The times., 1899-05-07
A CHINESE DECORATION.
Unusual Honor Conferred Upon For
mer Marine Patrick DooIan.

|
Unusual Honor Conferred Upon For
mer Marine Patrick Doolan.
An unusual honor has been conferred
upon Patrick Doolan, who resides at No.
| iii G Street southeast. He has received
from the imperial Chinese society, Fong
| Su, of Canton, the royal decoration of the
double dragon. Mr. Dooan is an employe
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
| but for nearly thirty years he was continu-
ously in the United States Navy, and
spent long period on the Asiatic station,
principally at Chinese ports.
| 1t was for distinguished service rendered
| the Chinese government at Shanghai that
| he received the notable decoration. Doo-
| Ian was a member of the marine guard OF
| the United States ship Mississippi when
| forty of her marines and fifty sailors were
landed and massed with the English blue
| jackets to protect the three bands and the
American and English consulGtes in Shang-
| hal against Chinese rebels, sc, 900 of whom
were marching against the city.
| The AngloSaxon alliance of marines and
| sailors. by their presence, checked the
| rebel advance and the city was saved.
-ciety members have been endeavoring to
| learn Doolan's address with the result that
| they but recently located him through an
American sailor named Dulin.
Patrick Doolan entered the Marine Corps
on May 80. 1858, at New York city, en-
| listing for four years. His first sea SER
vice was on the United States frigate Sa-
vannah. This vessel which was without
steam, required fifty-six days to make
do oil a.,
sissippi. full rigged ship, it required five
months from New York to make the har-
Dor of Hongkong.
After varied experience In all parts of
the world. Doolan, at the outbreak of the
civil war. volunteered as member of the
marine guard of the U. s. S. Roanoke,
which was being fitted out on June 1, 1861,
at New York to engage in the blockade of
Charleston harbor. Before leaving Wash
ington for New York. to join the Roanoke,
Doolan and sixty other marines were serv-
ed with forty rounds each of ball car
tridges to protect themselves from rioters
while passing through Baltimore The
marines were not molested. however, dur
ing their passage though the Monumental
City, and when they reached the Brooklyn
navy yard they discharged their muskets
in volley at the river front as a salute to
the flag
While on the Roanoke, Veteran Doolan
participated in the battle royal in Hamp-
ton Roads with the Merrimac
He participated in the assault upon Port
Hudson and other memorable battles on
the Mississippi River, with Farragut. and
served on shipboard with Admiral Dewey
in those days when the hero of Manila
Bay was a lieutenant commander and
executive officer of the u S. S. Mississippi.
at the battle of Port Hudson. Doolan re-
calls many interesting "reminiscences OF
Admiral Dewey during the smoke and fire
OF the COS. He says the Admiral was al
ways as ''plucky as a game cock" while
at the same time he was as suave and DO
lite as French dancing master While
occupying minor position he exhibited
those sterling traits which made it possi-
BILE for him to wipe out Montoio's fleet and
capture Manila Bay without losing a man.
Doolan was member OF the crew of the
U. S. S. Brooklyn, which vessel took the
lead into Mobile Bay on August g. 1864.
Before the Brooklyn started ahead of the
squadron. against storm of iron and lead.
the captain called all hands aft on the
quarterback After the crew had assem-
bled he said:
Men, 1 called you aft to offer up a
short prayer to Almighty God as we stand
here alive and well. l have no doubt
good many of us will be knocked into eter-
nifty in a few minutes"
After the prayer, the vessel having near
ed the Confederate Fort Morgan, the cap
tain of the Brooklyn sang out:
Three cheers for the flag, and man your
guns"
That was the last cheer some of the
bluejackets ever gave, for Doolan says in
less than ten minutes flfty-six of the crew
were down-killed or wounded. On the
following day the Confederates surrender
ed and the Brooklyn was converted tenn
porarily into hospital ship and sailed for
Boston with a large number OF wounded
men.
Doolan participated in the attack on Fort
Fisher. N. c., his ship being assigned to
the task of shelling the famous Confeder-
ate half-moon battery from point near
the shore, also to protect the union troops
then landing.
Later while a member Of the crew OF
the United States ship Shenandoah, that
vessel required fourteen months to sail
from Delaware breakwater to Hongkong,
China. Doolan served at master-at arms.
or Johnny Legs" as the sailors term that
functionary, on the United States ship
Richmond, and served in that capacity on
the above vessel when she carried General
Grant on his notable trip around tie world.
The famous captain OF the civil war took
quite a fancy to Master at Arms Doolan
and presented him with several souvenirs.
which he yet retains. When Dooan was
discharged the records showed that he had
served continuously in the United States
navy twenty years, seven months and
eleven days.
The old naval veteran is still hale and
hearty and Is apparently good for a num-
Der of years yet in the land Of the living.