The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
THE FIGHTING CUSHTNGS.
tgTELESM y. was ONE or FoUR
BROTHERs, AEL BRATE.

DesrrIbina conaIots-Their Spartan Neither.
CHICAGO, June e.-Among the mourners at
the Rrnyo OF Mrs. Milton b. Gushing. widow Of
rsymaster Cushing Of the United States Navy,
who was buried a. nunkirk, n. T., last week.
vas Mrs. Isabelle Gushing Bouton OF this city,
the last surviving member Of tho famous Cush-
Eng family. Mrs. Bouton 10 the custodian OF n
fund Of interesting 'remlniscences concerning tho
CuahinRs and their dcods for generations back.
nnn 10 also the possessor OF many letters ana
documents OF great historical valuo. Public
opinion has made tho fame Of this family rest
mainly uTon the heroic action Of Commander
william p. Cushing in destroying the Confed-
orato ram AlbemArio, ignoring the fact that he
was only ono Of Q quartet Of brave brothers,
cons Of q veritablo Spartan mother. and de-
ocondnn.u Of q long line OF noble mcn and wo-
men who in their time did gallant service for
their country. And among all these no namo
stands cut In greater glory than that Of Mar.
tha Butter Cushing, the mother who offered tho
ucos. OF her, four sons upon tho altar OF a ma.
lions need. o. 50
Away back In lG4o tho Rev. John Smith, an
TDnpllshman. came to America and settled In
Now England. whore he married n daughter OF
Gov. Thomas Hinokley. From this union
spFanE o large family, and to this day every
native.born Smith In that part Of the country
tries TO trace his Genealosy to the English
preacher Of 1910. It is q sort Of badge Of merit
On which the Smiths Of New England take as
much pride as do their friends of moro aristo-
cratic nomenclature who sock to establish relR-
Sioushlp with William the Conoueror and other
1onarchs. Ono Of the Smiths Of this line was
Joseph' Smith. who fought as q Lieutenant in
che United States Navy with Perry on Lake
Erie ard aftorw ard became a Rear Admiral.
At 20 years Of age Rear Admiral Smith was one
OF the most useful Of tho many naval experts
who gave their time and energies to tho service
81 tho Union during the civil war.
When President Lincoln appointed a COM
mission TO examine into tho merits Of John
Ericsson's Monitor. Smith was the only NOM
bar of tho body who was impressed with the
value Of what tho others derided as a "chceso
boz" The commission reported unfavornbly
OH the monitor class Of vessels. but Rear AID.
ntral Smith was persistent In his Endorsement.
and President Lincoln, impressed with the
mans courageous opposition to the report Of tho
commission. ordered the Monitor built. Rear
Admiral Smith superintcnded the work, and
whom the much.desplsed craft went Into action
his bittolest opponents were forced to admit
that the doGgod old man was in the right. Ad.
miral Smith had two sons In tho navy, one Of
them, Lieut.. Joseph II. Smith, being
or OF the Congress-. While at church one Sun.
day morning during tho civil war the old man
was called out Of the edince by Gideon Welles.
then tho Secretary OF tho Navy. who came in
person and said he had received q telegram
from Hampton Roads announcing that tho Mer.
Eimac had sunk the Cumberland and that the
Congress had been captured and burned by the
Confedorates.
III tho report is true" said the old hero, my
boy Is dead. He would never strike his flag
while living without another word he re-
turned to his devotions In tho church. Later
reports established the fact that Admiral
Smiths hasty diagnosis of the situation was
correct. Commander Smith was killed early
In the action and It was not until after his death
that the flag of the Congress was struck. An
other con, Capt. Albert Smith. died from the
effects Of exhaustion at tho battle of New Or
leans, in which his vessel sustained the brunt
Of the engagement.
1t was from a family Of this kind Of hgh ting
patriots that Mary Bass Cushing came. Her
maiden name was Smith and she was q nrst
cousin TO Rear Admiral Joseph Smith. In
early life she became a resident of Ohio, whore
she was married, juno L., 1896. at Columbus,
to DR.. Milton b. Cushing, son OF Judge Zattu
Gushing, first Judge OF Chautauqua county,
N. Y. In this marriage two famous strains Of
American blood were united. The CushinEs
were people Of strong character and patriotic
record as well as the Smiths. One OF them was
. Chief Justice OF tho United States and ad-
miniStered the oath Fl office to President Wash
fngton in tho absence of Jay. Another was
Gov. Cushing, colonial Executive OF Massachu-
Betts, and still another was Caleb Cushing of
Boston. widely known as n lawyer and states.
man. With thi; kind or ancestry the Gushing
boys were endowed In both the paternal and
maternal lines with the instincts of patriots.
Shortly After her ONaFrinun Mra (,,ahtD. ond
heT:husband caI.e to Chicago and tho latter died
here late in tho fortics after attaining a large
practice as q physician. After the burial OF
DR.. Cushing the widow took her four boys, Nil.
ton Buckingham Cushing. Howard B. Gushing,
AlonEo II. Gushing and William b. Cushing.
and her daughter, Isabelle Cushing. and went 10
Fredonia, n. Y, where she made her home. 1t
was from Fredonia that tho boys went to West
Point indianapolis, securing at these In stitu.
ttonS ~the-nilitary and naval cducntions which
were tbs basis Of the services they were aftor.
ward TO render TO their country. Isabelle
Cuahing married Edward r. w. Gayle OF Bos.
ton In 1867 and lived in that city for q number
Of years.. Later she became the wife OF Eli Il.
Bouton and removed to st. Joseph, Mo-. taking
her mother with her. and 1t was there the
motber died in 1891. Mrs. Bouton's oldest son
bears q startling resemblance to his famous
uncle, Commander Cushing. and has been
named after him.
When the present war came the lad, who 1.
now IA. sought to enlist as q drummer boy
leaving school for this purpose. and was sorely
disappointed when told that this branch OF tho
armysWas a thing of tho past. He refused to re
turn 10 school until promised that he may try
for . oadetship at Annapolis as soon as he is Of
tho proper age. 1t ia a pledge which his mother
has made under protest. because, as she pa
thetically says:
Il think our family has mAdo sufficient sacri
nco tor Its country"
Many people have attempted to describe tn,
heroic action OF Commander Cushing, but non,
of them Was 30 well equipped to do 80 In tn,
fortunate posSession OF personal letters and
memoranda and family "reminiscences as Mrs
Bouton,' whit for the first time has Just told tn,
story fully, She makes it plain that she hac
-four brothers equally brave In tho defence o
thCir country's' flag and honor.
my mother was living with me-" says Mrs
Pouton, when the crisis came. All four of m,
brothers were thon actively engaged in tn
war. William. the youngest. was a Lieuten
ant In the navy. From the days OF tender boy
kood he had dreamed of giving ks he m hI