The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-10-18


tian sailor, he gave his spare time for two
weeks to tho Bible, and ut tho end OF that
declared openly, "Henceforth, under all
circumstances, I will act for God" His
last words while dying 1t the Astor House,
New York, were: Il thank God for all Ills
goodness to me. He has been very good
to me-" When he entered heaven, he did
not have to run u blockade, for it was
amid the cheers OF u grent welcome. Tho
other Christian admiral will be honored
on earth until the days when the fires from
above shall lick up the waters from be-
meath and there shall be no more sea.
Oh. while old oceans breast
Bears white sail
And Gods soft stars to rest
Guide through the gale,
Men will him ne'er forget,
Old heart OF oak
Farragut, Farragut-
TGunderbolt stroke!
According to bis own statement, Far
ragut WAS very loose in his morals IN early
manhood and practlced oil kinds OF sin.
father, who was q shipmaster. His father
said, "David, what are you going to be
anyhow?" He answered, 'T am going to
follow the sea-" "Follow the sea-" aatd
the father, land be kicked about the
world and die in a foreign hospital?"
"No." said David; 81 am going to com
mand like you." "No," said the father;
ca boy OF your habits will never command
anything" And his father burst into tears
and left the cabin. From that duy David
Farragut started on new life.
Captain Pennington, IN honored elder
OF my Brooklyn church, was with him In
most OF his battles and had his intimate
friendship, and he confirmed, what l had
heard elsewhere, that Farragut was good
aud Christian. In every great crisis OF
life he asked and obtained the Divine dl-
rectlon. When in Mobile bay the monitor
Tecumseh sank from torpedo and the
great warship Brooklyn, that was to lead
the squadron, turned back, he said he
was at loss to know whether to ad-
vance or retreat, and he says: ~ prayed.
o God, who created man and gave him
reason, direct me what to do. Shall go
on?' And voice commanded me, go
on and I went on" Was there ever
more touching Christian letter than that
which he wrote to his wife from his flagship
Hartford2 MY dearest wife, write and
leave this letter for you. am going into
Mobile bay in the morning il God is my
leader, and I hope He Is, and In Him I
place my trust. II He thinks it Is the proper
place for.ne to die, am ready to submit
70 His will in that us oil other things. God
my dear boy, If anything should happen to
me. May His blessings rest upon you and
your dear mother"
Cheerful to the end, he said OF board the
Tallapoosa In the last voyage he ever took,
.'It would be we'll II died now In harness"
The sublime Episcopal service for the dead
was never more appropriately rendered
than over his casket, and we'll did all the
forts OF New York harbor thunder as his
body was brough. to the wharf, and we'll
did the minute guns sound and the bells
toll as In procession having In its ranks
the President OF the United States and bis
cabinet aud the migh hty men OF land and sea
the old admiral was. carried, amid hun.
dreds Of thousands Of uncovered heads on
Broadway, and laid on his pillow OF dust 10
beautiful Woodlawn, September 80, amid
the pomp Of our autumnal forests.
n We hail with thanks the new generation
OF naval heroes, those OF the year 1898. We
are too near their marvellous deeds to fully
appreciate them. A century from now
poetry and sculpture and painting and his
tory will do them better justice than wo
can do them now. A defeat ut Manila would
have been IN infinite disaster. Foreign
nations not over fond of our American In.
stitutions would have joined the other side,
and the war so many months past would
have b0cn raging still, and perhaps hun
dred thousand graves would have opened
to take down our slain soldiers md sailors
It took this country three years to get
over the disaster ut Bull Run ut the OPEN
ing OF the civil war. How many years it
would have required to recover from q
defeat at Manila in the opening OF the
Spanish war I cannot say. God averted
tho calamity by giving triumph to our
navy under Admiral Dewey, whose coming
up through the Narrows OF New York har-
hor dsv before yesterday was greeted By
the nation whose welcoming cheers Will
not cease to resound until tom orrow, and
next day In the capital of the nation tho
jeweled sword voted by Congress shall be
presented amid booming cannonade and
embunnered hosts, and our autumnal
nights shall become con1aSration OF
splendor, but the tramp OF these process
sions ana the fash OF that sword aud tho
huzza OF that greeting and the roar OF
those guns and the illumination OF those
nights will be seen and heard as long as
page oil American history remains inviolate.
Especially Iet the country boys OF
America join in these greetings TO the
returned heroes OF Manila. 1t is theii
work. The chief character In all the
scene Is the once country lad, George
Dewey. Let the Vermonters come down
and find him older, but the same modest.
upaSSuHllDR, uiluOsL uuSului POk"ou SAat
they went to school with and with whom
they sported Oh the playground. The hon
crs OF all the world cannot spoil him.
few weeks ago Mt banquet In England
some Of the titled noblemen were af-
fronted because our American minister
plenipoteptiury associated the name OF
Dewey with that OF Lord Nelson. As we'll
might wo be affronted because the name
OF Nelson Is associated with that OF oui
lost renowned admiral. The ons man In
all the coming ages will stand as high ~
the other. SO this day synpathzng with
past week and with all the festivities and
celebrations TO come this week, let us
anew thank God and those heroes OF the
American navy WHO have done such great
things for our beloved land. Come aboard
the old ship Zion, ye sailors and soldiers,
whether still In Ill" active service or hon
oraby discharged und ut home having re.
sumed citizenship. AMI Ye men o; the
take from me, in Gods name, salntaiiou
and good cheer. For the few rrnainiue
fights with sin ard DEATHS and hell make
ready. Strip your vessel for the fray. Hang
the sheet chains over the side. Send down
the topgnlIant masts. Barricade the wheel.
Rig in the flying jib boom. Steer straight
for the shining shore, and hear the shout
OF tho great Commander OF enrth aud
heaven us He cries from the shrouds, "Tc
him TINT Overcometh will give to eat oil
the tree of life which Is in the midst OF the
paradise OF God" Hosanna! Hosannal
Tracts For Our Soldiers.
ha ropor+ of tba A m TrQpt SOcietv