknowledge the independence of the
South"