The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-23
A MAN WITHOUT FEAR.
Admiral Franklin Buchanan, the Hero Of
Hampton Roads.
Baltimore SIN, March 9.

the old navy, gave to the Confederate
States Buchanan, Semmes, Waddell,
Hollins and others of lower ranks, but
of equal fidelity. 1t would be pleas
ant to linger on the others for awhile,
but / am to speak this evening of
Franklin Buchanan, the hero Of Hamp-
ton Roads and Mobile Bay, said Mr..
AsC:; Trippe, in his address yesterday
evening at the Y. NJ. c. A. Hall, at
the celebration of franklin Buchanan
Camp of Confederate Veterans Of the
thirty-sixth anniversary of the famous
engagements between the Confederate
ironclad Merrimac and the United
States war ships Cumberland, Con-
gress, Roanoke, Minnesota, ST. Law
renee and the Monitor.
Franklin Buchanan" he continu-
ed, s.was born in Baltimore on the
18th day Of September, 1909. He
attended the best schools in our city
and gave early evidence Of bias for e
nautical life. When he was a mere
boy the exploits Of our young navy at
Tripoli excited universal attention at
home and abroad. Some of its heroes
were natives Of his own State, and
their deeds were the talk of every
freside. From them he CLEANED the
inspiration for his battle plans At
tack everything, no matter what odds.
ssOn January %, 1878, he received
his appointment as midshipman. He
secured his commission as lieutenant
on January l3, 1925, after serving on
the frigates United States and Consti-
tuition; was promoted to be command
er on September s, 1S4l, and in April,
1912, was ordered to the command Of
the steam frigate Mississippi, and
afterwards to the -Vincennes.
SIN 1S45 he organized the Naval
Academy, at Annapolis, and was made
its superintendent. At the outbreak
Of the Mexican war he was detached
from the Naval Academy at his own
request, and ordered to the command
of the sloop-of-war Germantown, and
took part in the bombardment of the
Castle of San Juan d'Ulloe, in the
capture of Vera Cruz and Of the city
of Tobasco.
SIN 1852 we find him in command
of the steam frigate Susquehanna. the
flag ship Of Commodore Perry, on the
expedition to Japan. In September,
1856, he was promoted to the rank of
captain, the highest grade at that time
in the navy, the title commodore >
being given by courtesy to captain
in command Of a squadron. In May,
1859, he was ordered to the command
of the Washington navy yard, and Yas
relieved from duty there three days
after the 18th of April, 1861.
s;He retired to his Maryland home
and in the next month resigned from
the United States service. In Sep
tember, 1861, he was commissioned a
captain in the Confederate navy and
began that career which has made his
name immortal.
.sAt the suggestion of Lieut.. G. NJ.
Brooke, the old frigate Merrimac,
which had been burnt and sunk when
the Federal troops evacuated Norfolk,
was Aoated and rebuilt as an ironclad,
and the name Virginia was given to
the remodelled vessel.
"Sailors had been hard to get, as we
were not a nautical people, but they
were obtained at last by diligent
search through the armies. The Off
GERS under the command Of Capt.
Franklin Buchanan were men equal to
the duty assigned them.
SIT is the morning of the 9TH of
March, 1862. The hour is noon and
the day bright with sunshine. The
sentinel at Fortress Monroe, looking
toward Norfolk, notices a huge vol
ume of smoke, like great monster,
rolling and writhing in its motion
through the air. while beneath it a
dark object is seen to move along,
slightly above the water line. with
sloping sides Of iron and guns hidden
in inclosed embrasures. What audac-
ity was this going out, without trial
trip with the condemned engines of
the old frigate, to attack the best
ships of the enemy fleet But slow
ly and quietly, with the calmness Of
certainty and the consciousness Of
concealed destructive power, the Nir-
ginia steers straight TO the frigate
Cumberland. of thirty guns, lying off
Newport News and flying the enemy s
flag. The captain goes on deck alone
and demands the Cumberland's S sur
TI - N o,n,i fNbon