Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-24
MiseeIlameuus &eaaing.
ADMIRAL WATSON.

ADMIRAL WATSON.
The Successor of Dewey In Chief Command
of the Fleet In the Philippines.
A correspondent of The Globe. Dem.
ocrat writes as follows from Washing
ton with regard to Admiral Watson:
The nomination of Rear Admiral
John Crittenden Watson to succeed
Dewey in chief command of the Amer
lean squadron in the Philippines is an
incident of more than ordinary inter-
est. Every officer in the naval service
realizes how difficult it will be to fol-
low Dewey. "a thousand questions
are likely to arise," said Rear Admiral
Jouett, United States navy, retired
known in the service as Fighting Jim
Jouett-"to perplex and bedevil the
man who goes out to Manila as Dew
ey's relief. Well, the department has
builded wiser than it knew in ordering
Watson to the Philippines. Know
him ? Why, I've known Watson al!
his life. He is the son of DR.. Watson,
of Frankfort, KY, and his mother was
the daughter of ex-Attorney General
of the United States and ex-senator
John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, a
Union man when it cost something to
be a Union man in Kentucky. Watson
10 an admirable compound in charac-
ter of cool courage in the hour of dan
ger and audacity. He will meet every
trick and stratagem of the Filipinos
with one little better, and there is
not a filter man in the service for that
most difficult Manila detail than John
Crittenden Watson"
It is q rather astonishing fact that
some of the most dashing and brilliant
officers of our navy came from Ken
lucky, 1000 miles from blue water,
but 80 it is. There is Jouett, chief of
them, In his brilliant record of almost
reckless daring, whom Farragut-a
Tennessee man-trusted as he did his
good right hand, in the fierce naval
combats of 1924. Then comes
Phythian Berry, William Nelson, a
naval lieutenant, whom President Lin
coin made q major general of volun-
teers, killed in 1862, and latest Lieu
tenant Commader Lucien Young,
whose brilliant dash at Santiago is
fresh in the country's memory.
But to resume, Watson was born at
Frankfort, Ky., late in 1912. He is a
nephew of the late Major General
Thomas L. Crittenden, who command.
ed the Twentieth Corps, who died
shortly after the war. Another uncle
was General Geroge P. Crittenden,
who went south in 1861, and COM
manded division in the Confederate
army. Watson was appointed to An.
napolis in 1S47, in his fifteenth year,
the age limit for youth 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 feat of courage that
was as necessary as it was daring. 1t
was a fine April morning in 1862 when
Farragut's feet ran by Forts Jackson
and st. Phillip, on the Mississippi riv-
er. So miles below New Orleans. The
ships of Farragut's fleet were all of
wood, and General Duncan, command
ing the forts, with his second, Colonel
Higgins, thought the Lord had deliv-
cred Farragut and his fleet into their
hands, as they beheld it coming up,
formed in two lines, the Hartford be-
ing easily distinguished as the flagship
by its broad blue admiral's pennant.
The forts were admirably arranged for
effective gunnery, having barbette
battery of Gas and quick guns that
swept the river for miles. Had not
Farragut directed his feet to run in
shore and under the gun fire not ship
would ever have got away. The forts
are situated on the two banks of the
river, and about mile and half be-
low each other. AS the Hartford
passed Fort St. Phillip a shower OF
grape from one of the big guns tore the
fore mast lntO mdCCuWOoo, auo oCii-
ously diabled the sail power OF the
ship.
It was necessary to take in some
sail and set others, but the blocks had
iammed and the Hartford was in dan
yer of swinging about and running
aground The fire of grape aloft was
so terrible that the command "Go
aloft and clear blocks and tackle on
main yard" was not obeyed with that
promptness that follows an order given
by the commander of a man-of-war
But the hesitation was momentary.
"Come on, you sons of seacooks," !"
yelled young voice, and up the rat
lines to the disabled higgins went a
uidshipman followed by the entire
watch, shamed beyond words at the
momentary hesitation. Running out
lightly to the end of the yard and
standing 60 feet from the deck with
the grape clipping ropes and tearing