The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-28
SAMPSON AND HIS RISE IN LIFE.
Civil War Experience and Connection with
the New Navy.
(From the Washington Post

Acting Admiral William T. Sampson.
who has been the center of naval interest
in West Indian waters, Is one of the best
known officers in the navy. The man
who forwarded to Washington the official
dispatch that set at rest all doubts about
the fate of Cervera's feet and increased
the nations rejoicing has for years been
thoroughly identified with the construc-
ton of the navy. Popularity known as an
admiral, the rank is only temporary
one, bestowed upon him at the beginning
OF the war by President Mckinley. His
permanent rank has been that of cap
tain, two numbers below Commodore
Schley, whom he superseded in command.
1t was only on the Fourth, the day when
the notable naval victory became known,
that he was nominated in the regular
order of promotion by the President for
the grade of commodore. Acting Admiral
Sampson has risen from an humble place
in the social scale to his present exalted
position. Like so many in all countries
who have attained eminence notWlth-
standing the adverse circumstances at
tending their birth and their upward
progress, Admiral Sampson owes nothing
to these adventurous aids, wealth and
social position, to which so many, even
under our free Institutions owe their
start in life and their subsequent ad-
vancement His success has been due to
merit, courage. perseverance, and to the
possession Of those other qualities that
1 In n
myra, Wayne county, New York, Feb
ruary Q, 1910. He is four months younger
to day than Commodore Winfield Scott
Schley, who commands the other i'm
portant naval feet on the Atlantic coast,
the flying squadron. Unlike Schley, the
commander. in-chief of the North Atlantic
| feet does not come of distinguished naval
lineage, nor, in fact. Of q 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 farm house 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
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 a friend of b. E. Morgan, who
represented ih Congress the district which
includes Wayne county. Representative
Morgan had the right to appoint mid
shipn1an to the United States naval
academy, and when Squire Southwick
heard this he exerted himself in young
| SIMPSONS behalf.
| This was in 1857, and Sampson went to
Annapolis in September of that year and
donned the natty uniform OF a MILDLY.
-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.
Capt. Sampson was too young man to
get command during the war, but be
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 Patapsco, Of the South Atlantic
blockading squadron. and on the steam
frigate Colorado. the flagship OF the
European squadron.
l
was the executive officer on the ironclad
Patapsco on January l6, 1865. His boat
was part of the blockadipg fleet before
Charleston. The reEels knew that sooner
CT 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 reduce it, and for
days they spent all their time laying
submarine mines and torpedoes prepara-
| tory to giving the Union boats a recep-
ton that they would not forget. On the
| morning OF the 10Th the admiral of the
| fleet decided that the time was ripe to go
! into the harbor. OF course he expected
| that the placs was full of mines and tor
| pedoes, end he had to get rid OF them in
| some way He selected the Patapsco to
do the work. She was ordered to enter
the harbor and search for the hidden
mines, and to pick them up or destroy
them when she found them.
Lieut.. Sampson was on the bridge, and
as soon as the ironclad got within range
a torrent of fire fell upon her. Despite
the terrific onslaught, the little ship
bravely steamed ahead. Confederate
sharpshooters lined the hills, and bullets
| swept over the deck like hail driven by
furious wind. Sampson ordered the
marines and sailors below to hide behind
remained on deck. All at once the firing
ceased with ill-boding suddenness. The
next moment instant the ironclad went
up into the air. split into fragments by
an enormous torpedo. Along with the
ship was blown Lieut.. Sampson, only to
be thrown back into the water 100 feet
away: Others struggled near him in the
trough. More thnn 70 OF his men had
been torn in pieces. The castaways were
picked up, and the next day Sampson
wac ready for duty, as serene and uncon-
cerned as if he had not the day before
emerged from the portals of certain
death.
In 1866, while on the Colorado Admiral
Sampson received his commission as
commander From 1868 to 1871 he was at
the naval academy, and in 1872 and the
following year was in Europe and else
where on the Congress. His first COM
| mand was the A lert. to which he was as
signed just after he attained the grade OF
commander in 1874. From 1876 to 1878 he
was again at the naval academy. Ten
years later he became superintendent OF
the academy, and served TOUR years. He
is considered an authority ON tho subjects
of armor ordnance. and, torpedoes. With
Lieut. joseph Strauss he designed the
novel double turret system which has
hnf Loo H..