The Portland daily press., 1886-03-19
cow. TRuxToN DIssEcTEp.
Every Allegation of the BouteIle Reso-
Iutions Sustained.
Washington Republican.

- SNNNeNN'@A - sAAN
allegations in regard to affairs at the Nor
folk navy yard contained in the Boutelle res
olutions, representative of the National
Republican called upon Messrs. Boutelle of
Maine, and Brady of Virginia at the House
of Representatives to obtain statements from
those gentlemen relative to this subject.
Both gentlemen expressed their desire for
an opportunity to discuss the matter in the
House, and in the meantime they authorize
the following statement:
Passing over the matter Of the cannon, on
which the commodore claims to have had the
inscriptions renewed in June, the month in
which Mr.. Brady's letter appeared, and his
assertion that the dry dock was never des-
troyed,' which is answered by the official re-
ports of Admirals Smith and Gouldsborough
and others showing the destruction of the
gates, pier-ends, buildings and engines, the
first important statement is that in regard to
the removal of the tablet from the dry dock
engine, which was complained of in the
Boutelle resolutions. Commodore Truxton
says:
A plate containing the Inscription "Built by
Messrs. Woodruff g. Beach, Hartford, Conn., was
removed and in its place another was substituted
inscribed thereon: Destroyed by the rebels N
j. w. Livingston, commandment; w. III. Lyons, su
perintendent machinery"
He says;
searched the records of this office in vain for
the authority for the removal of the original plate
and the substitution of the other, and could nor
find that the change was made by any authority
whatever. therefore had it removed.
The facts, as shown by the official records,
are that the original engine was completely
destroyed by the rebels in 1862, SO that the
plate bearing the makers names could not
have been, and was not removed by any
body. The engine was rebuilt at the navy
yard under the supervision of Mr.. Lyons,
and on its completion in 1868, the tablet bear
ing the inscription so obnoxious to Commo-
dore Truxton was placed on the engine by
authority Of Admiral Joseph Smith, chief of
bureau of yards and docks, who was at the
yard at the time and inspected the engine
with COmmandant Livingston, whose name
appeared upon the plate. That plate re-
manned on the dock engine undisturbed and
uncriticised for more than twenty-five years,
under the daily observation of such distin-
guished naval officers as Admirals Rowan,
Davis, G. r. P. Rodgers, Cooper, and Hughes
Commodore Mayo, Jouett, and many others,
who have been from time to time in charge
of that navy yard,
In answer to Commodore Truxtun's state
ment that Mr.. Lyons has applied for that
plate, stating that "he had erected it on his
own responsibility, and that it was his pri
vate property" Mr.. Lyons declares ON oath
that the statement is entirely untrue.
Commodore Truxtun specifically asserts
that Mr.. Lyons was removed by him ION the
25th of April, 1885, and that the said plate
was removed some time after-in May" The
facts are that Commodore Truxtun's order
removing Mr.. Lyons bears date April 81,
1885, and the plate was removed from the en-
CINE several days before, and not after Mr..
Lyons was removed. On or about the Goth OF
April, 1885, Mr.. Lyons was on dnty on board
the Pensacola, experimenting the erection
of a steam capstan, and he states that on re-
turning to the building in which the dry
dock engine is located he ascertained that
Commodore Truxtun had been there person
ally, and had peremptorily caused the plate
AS to the charges against Mr.. Lyonss per-
sonal character, and that he had never faith
fully served the United States government,
it should suffice to cite the testimonials he
h as received and has now in his possession
from Admirals Davis and Cooper, Commo-
dores Livingston, Kitty and Creighton, Chief
Engineers Robbie, Brooks, Dade Stewart,
Melville, Shock, Williamson and others, ip-
Guiding that of Chief Engineer HILBERT, now
at the Norfolk navy yard, written after the
removal Of Mr. Lyons.
Commodore TruXtun says he always
doubted Mr.. Lyons's loyalty to the govern
ment at the time Of its greatest need" and.
in support of this imputation, he presents in
his letter a card alleged to have been pub
lished by Mr.. Lyons in 1861, protesting alle-
glance to the confederate cause.
Mr.. Lyons denounceS the card as an un
qualified forgery and falsehood, and ne
denounced it publicly at the time of its first
appearance, during heated political cam
paign in 1868. MIR. Lyons has copy. of the
Norfolk Union newspaper of that date in
which he published his statement, denying
that he had ever issued or authorized such
card, denouncing the author, as an "unmiti-
gated liar, and challenges the production OF
any paper containing such publication in
1861.
But the loyalty OF Mr.. Lyons does not de-
pend for proof upon any assertion OF his own
as the official recognition of the invaluable
services rendered by him at great peril is
ed answer to Commodore Truxtun's .asser-
ton can be found in the letters now in the
possession Of Mr.. Lyons, in which Gen. Wool,
Secretary Wells, and Admiral Livingston
ment for his fidelity to his country in fur
nishing the United States military and ma
val forces information of most important
character at the risk OF his life while inside
OF the enemy's lines In 1861 and 1867.
Commodore Truxton states that when Mr.
Lyons was removed, his place was filled by
a person whose competency was determined
by an examining board appointed by the
Secretary of the Navy,
The facts, as shown by the official CORE
spondence cited by Mr.. Brady in his speech,
show that when Mr. Lyons was removed
Mr.. Corwine was appointed without exami-
nation, ana held the place Ior some TOUR
months, but proved to be incompetent, and
tnen an eXalninatlo1 ~, was nau anu anu the pres
ent incumbent, MI. Ihomas Carr, was ap-
pointed;
Inns M; carr was employed p IN the mo; NOT
iek ru ~ ,nS Sa ae e be oa
us uestructi4h III lo3z alCeI WHEN He became
foreman e at the rebel navy yard at Charlotte,
n. ~, where ne served throughout the war
commodore Iruxtun makes no attempt 70
qeny tnat ne mas removed large NUMBER Oh
Union soldiers ana sailors from empioymens
az the yard. but claims tnat only Tour OF
those appointed by him were ex-confeder-
ates.
The facts are that he DISCHARGED at least
Hopkins, Eaton, Kenny, Cakes, Ryder,
Stokes, Hodges, Cole, Buchanan, A. G. Full
Ter, Proctor, Carpenter Silloway, Milan,
Craig, Hammond, Stanley, Schooler, J. e.
Fuller Lawrence and Brown. And he has
appointed at least fifteen eX-confederates,