The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29

ton. He entered the naval academy from
New York in 1851. and was a lieutenant
to assist in the blockade of Charleston har-
Dor in 1861. He served in several engage
ments with the Potomac fotilla and in Hamp-
Port Royal. Detailed to duty with the
blockading squadrons, he served constantly
afoat during the entire war. except two
waiting orders. He commanded the Mara
tanza, Mercedita and Albatross for various
periods. Promotion to the rank of command
er came in 1870. to that of captain in 1881.
to commodore in 1894, and this year he at
tanned the highest rank in the navy.
Rear Admiral Bunce has charge of the con-
version of the fast liners and yachts from
merchant ships, into war vessels. He is six
! ty-one years of age. but has seen one year
less service than Miller, Sicard, Matthews or
Norton, having entered the navy in 1852.
| Yet his war record is more active than that
of any of the others of his rank today. In
April, 1861, after nine years service, he was
! commissioned lieutenant and served on the
Penobscot on the North Atlantic blockading
station. Early in the War of the Rebel
lion he was in skirmishes at Yorktown and
| Gloucester, and in engagements at Fort
Fisher and other rebel batteries at the mouth
| of the Cape Fear river in 1862
| Lieut.. Bunce was commissioned lieutenant
| commander Jan. IT, 1863, and commanded the
| Dictator and the ironclad Monadnock from
1868 to 1866. In the assault and capture of
mand of one of the boats employed in land
| ing troops on Folly island, which was sue
| cessfully done at night, and to himself and
other officers the army was in great measure
| indebted for the perfect manner in which all
| the troops were disembarked.
| AS lieutenant commander, Bunce participant
| ed in all the actions at the siege of Charles
| ton in the summer and autumn of 1863. Dur
| ing the siege Rear Admiral Dahlgren planned
| an assault on Fort Sumter, and called for
| volunteers to form storming party. Bunce,
| with others, came forward promptly and Of
| fered his services for this hazardous under
| taking. The assault was unsuccessful, but
| with all the disaster which followed there
| were exhibited the most unfinching courage
| and devotion to duty on the part of the he
roic assailants, to whom had been commit
| ted a practically hopeless task. 1t was in
| this engagement that Bunce wounded by
| the premature explosion of 150-pound rife
1 gun.
cessively been assigned to duty at the Bos-
| ton and Washington navy yards and on the
! torpedo inspection. His last sea command
was on the Atlanta, which he commanded on
| her first cruise He succeeded Capt Mahan
as president of hte naval college at Newport
| The battle of Manila has made Rear Adj
miral Dewey's career familiar to every
| American. He served with distinction during
the war, and the story of his service with
| Farragut has been told frequently Of late.
and the lessons he there learned were put
| to good use at Manila. He is Vermont
| man. and entered the navy two years later
1 than any OF LQo OLneF m6n VINO HOW lily Tie
| two-starred blue flag. He will not retire for
nearly two years. and will therefore surely
be the ranking officer of the navy If he lives
| long enough. Dewey was in command Of the
Hsiatic squadron when the war broke out,
and the way in which he did his work at
| Manila Is familiar story.
| President Mckinley has shown his con-
| fdence in the ability of Capt Sampson by
| assigning him to the command of the North
| Atlantic squadron over the heads of ten COM
modores and one other captain. The relative
| rank of rear admiral was given him in order
+! that any commodore he might encounter
| would be under his orders. Acting Rear
| Admiral Sampson is fftysix years of age,
and has worked his way up from the ranks,
| having been the son of day laborer in New
! York He is regarded as one Of the best
strategists and tacticians in the navy, and
| has been connected with the naval academy
| during most of his time ashore. At the be-
| ginning of the war he was with the acad-
| envy and for two years of the war was with
| the practice ship John Adams. From 1886
to 1890 he was superintendent Of the naval
| academy, and in 1889 was our delegate to the
| international marine conference and he pre-
| sided at the court of inquiry in the Maine
| disaster His rank as captain was attained
| March, 1885, victory over the Spaniards
will almost certainly add his name to the
| list of admirals.