The San Francisco call., 1896-07-01
Seems TO Have Been Ignored by
the Committee in Charge of
Monterey Celebration.
he MAY BE PROMINENT HERE.
The Rear.Admiral'S Family-Memen.
tos for the Cornerstone of the
S oat Monument That May
Not Be Deposited.

In view Of the approaching celebration
of the fift1eth anniversary of the conquest
of California by the United States, that
will be observed at Monterey on the 7th of
July, ana by the raising of the flag in this
City, on the 9th of the same month, in
commemoration of the seizure OF Yerba
Buena, it may be interesting to many to
know that there is resident in this City
freat-grandson of Rear-Admiral John
Drake Sloat, who in the name of the
United States took possession of the
country.
His name is James Bayard Whittemore
Jr. He resides at 9161S Oak street, is a
native of San francisco. and is now
in his twenty first year. He has
two aunts, Mrs. Jeanette Sloat Walker
and Mrs. Mary Ann McKeon Hecker,
who at this time are residents
of Seabright, n. J. These ladies
have had an interest in the preparations
that have been going on for the celebration
at Monterey, and they made search for
relics that had at one time belonged to
their grandfather, with the idea OF having
such placed in the cornerstone of the
monument that is to be erected to the
memory of j. D. Sloat and in honor of the
j VII
marks in the history of this State
The ladies, however, were not as sue
cessful as they expected they would be,
for when they made inquiries they dscov-
cred that all or nearly all had disappeared.
They did succeed in securing picture of
their grandfather as a civilian, and
one of his wife also, one of his
being in the uniform of rear
admiral of the United States navy, and a
small strip from writing g-desk made from
pieces of wood from the British frigate
Macedonian, captured by Sloat, then sail
ing-master of the United States frigate
United States. In letter to their nephew
the ladies write:
AS our nephew and the great-grandson of
Rear-AdmiraI John Drake sloat, we wish you,
and you alone, to be the one to place what few
little mementos we have been able TO send
you, in the cornerstone OF the monument TO
be erected to the memory of our grandfather
Your aunt Mary Ann sends you for the same
purpose small strip of wood that has fallen
from the inside OF the desk made from wood
taken from the Macedonian, which was cap
tured by our grandfather, a history of which
accompanies it, That, you might read aloud,
if permitted, as we both anxious that you
should have voice In the proceedings We
regret our inability to be present.
The history of the desk referred to in
the letter is as follows:
This desk was made on board of the United
States frigate United States for Lieutenant
John Drake Sloat from material collected on
board OF the British frigate Macedonian, Cap
tain Garden, Immediately after her capture on
the 25th of November, 1912, by the frigate
United States, commanded by Commodore
Stephen Decatur The mahogany is a part of
bureau which belonged to one of the lieuten-
Qan CHI hn
pieces to prevent its being useful to the cap
tain, declaring that "the Yankees should not
have it" The ebony is of the sextant belong
ing to another of the officers who destroyed it
for the same reason. The oak was taken from
plank which had several shotholes in it, 1t
formed a part OF the side of the Macedonian
The silver clamps and plate were made from
some OF the silver dollars received by Lieuten-
ant sloat as prize money for the capture of the
ship. The desk was afterward presented to
Miss Abby Gordon, who became Sloats wife
on the 9th day of November, 1914.
JOHN D. sLoAT.
Mrs. sloat, on this anniversary of her birth,
the.6th OF November, 1859, delivers this desk
to her daughter Jeannette, the wife of John
McKeon, in trust for her granddaughter Mary
Ann McKeon Mrs. Sloat, now the wife of
Commodore John D. Sloat attained the age of
"a years this day. ABBY SLoAr
The attention of Major E. A. Sherman
was called some time since to the fact that
young Whittemore was in this City, and
he intimated that he would make arrange
ments to have him take part in the pro-
ceedings of the day at Monterey, but the
programme of that event, as printed,
shows that the young man has been left
OUT.
"If 1 am to be ignored" said young
Whittemore, "the only mementos of my
Il lfakl .
the cornerstone. My aunts have sought
hign and low for some which would be
more attractive than this little piece of
wood and the photographs. but they could
not find even his epaulettes or a button
that belonged to his uniform. There were
a number of things that belonged to the
rear-admiral that passed to his son War
rington. When Warrington died, a num-
ber of years ago. lawyer of New York
got possession of them, and he and the
articles are not to be found"
Should the great-grandson not be in
vited to take part in the Monterey celebra-
ton it is very likely that he will be asked
by the Exempt Fire Company, that will
celebrate the anniversary of the seizure
OF Yerba Buena on the 9th, to read the
proclamation that was read at the time of
the lowering of the Mexican colors and
the raising of the stars and stripes. in
token of California having become Ameri-
canized.
The group of pictures presented repre-
sents the hero of Monterey in the uniform
of rear-admiral of the United States navy,
also in TIE dress of a civilian; Abby Sloat,
his wife; Mrs. Jeanette Eliza Sloat daugh-
ter of Rear-Admiral John D. and ABBY
Gordon Sloat married the first time to
James Bayard Whittemore in 1889, and
then to John McKeon in 1854; the two
granddaughters of the rear-admiral, Mrs,
Jeanette Sloat Whittemore who married
Henry Perrine Walker in 1874. and Mary
Ann McKeon, who married George f.
Hecker in 1877; also the great-grandson,
James Bayard Whittemore Jr., and the
coat-of-arms of the Sloat family.
The Sloat family has been traced back to