The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-26
A SOUTHERN
MIDSHIPMAN
AT ANNAPOLIS.
BY W. NEPHEW KING, JR. CLASS OF $50.

From Blue and Gray February Number.
II the boy is father to the man, as says
the well-worn paradox, then, indeed, the
officers Of the new navy recognize no north,
no south-but gauge a man solely by his
professional and social worth. I thus pre-
face my story Of southern boys life at the
naval academy. because l assume that
most of my readers will agree with me in
believing that our alma mater per-
fects the moral as well as the physical man.
Have you ever observed how tenaciousIy
the school boy nickname clings to a man
through after hfea how seldom the soldier
or sailor outlives his early title Of admira-
ton or derisionl
When the tocsin OF war sounded through
out the land-ADd brother fought brother
to win a niche In the temple Of fame
how many were the positions of honor and
trust held by the ''old man" of the GLASS
Did congress ever tender a vote of thanks TO
the ''old woman" for gsllantry in Actionl
l realize. Of course, how foolish it would be
to make the assertion that boys actions
at school are intallible signs OF his future
success or failure; for. doubtless, there have
been many notable exceptions do hold
that the biographies OF great men show
that, in nine cases out Of ten, each was
popular at school, and even then was In
some manner marked among hts fellows.
Though it is many years since | left my
Georgia home to share the fascinating hard
ships OF O midshipman's existence, the recol-
lections OF those early struggles stand out
like silhouette against bright sky. The
only sectional feeling that can now recall
was shown by my youthful sweetheart in
Savannah. She was perfect type of that
loyal and impulsive nature which ever
commands the respect and admiration of
men-be they northern, southern, east
ern, or western. Like myself, that fratri-
cidal struggle had taken away many close
and dear to her; and. in those days. time
had not yet worn away the rough edges OF
grief
The day you enter the United States
navy gulf is opened between us, and l
never care to look upon your face again, !"
she had said to me when l announced my
intention Of competing for the appoint
ment.
l went to Annapolis. nevertheless, and
when l was graduated few years after,
she it was who first offered congratulations
and acknowledged the injustice Of her
stand.
When reached Maryland's historic capt.
tai felt, indeed. a stranger. Two letters
alone commended me to the superintendent,
Rear Admiral G. r. P. Rodgers. dis in
guished officer of the old navy. One Of these
documents was from Col Edward g. Au-
derson, the mayor Of my native city, and
the other from Capt. J. R. F. TattnalI, a son
Of the famous commodore Of that name.
Col. Anderson had sailed with Admiral
Rodgers previous to the civil war, but there
had been no communication between them
since the former had accepted commission
in the confederate service. l carried
around my letters for nearly q week, Incl
dentally mentioning the fact one day to Mr.,
Chase. the secretary of the academy. The
next morning the admira learned of this,
and an orderly, IN full uniform, summoned
me TO appear before the superintendent.
When l was ushered into the august pres
never was l more surprised in my life than
with the cordial greeting extended.
why did you not deliver those letters
Immediately upon your arrivalW said the
admiral, taking my hand. II have great
admiration and respect for Col. Anderson
and Capt. Tattnall. Though we did not
agree politically. and circumstances forced
us to pursue different paths, my frieads
were sincere and honest in their convictions
and did not lose 1.-THE of my respect by
adhering 70 their nciples-mistaken as I
might have bought them at the moment
That evening wss one of swell dinner
party at the adnira's home, and not once
did the gallant old sailor miss an oppor-
tunitY of showing his love for the ex-cons
federate officers.
AT the time my class entered there were
two examinations for admission one the
early part Of June, and the other the latter
part Of September. l was "June man"
and with twenty-five classmates was quar-
tered on board the Santee. This vessel was
an old 44-gun frigate, relic of the war of
1872, and was then the gunnery ship at
the academy, sometimes serving as a
prison for wicked cadets.
AS youngsters. fresh from the Injuries of
home, the daily routine and life on board
seemed unnecessarily arduous and exacting !;
and before the first week had passed there
we're but few OF US that would not have
gladly accepted some plausible excuse to re.
turn to ''the farm Many q dark and
stormy mid-watch, however, has been
frightened by the memories Of those happy,
boYish dsys-day9 when the future seemed
one soft summer dream, and neither care
Tor sorrow clouded our young hearts. And
the gallant fellows OF those bYgone days?
They are now verify scattered to the four
winds. A few are still in the service.
Some have won fame in the Arctic regions,
vainly searching Tor that igniS fdtuuS
which holds 50 many brave navigators in
its cold and silent arms-others have
died of tropical fevers in the jungles OF the
isJnmus-and SILL others, such as Franklin
Sprague and Lewis Nixon, have made their
names international. and forced the world
TO bow before their genius.
My first trouble in the navy was pathet-
ically amusing and yet it served to show
me that the fire of friendship burned as
brightly in the heart of a man from YER
mont as lt did IN that of man from Geor-
gia. | must introduce this incident, how
ever, by telling something of our daily
rout inc on board the old Santee,
Every morning at 8 o'clock, there was a
useless expenditure of gunpowder on tn
spar-deck, and We were nearly thrown out
of our hammocks by the recoil of a great
9-inch gun overhead. Twelve minutes
was the brief interval of time given us to
dress and lash our hammocks with those
traditional seven neat taut turns :" as the
regulations tersely put it. Each midship-
man then literally took up his bed and
walked" 60 the upper-deck. or root" as a
verdant youngster once called it. When
hammocks we're safely slowed in the net
tiugs, the class was then granted the privi-
lege Of racing over the masthead, after
which the members were given over co the
tender mercies Of a swimming instructor,
on beard another antiquated cruiser, the
Dale, OF African slave trade fame
Upon certain morning, few days after
my entrance, the master Of the bath"
failed to materialize. His pupils likewise
failed to muster on the spar-deck, but be-
sported in cool water to their hearts con-
tent. Now it CHANGED that very dear
friend Of mine from Massachusetts,
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