The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-27
REAR ADMIRAL BUNCE.

Having Reached the Age Limit-Re-
 sided in New Haven Recently
 On Christmas day Rear Admiral Francis M. Bunce, commandant of the Brooklyn navy yard, attained the age of sixty-two years, after folty'seVsn years of active service in the navy, and also his retirement from active duty as a naval officer. His name will now be added to the retired list, but he will not really be relieved from active duty for some time. He is under orders to re- main in command of the Brooklyn navy yard until his successor as coinmand- ant is appointed, which will probably not be done until after the treaty Of peace with Spain is actually ratified and signed. Admiral Bunce's family resided in New Haven recently, having made this city their home for number of months year or two ago. The re- tired admiral is a man of very fine, striking and dignifed appearance, and most genial and delightful compan- ion.
 It was supposed that Rear Admiral Schley would succeed tc the command of the Brooklyn yard, out as he has ex- pressed preference for sea duty, 1t IS not now thought likely he will be as- s'yne:..
 Admiral Bunce is sailor of the old school, but he has thoroughly adapted himself to the usages and conditions which now obtain in the navy. He not only stands at the head of the service in rank but in many other respects as we'll. He was born in Hartford, on Christmas day, 1s36 He entered the naval service in 1851. and in May, 1852, was appointed acting midshipman. Later he entered the Naval academy at Annapolis, and was graduated from there as full nidshipman, after five year course. He was attached to the gunboat Germantown of the East Ind a squadron, and was promoted to passed lnidshipman in 1860. He was -hen as- signed to the corvette Brooklyn of the Gulf squadron. and at the begin ling of the civil war had risen to the rank of lieutenant.
 | lie was in many of the important en- gagements of the war, and received the thanks of the navy department for brave and heroic services. He was wounded by the explosion of a cart ridge while in action. His commission as lieutenant commander came in 1863 and he commanded the naval part of | the attack which resulted in the cap4 ture of Morris Island on July 10, 1863. 1 lie was then attached to the monitor ] Patapsco, and took part in all the ac- tons in which she engaged during the siege of Charleston. Subsequently, he served on several of the monitors in the south antic<blockading squadron. and was ordered north in September. I 1864, to take command of the monitor Monadnock. which he commanded on her celebrated trip around the Horn to San Francisco, the first extended sea l voyage ever made by a vessel of her class.
 l At the close of the war Lieutenant Bunce was placed in command of the Boston navy yard. He was commits stoned commander in 1871, and captain III 1883, and at one time commanded the
 battleship Maine, which was sunk in
 Havana harbor He was commissioned
 as commodore in March, 1895, and dur
 Ing the year 1896 commanded the North
 Atlantic squadron. On May I, 1897 he l was assigned to the command of the ! Brooklyn navy yard. where he has re-
 mained ever since. Ills commission as
 read admiral is dated February 6, 1898, ana he became the chief ranking officer
 III the navy. By his retirement Rear
 Admiral George Dewey advances to l this position.