The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-29
PAPER BY D. G0FFE PHIPPS.
INTERVIEWING REMINISCENCES OF
 SERTICE IN THE OLD NATI.

Army and Navy union, was held at it's
 room in the Insurance building last ev-
 ening. There was a large audience present and all enjoyed most delight
 full evening the main interest being
 the paper by Captain D. Goffe Phipps
 on his "reminiscences of the navy from
 1889 to 1S46. The following were the off
 ficers installed by Past Commander w.
 S. Wells: Commander, Thomas H. New
 bold; vice commander, John S. Skinner;
 adjutant, E. B. Harrington; officer of
 the day, J. F. Bradley; quartermasters
 F. J. Flanagan; officer of the guard,
 John F. Lawlor; officer of the watchs
 Patrick Quinn; trustees, D. Goffe
 Phipps, William S. Wells and George E.
 Albee.
 Commander Newbold in accepting the
 office in which he was installed made
 a few remarks on ~The Purposes of Our
 Order and Who We Are" He told of
 the charter members who were proud to
 take the name of Captain Elisha Peck for the garrison. He said that the Reg
 ular Army and Navy union had it's
 birthplace in Cincinnati in 1888 and had
 for it's objects 'fraternal recognition, so- cial enjoyment, desirable legislation and
 provision for the. poor. Its membership
 is drawn from the standing army and
 navy. There are men from the old and
 new navy--men who have served under
 Hull and Farragut, in the Mexican and
 civil wars and more recently in the
 wars against the Indians in the west. | There are 132 garrisons in the country, with a total membership of 15,000 They
 are on board every man-of-war and In
 many cities and towns. He thanked
 the garrison sincerely for conferring on
 him for the second time the honor of | being commander.
 | Past Commander Wells then with al | few appropriate remarks introduced Captain D. Goffe Phipps, whose paper on ships of war in the days before the introduction of steam was of the most intense interest. The first part of his paper was devoted to "reminiscences of the early days of his service while his ship was lying at the Brooklyn navy yard. He said that he had a great arn- bitfon to be naval hero. One day he was put in charge of Commodore Hull's barge to conduct him to thu Fulton street ferry. He said that he did not believe that there was man on board who felt quite as important as himself, and he thought that besides the deeds which he was to achieve the deeds ot Nelson would fade away into insignih- canoe. But before the barge reached the New York side it was struck by the ferryboat Nassau and sunk. The life of one man was lost. When Captain Phipps returned to the navy yard he was informed that he was under arrest, but was soon released through the in tercesson of Commodore full, who said that the young man in the charge of the barge was not all to blame for it's being struck by the ferryboat.
 He also gave some very interesting information about the title of comfno- dore There was no such rank recog- nized by the naval department of that time. Stuart, Hull, Decatur and all that group of naval heroes were simply captains and were so addressed by the naval department Where a captain was in command of a squadron he was tacitly recognized as a commodore, but there was no such nominal rank.
 He also said that among the naval heroes who had aroused his youthful imagination was John Paul Jones. He was to be admired for his indomitable courage despite his vanity and boast- fitness.
 He then gave very graphic and viv- >I l1e,tf Ia h. ing the clearing of the decks for action. the slowing away of spars and sails, placing the guns in position and pre- pairing the ammunition, the preparation of the men themselves, who were barred to the waist; and then the battle itseif with it's scenes of carnage, confusion and bloodshed, the firing and loading of the guns, the aroused passions of the men and the final victory, and the or dering out of the captains gig to board the conouered vessel "Of all welcome words" he said, "to sailors ears, the most agreeable is the command, All hands splice the main brace /" He then described the men gathering around for their allowance of grog, which cost Uncle Sam the enormous price of IS cents per gallon.
 Tn closing he gave 8 brief account q A funeral at sea and paid touching tribute to the brave fellows who died for their country's flag far from home and kindred.
 Past Commander Wells then made a few remarks in which he alluded to the fact that Captain Peck had served on board the "Constitution." better known as "Old Ironsides," and that he himself had served on the New Ironsides' dur ing the civil war in Charleston haroor' He said that Captain Phipps was na- val officer before he himself was porn.
 L. E. Tooker then gave the several bugle calls. after which MT. Homan la vored the audience with a song
 General Edward f. Bradley then made a few remarks in which he alluded to the fact that Captain Elisha Pecks daughter Mrs. Lowe, was present with them.
 Major Albee then recited poem en- titled "Ehe Man With the Musket."
 Adi1tant Harrington then sang Dy re- 1ues3 "Custer's Last Fight"