The morning times., 1896-05-03
TOM REED IN THE NAVY
lie SGFVel a Short Period, But Never
SmGllGd Powder.
ON BOARD THE "SYBIL"
The Gallant Speaker Of the House and
Candidate for the Presidency
Was Near the Front.

| The Presidential candidacy OF Thomas
| b. Reed has greatly accentuated public in
! terest i'll his early life and subsequent his
/ tory.
but Ill all the biographical sketches thus
| far printed only the mCst mea ger reference
has been made TO he naval service or the
| Speaker, ana aiI details connected there
with seem to lie rather Il matter OF con
lecture than or actual knowedge.
The brief autobiography OF Mr.. Reed in
the Congressional Record directory con-
tainS nothing, but the following phrase:
Was acting assistant paymastcr, United
States navy, from April 10, 1864, TO
November 4, 1860"
1t is thus appa rent that he served for
eighteen montns IN tie navy curing tie
closing period of the war. but singuIarly
enough it is now almost nothing more
than mere matter OF record
The most elaborate sketch of Mr.. Reed
goes no further than to state that after
bis return from California he went into the
navy and served a year. This appointment
i'll the navy was secured for him by Senator
William Pitt FesSenden OF Maine, who was
always one OF his best friends''
The official records of the Navy Depart
ment show that Mr.. Reeds term of serv-
ice was limited to five months and fourteen
days, which was spent on the Sybil
! With the war thing of tie past for more
than three decades, there is nothing renlaiC-
ing to indicate the characters or dimensions
OF the vessel, except the simple declaration
that she was fourth-rate steamer, and the
additional fact that she was protected by
tinplate armor
THE VESSEL HE WAS ON
| Tie vessel was originally in the merchant
service, and was purchased for the use Of
m no nd Z ha
names of previous owners are not given
While plying in the river trade the vessel
was known as the Hartford, but upon PASS
ing into the hands of the government the
name was changed to the Sybil to dis
tinguisb it from that other Hartford, which
obtained Immortality as the flagship OF
Admiral Farragut.
The Sybii carried a crew OF but fifteen
men. There is still pre- served in the Navy
Department rather crude aud indefinite
wood cut CT the Mississippi squadron in-
Guiding the Sybil in the ct of running the
Confederate batteries at A Alexandria. La -,
In 1864.
Before Paymaster Reeds retirement
from the navy the little vessel on which
he had served was sold at Mound City,
H.. August II, 1865, for the sum of S10,-
600 and again became engaged in the
more peaceful pursuits of CONNIE rec. Prior
to this sale Mr.. Reed and several others
of the crew were deta ched and ordered to
the Cricket, but for some re asons that will
hereafter be stated, never assumed their
newly assigned duties.
During the time Mr.. Reed was a member
of the Sybl's crew the vessel performed
patrol duty on the Cumberland, Tenne essee
and Mississippi Rivers The records show
that the following were among the officers
of the steamer: Acting Volunteer Lieut..
Henry III. Garringe, commander: A citing As
sistant Surg. Hanson A. Bowman, Acting
Assistant Paymaster Thomas B. Reed,
Acting First Assistant Engineer Sam
uel Tubbs; there were three ensgns. four
seamen, two or three engineers and others,
making total ere w OF fifteeh.
HIS WRITING N OF CHANGED.
The quarterly reports to the Secretary
of the Navy are made out in Mr.. Reeds
handwriting and his hapdwriting and
signature appear practically the same as
they do now. A third of centucJ has not
changed his penmanship as it appeared
when he was u young man OF twenty-four.
The muster of the Sybil contains no in
formation other than to make the plain