Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-08
YEARS AFL0AT.
A Service of 23 1-2 Years in
Uncle Sans Navy.
Member of Togus Fome Served Hon
orab'y and Well That Period.
Experiences in Many Vessels in All Parts OF
the World.

the year 1915, lad of about II years, left
his home in Edinburg, Scotland, where
he was born, and without friend or
penny, succeeded in working his way to
this country. He left the old father and
mother, who We're poor, but not without
telling them whittier he was bound. They
thought it was boys talk and paid bat
little or no attention to it. But he meant
business, and he came here, earning his
way on a Liverpool packet.
| Well, he landed in Boston and his first
week in that city was a hard one He was
too young for ordinary employment, and
so he was often hungry, but he had Scotch
| pluck and finally, through the acquain-
| tanec of some marines, he succeeded in
| enlisting as a boy on the United States
brig Boxer which was to engage in the
suppression of the slave trade on the coast
of Africa. He witnessed many scenes of
suffering that seem hardly credible now
of hundreds of negroes packed like bales
of merchandise in the holds of vessels en-
gagged in the slave trade
He was finally transferred to the United
States ship Ohio, upon which he was at
| the breaking out of the Mexican war. This
ship was doing blockade duty on the
| Pacific coast, and near the close of the
year lS4S, being on the coast of California,
| he, in company with boats crew of 10
men, deserted and struck out for the mines.
| His experiences there Were terrible. Be
| ing still "a young boy, he stood but little
chance among the thousands of eager ad-
ventllrerS who thFOngcd to the mines in
| 1S49 One year suf1iced for him and he
! finally succeeded in reaching Boston with
! 81 in his pocket
| He succeeded in obtaining employment
| as riggcr in the United States navy
yard at Portsmouth, n H., where he re-
mained in the United States service as
rigger and marine until 1860, when he
was employed by private parties to aid in
raising wrecks in Southern waters. He
was at Mobile, Ala. at the breaking out
of the Civil War, and was forced to enter
the service of the rebels.
He laid many plans for escape but all
were unsuccessful until Farragut's fleet
| invested Mobile, when, through a ticti-
tious letter, he received permission to go
| to Florida. Hiring an old negro to accom-
pany him, after days of weary wandering
and trial they succeeded in getting an old
leaIy boat and one dark night, set out to
reach the Union fleet.
The rebel patrol boats discovered him
and opened fire but thanks to the Scotch
and negro muscle they succeeded in get
| ting out of reach of rebel guns, only to be
met by the Union patrol who took him
as a suspicious person, and it was only
after being able to show to Admiral Far
ragut. in person a complete chart OF the
bav all the Notifications around II and
the disposition of the rebel forces, which
he had secreted in his shoe, that he was
set at liberty. On pages "a and 80 OF
Hcadley's History OF Naval Officers, ms
information is spoken of, and rs a conse-
ouence the attack was made the following
day and Mobile fell.
He was on board the flagship during
the bombardment of the city and forts
and was severely wounded, his skull be-
ING fractured and left hand shattered by
pieces of wood torn from the ship by rebel
cannon balls.
Un came North as soon as possible after
the fall of Mobile, and, recovering from
the effects of his wounds, enlisted In 1854,
on board the Octorora, being discharged
in February, 1865, as gunner mate. In
April of the same year he r2-cnllsted as
enprer's mate on board the ship Tioga,
was tranSlefTCt W tiit N''NiV
and discharged at Annapolis, Md.
He acted as instructor in gunnery at
tho limited States Naval Academy for a
time. and once more enlisted as chlei
rrunner,s mate on board the Franklin.
, Trnon his honorable discharge from this
vessel he was for IA time employed as an
ofio,r on Deer Island, Boston harbor.
some prisoners made an attack upon him,
ono day. near the dock. He grabbed the
leader Inv an arm and leg and threw him
J bodilv nearly 10 feet out into the waters
of the hay. They let Scotchy alone aiter
th,t He remained there nearly hVe
ve,,s and again enlisted as gunner's mate
-, hoard the United States school snip
Portsmouth, being discharged i'll 1883
Pom,;ninr ashore until 1887, he enlisted
,,cn ,,,ore and for the last time on the
United States ship Galena as seaman
While unloading ammunition at BROOKLYN
navy ward. he received permanent IN
;nrv resulting in his final discharge
ibout two years ago he came here 10
.hn Homo and was soon after granted a
Mexican pension of IS per month ne ,'',S
-, his discharge from the Home ana Is
= ,:,-;,,,r With his family. Who can snow Il
i,,,,,,e,. or more varied service than tins
,an who is still too modest to wish MS
Or, One of the largest audiences Ct the sea
son witnessed the presentation OF oiiser
, twist, " at the Opera house. Vast evening, ~
a,a az critical as our audiences are oiiis
,-,s pronounced to be first class. hias
! osis @ was simply perfect as Nancy Skies
,,d Nessrs. Barron, keenan, ana hestaser
- their several parts We're perfectly at
home and acted them TO the ne.
o "Charley's Aunt" here, saturday even
ing Iros,ita, steward
p.ge have returned from Washington ana
report pleasant trip, , fo,,,
: Goyernor Stephenson returned ION,
s Boston. last evening where ne a''eiiasu 4,,'
+ ~ ,,,,,ual meeting and banquet OF the
q d ~ ra,-,l Iesion of Massachusetts, held at
ths & American house, Wednesday evening.
Number of patients in hospital go