Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-05-08
DEATHS GRIP FROM GRIPPE.
Gallant Soldier Passes On-lmpst.
Mostly His CNloiny.


WASHINGTON. u. c.. May Admiral Il,
W. Meade, retired. L. :. ~, who has been
i'll here in Washington for three weeks past.
is dead. Grippe and appendicitis were the
causes. From an operation Tor the latter he
did not rally. Admiral Meade was one OF
the ablest officers in the |. :. navy ami had
remarkable and interesting career He
was Il nephew of General Meade OF Gettys-
burg fame, and came from II military family.
Major Robert l.. Meade. t. =. NJ. C.. was his
brother. Admiral Meade entered the navy
Oct. :. 1850. having been appointed mid
shipman from California. lie served on the
practice ship Preble. steam irlsaie san
Jacinto and sloop 81. Louis until JuIy 1888.
and during that month was present III til"
"kosAta affair "a Smyrna. On Jan. =. 1867,
he became the executive officer Of the Da'o-
tab g the North Atlantic hlockadng suHad-
ron, and later of the steamship COnemauSh,
South Atlantic blochading suua Iron. He
received July II. 1862. his commission aS II
lieutenant commander and joined the iron
clad Louisville western fotilla. in command.
employed in break ing up the guerilla warfare
on the Mississippi river between Memphis
and Helena cooperating with troops from
Major General ". I. sherman division and
Brigadier General Cars division. His
work there was commended 10y Rear Adj
miral Porter in official dispatches. He COM
manded the steamer United States. in search
of the privuteer Tucony. in the summer OF
1863 and commanded the nava, battalion
during the July riots in New York city, sup
pressing disorder. He also commanded the
steam gunboat Marbehead of the South
Atlantic blockadins squadron, stationed in
the Stone river. South Carolina. He
performed various services against tho
enemy in conjunction with General Gill
more's outposts. On Christmas day. 1868,
the enemy, under General Del kcmper. at
tackled from Johns island earthworks with
16 pieces of artillery and n strong support
ing infantry force. the object being to sink,
capture or drive off the Marblehead. erect
heavier works and thus drive Gilmores tran
sports out of Stone inlet and turn his left
flank. There were 20 men in the Marblehead's
crew. and after sharp fight lasting over an
hour the Pawnee and Williams coming to
her aid, the enemy was routed and driven
from the works with the loss of two eight
inch guns and many men. The Murblehead
was struck 30 times in the hull and lost
three killed and six wounded. A few days
later force of 100 men. under command OF
Meade, landed and brought away two guns
and destroyed the batteries. For this
service, in addition to Captain Balchs
commentator. he was officially thank
ed in general orders by Rear Ad-
miral Dahlgren, the order being read from
every quarterback in the fleet. Subsequent
ly he was recommended for promotion by
Admiral Dahlsren and the board of ad-
mirals 'for gallant conduct in the face of
the enemy He commanded the steamer
Chocura of the West gulf bockading squad
ron, under tarragut. from May 3. 1864. until
July 7. 1865, and was actively engaged in
blockading the Texas coast and harass-
ing the enemy. From October to Deem
Der. 1864, seven blockade runners wcrc
captured or destroyed, and on January
20, 1865 he cut out of the Calcasien river.
Louisiana, and destroyed. in the face Of IL
greatly superior force the blockade run
ner Delphena, for which service he was Of
iicially thanked by Com. J. $. Palmer, com
manding the squadron in Farragut's alb
Sence.
On March 10, 1880, he received his COM
mission rs captain. After relinquishing his
command of the Vandalia in May, 1882. after
Il cruise of 80 months. the rear admiral COM
handing the squadron wrote to the navy de-
partment. AS commanding officer Capt.
Meade has no superior In September,
1887. he assumed command of the navy yard
at Washington.
Admiral Meade served upon the most i'm
portant boards Of the navy. wrote compre-
hensiyc treatises on ordnance. was author
of a pamphlet on boat exercise. a cOmpila-
ton on naval construction and had trans
lated several professional pamphlets from
the French. He had also contributed nll-
mero,is articles to the leading magazines.
professional. and other journals of the coun-
try on various subjects He assumed COM
mand Of the North Atlantic squadron upon
Aug. 3. 1894.
Admiral Meade was above all IL stanrh
American. and his impetuosity in this re-
spect led to his retirement from the service.
He severely criticised President Cleveland's
policy in recalling the North Atlantic squad
ron, which he commanded from the Carri |
bean sea in 1894. when serious trouble
threatened with England. For this he was
from active service and soon after |
applied for voluntary retirement I'M
der the 40 years service law, which |
was granted May 20, 1895 He would not
have been retired for age until 1899.
Honors were piled thick and fast upon him
by another section of the people, however.
He was made commander Of the most eX-
elusive grand army post of New York city
and was Il prominent candidate for com
of the q. A. r. ut the com
ing election His restoration to active SEP
vice Ia | more than once been urged.