Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-31

YER, ana there is not a filter man in the
service for that most difficult Manila de-
tan than John Crittenden Watson"
John Crittenden Watson comes from
soou ngnting stock. He was born in
frankfort, Ky, in 1912. His father was
Or. Watson and his mother was the
uaughter of ex-Attorney General of the
unlted states and ex-senator John ].
Nrlttenden of Kentucky. a union man
when 1t required courage to be such in
Kentucky.
1t may be stated here as a peculiar
iac. tnat some of the most dashing and
brilliant officers Of our navy came from
kentucky. 1000 miles from blue water.
put so 1T Is. There is Jouett. chief Of
mem all. in his brilliant record of almost
reckless daring. whom ~Farragut-a Ten
nessee man-trusted as he did his good
risnt hand, In the fierce naval combats
OF !sb2-3-4. Then comes Phythian Berry.
William Nelson, a naval lieutenant'
Whom President Lincoln made a major
general of volunteers, killed in 1862, and
latest, Lieutenant Commander Lucien
1oung: whose brilliant dash at Santiago
IS fresh in the country's memory.
Rear Admiral Watson is a nephew of
the tate Major General Thomas l.. Crit
tehden, who commanded the Twentieth
corps, VINO died shortly after the war.
Another uncle was General George p.
Nflttenden, who went south in 1861 and
commanded a division in the confederate
army. Watson vas appointed to Annap-
olls IN 1857, in his fifteenth year, the age
unit for youths then being IA to 20, In
1861, a passed midshipman, he was on the
hartford with Farragut, and there won
the friendship of the great admiral by a
!eat OF courage that was as necessary as
1t was daring.
1t was a fine April morning in 1852.
"hen faffagutS fleet ran by FITS. Jackson
ann ST PFjhn nn fh, - ~
Inlles below New Orleans. The ships of
arfasut fleet We're all of wood, and
General Duncan, commanding the forts.
with MS second, Colonel Higgins. thought
the Lord had delivered Farragut and his
Meet into their hands, as they behe,d if
coming up, formed in two lines. the Hart
Iord beng easily distinguished as the
nagshlp by It's broad DIT admiral's pen
nant. The forts were admirably arrarc-
cd for effective gunnery, having a bar.
bette battery Of sixty-fours and quicN
guns that swept the river for miles. Had
not Farragut directed his fleet to run in
shore n under the gun fire not a hip
would ever have got away. The forts
are situated on the two banks Of the riy-
er, n about a mile and a half below
each other. AS the Hartford passed FIT.
st. Phlllp a shower Of grape from one OF
the big guns tore the foremost into
matchwood. and seriously disabled the
sail power Of the ship.
It was necessary to take in some sail
and set others, but the blocks a jam
med and the Hartford was in danger Of
swinging about and running aground.
The fire Of grape aloft was 50 terrible that
the command, Go aloft and clear blocks
and tackle on main yard was not obeyed
with that promptness hi follows an or
der given by the commander Of a man-of-
war. But the hesltancy was momentary.
Come on, you sons of seacocks," yelled
a young voice, and up the ratlines to the
disabled rigging went a midshipman fol-
flowed by the entire watch, shamed be-
yond words at their momentary hesita-
ton. Running out lightly to the end of
the yard and standing 60 feet from tho
deck with the grape clipping ropes and
tearing great slivers of WOod from mast
and. spar, young Watson as calmly. gavI
the necessary orders as if he were at a
practice drill. One after another the men
We're struck by the bowling storm of
grape and either fell ~lifeless on the deck
below or were knocked out of the rigging
into the river boiling with the stroke of
shot and shell but the Indian-fighting
blood of his heroic ancestry was up and
John Crittenden Watson never looked
u When everything was taut and
in working order, following the tackles"
down, Watson saluted the admiral and
reported "All clear, sir"
Grim old Farragut simply seized the
daring boy in his arms, and how the crew
cheered. Had we ever got aground there
the confederate guns would have destroy
ed us in five minutes said Fleet Captain
Percival Drayton. of the West Gulf
Squadron. as he told he story to Captain,
afterward Rear Admiral Bryson. Young
Watson's ready appreciation of the dan
ger and prompt action saved the Hart
ford, in my opinion, and Farragut always
thought so, too
There are many people still living in
Kentucky who are bound to the incom-
parable Dewey's successor by ties of
blood, ard who will watch with interest
and pride his career in our new far east
ern possession. Doubtless they have no
Gear but hat their distinguished relative
will be able to cope with any and every
question, and lend fresh honors and lus-
ter to the names of his ancestors.
" FROM A LATE NOVEL.