St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-07-06
Sampson and His Record.

nenC6 NOTWITHSTANDING Ilo duVeISo Clr-
cumstances attending their birth and
their upward progress, Admiral Samp
son owes nothing 20 those adventitious
aids, wealth and social position, to
which so many even under our free in
situations, owe their start in life and
their subsequent advancement. His sue
cess has been due to merit, indomitable
courage, perseverance and to the posses
sion of those other qualities that COM
mand success.
Admiral Sampson was born in Pal
myra, Wayne county, N. Y, Feb. 8,
1910. He is four months younger to the
day than Commodore Winfield Scott
Schley, who has been assigned to the
other important naval command on the
Atlantic coast, the flying squadron.
Unlike Schley, the new commander
in chief of the north Atlantic station
does not come Of distinguished naval
lineage, nor, in fact, of a prominent
family. He is the first of his line to at
tain distinction. George Sampson, his
father, was day laborer, and the early
life Of William, his son, was not the
pleasantest and easiest. Frequently he
accompanied his father on the tramps
from one farmhouse to another in Wayne
county, helping to split and pile wood
and do other hard work. In his spare
moments he studied the few textbooks
at his command and managed to attend
the public schools in the county at in
tervals. Old Squire William H. South
wick Of Palmyra liked young Sampson
for his energy and ambition. The squire
was friend of e. B. Morgan, who rep
resented in congress the district which
includes Wayne county. Representative
Morgan had the right to appoint mid
shipman to the United States Naval
academy, and when Squire Southwick
heard this he exerted himself in young
Simpsons behalf.
He Enters the Navy.
This was in 1851 and Sampson went
to Annapolis in September of that year
and donned the natty uniform of mid
dy. Four years later, less than a year
before the beginning Of the civil war,
he was graduated at the head of the
class. The opening Of hostilities found
him on the frigate Potomac, with the
rank of master. Captain Sampson was
too young man to get command dur
ing the war, but he conducted himself
in manner that won him promotion
as lieutenant in July, 1862, and while
holding that commission he served on
the practice ship John Adams at the
Naval academy, on the ironclad Pataps-
co Of the south Atlantic blockading
squadron and on the steam frigate Col
orado, the flagship of the European
squadron.
| Admiral Sampson, then lieutenant,
was the executive officer on the iron.
clad Patapsco on Jan. l6, 1865. His
boat was a part of the blocKading fleet
before Charleston. The rebels knew
that sooner or later the boats of the
Union fleet which were doing blockade
duty would seek to enter the harbor and
compel the surrender of the city or re-
duce it, and for days they spent all
their time laying submarine mines ant
torpedoes preparatory to giving the I'm
ion boats a reception that they would
not forget. On the morning of the l6tl
the admiral of the fleet decided that thu
time was ripe to get into the harbor
OF course he expected that the place
was full of mines and torpedoes, and hi
had to get rid of them in some way
He selected the Patapsco to do tn,
work. She was ordered to enter the har
Dor and aarch for the hidden enemie
and to pick them up or destroy then
when she found them.
Blown Up With His Ship.
Lieutenant Sampson was on tn
bridge, and as soon as the ironclad e
within range torrent of fire fell upo
her. Despite the terrific onslaught til
little ship bravely steamed ahead. Cor
federate sharpshooters lined the hill
and bullets swept over the deck lik
hail driven by furious wind. Sampso
ordered the marines and sailors belo,
to hide behind the iron protection
while he alone remained ON deck. A.
at once the firing ceased with ill bodin
suddenness. The next instant the iror
clad went up into the air, split int
fragments by an enormous torpedo
Along with the ship was blown Lier
tenant Sampson, only to be thrown bac
into the water 100 feet away. Other
struggled near him in the trough. MOI
than 70 Of his men had been torn {
pieces. The castaways were picked W
and the next day Sampson was read
for duty, as serene and unconcerned q
if he had not the day before emerge
from the. portals Of certain death.
In 1866, while on the Colorado, At
miral Sampson received his commissio
as commander. From 1868 to 1871
was at the Naval academy, and in 1877
and the following year was in Euror
and elsewhere on the Congress. Hi
first command was the Alert, to whic
. he was assigned just after he attaine
. the grade Of commander in 1874. Frol
1875 to 1878 he was again at the Nave