The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-02-16
PIONEER GONE
George Hardy Dies at
Honokaa.
Stirring Career Of One Of the Best
Known Old Timers Of
Hawai-.

HONOKAA, Feb. 10.--Born in Corn
wall, England, April 81. 1922, and died
in Honokaa, Hawaii February 6, 1900.
Such Is the brief history of him who
was born and baptised as William
Bickel Smith, but who was known in
these Islands as George Hardy. A great
many, perhaps, know Mr.. Hardy's life
was a stirring one, and quite out Of
the ordinary He gave the writer
many points of his life, with the re-
quest that when he died he "be given
a good send-off in the papers" and in
fulfilling this request the following
lines are appended:
Mr.. Hardy was apprenticed 10 4 ship
carpenter under the English system at
an early age, and moved to the resi-
dence of his master, in Plymouth. On
the completion of his apprenticeship
he enlisted in the English navy as
seaman, but soon passed into :he
wood butchers department rs a
mate His cruise took him into most
of the ports on the west coast )f Eu-
rope, and many months were spent in
the Mediterranean sea, visiting all the
principal ports of both Europe and
Africa, and spent some time ashore on
Malta and Cyprus. While on this
cruise his ship took part in the Turk
ish war, and he was one of the landing
party that went ashore at Beirut and
was in the assault that captured that
place At this place occurred one Of
the incidents of his life he never en-
joyed talking about and seldom did
so, and to the writer he mentioned it
only once. He was conscious of hav-
ing killed a Turkish soldier, and as 1t
was almost after the fight was closed,
he was not sure in his own mind that
he could not have spared the man
without in any wise changing the re-
suit OF the fight, and often wished he
had done so.
The incidents of service now chang
ed him to the West Indies, with most
Of the time spent in Havana. Here
they fell in with some American men
of-war and the English began desert
ing their own ships and enlisting IN
the American navy on account of bet
ter pay and better food. They lid
this until the complement of foreign
sailors allowed to be enlisted was
filed. The American officers, howev-
such men, as they were good sailors,
and at that time, IT would seem, the
native-born product did not come UNI
der that head. So when ''Unce
George" appeared on board the Amer
lean ship the officer attempted to give
him n cue" but his knowledge of
American geography was not equal TO
the emergency. When he inquired If
they wanted any men the captain made
answer: Yes. | see you are an Amer
lean citizen" Yes, SIR" From what
State?" From the State of Boston,
sir He was instructed in geography
and enlisted nevertheless When en-
rolled on the ships books he dropped
the name of Smith and gave that of
George Hardy, which was the name of
his mothers father, and so William
B. Smith of England became George
Hardy of Massachusetts. and Is so
horne on the naval records. consid-
cradle part of this enlistment was
spent in the navy yard at Pensacola,
Florida, where he became famous in
naval circles for making spoon oars.
AT the expiration of his term he re-
fused to re-enlist, even when promised
carpenters warrant in a short time,
and set out for New Orleans, and was
employed as n carpenter on one of the
large passenger steamboats, then found
ON the Mississippi. Rlis run was be-
tween New Orleans and Louisville, and
on many runs his heaviest duty was
in unloading a few barrels of pork to
be used under boilers to make steam
TO win some race from another crack
packet. He decided to settle in this
line of business and make his home in
New Orleans.
The excitement of the breaking out
OF the Mexican war was too much for
Mr.. Hardy's nature. 1t changed his
plans for the time, and, as will be seen,
FOR all time. He quit the steamboat
business at SIS a month and enlisted
ON the sloop-of-war st. Mary's as car
penter's mate at S1i a month, intend
ing to return to New Orleans as soon
as the war was over. He cruised the
Gulf as part of Commodore Con-
ner's squadron, was on shore at the
siege OF Vera Cruz with the naval bat
terry, took part in the bombardment of
Tampico and the engagement at Cam
peche. He met and conversed with
Captain Ulysses S. Grant while on
shore duty at Vera Cruz, fact he neY-
or tired of repeating.
While on duty with the fleet occurred
a real tragedy of life, and the last ex-
ecution OF death sentence in the
United States navy without the APP
prevail of the President. The viGlm
was an English sailor of good family,
who was convicted of striking Lieu
tenant Taylor, of the st. Mary's. Mr..
Hardy saw the assault, but testified
before the court-martial that he was
busy at his bench and did not see Il,
and thus incurred the enmity of the
lieutenant, who evened up later by
Gausing Mr.. Hardy TO get ten across
the bare back" for some fancisl in
fraction of discipline. The other man
was convicted and executed as Sam
Jackson, but that was not hts true
name. When brought up for execu-
ZION he hade Mr.. Hardy good-Ny and
said, George, II you ever go back TO
England, never mention my untimely
end, so that my people will ever know
what became of me-" So we'll did Mr.
Hardy keep this request that the secret
of the mans true name went to the
grave with him. When the ship went
out OF commission Mr.. Hardy was or
sered to put together the sea trunk for