New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-14
HAD HIS FILL OF FIGHTS
CAPTAIN RITTER CELEBRATED HIS SD
BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY IN PEACE.
AFTER A PERIOD OF SERVICE DATING BACK TO
Is4o HE IS LIVING OUT HIS DAYS IN THE
EMPLOY OF THE crY-A VET

ERAN OF THREE WARS.
Captain John c. Ritter who last Tuesday cele-
brated in a quiet way his eghty-second birthday
anniversary. is the oldest living gunner OF the
United States Navy. having served on tie frlgats
Constitution. Mr. Ritter is clerk in the Bureau
OF Taxes and Assessments in che Controllers ONCE
and mis- fellow clerks presented TO him beautiful
bouquet OF flowers. with an expression OF their best
wishes.
General Lewis NJ. Peck. formerly colonel OF the
l73d Regiment of Volunteers. presented the MOWERS
with few appropriate remarks. Edward u,
Dreamer. formerly OF the LIST New-foFA -MounIeu
Rifles, read poem.
For forty-eight years of peace and war MI Ritter
was a seafaring He is a veteran OF the Me&i
can Civil and Anglo-Chnese wais
Mr.. Ritter was born in me Tenth Ward, New
York City. on March g. 1915. He attended pa!
school In the city of his -irth until ne was ioui
teen wears old. Then he went 10 sea, ana was eoh-
nscted with the merchant marine for some years
rounding the Horn in 1882 So In 1872 he entered the
Navy as a masters mate on the Ihi'eu So
steamer Mississippi his warrant oeihs ua'eu
September 49, 1915 This was nrst-oldss sIea''0''
made Of wood Of II was lost IN the M'ss,s-
sipp River In the war. After brief service on inc
brig somers. Mr.. Ritter was appointed gunner "
the shin 81 Mary's and on board at her launch
ing In Washington. in 1874. During the MeNiea ll
war the feet OF which the ST. MaTys was niei l
WAS commanded by Commodore COZ ner' ana arc
rard nv Commodore Matthew Z. feFFy. ~ was S''
latter who commanded al the siege ana Capture -
Vera Cruz. which lasted three days
At,s- the CAPTURE Of Vera Cruz Mr.. Ritter TO-
turned 10 New-York City. He was soon "itei" d u
a,,o,nted gunner OF the United states lrlsdte I'm.
stitution. which under its pet name lroi1siue''
u,on such distinction In the War Oh ILL "u'''
R,+ter had complete charge OF the nity gums VI "a"
old ocean warrior twenty guns on the spar ueC~
and thirty guns On the gun deck OaP'a'-
commanded her then. and the heroes oi 4'1 "Au
long before died or retired from the service
In 1s.5 Gunner Ritter was ordered 10 inc oa''
racinto He describes a little skirmish no ""11 III
rho onium war between England ana CHihA d. io'-
"Soumodore Armstrong was aboard OUT snip up
ard u-her we reached Wan Poa ne authVilN - W
late Rear-Admiral Foote 10 prlis ~ ~ river md
from Canton Foote was moving Up ."J - Sti,,asa
:, h. ,unr 1aCted the Bogue Fort the CHlhsse
onened dre upon his boat An apology va We uv
n,anded from the Cninsse, am No. the forts after
,nantvfour hours We kept II up UNIV tle .st
forts sanding in half-circle were 1 ~ 80
800 81 forts powder was laid 10 blow up the re-
matnine fort but as there was not enough ao6 ~
nmrrose . boat was sent 10 the san JdSai.so .o'
rr,rra During its absence the port Iran "aS III
1o,,vr,-eir iir5,ed and eighteen or our men "no
~sre i'm the fort lost their ives. a N.Y. vd ~
their memory now stands IN me navy - Ro.,or
vi until the outbreak OF the SNli w al
when he was ordered 10 the oIuian H. eIer Yea -
| AZ Cairo under Commodore roote, -. ~ ,venfv
I'D light months he mad no mere man w" ", ~
en- ~ isays To him was intrusted the sae VI tIt
stores at Jefferson Barracks MS ih'I - ~ -cs
on the s.dc-wheeleg 10 tbe CAPTAIN has been
S,rr IN the Brooklyn Finance Depdr lHleht, az Us
cn,d not endure life in which mere ~as no udi's
/ SC---rc,Ior re has been war peHlcvrdt anu
Sound Money democrat He lives with his daugh
,er at No 2s7 Ryerson-st-