Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-10

eu often, everybody knew HIN us bliAy
Sampson His father was a day laborer,
and as boy and youth William often &C
companied his father to places near the
Sampson home, where he helped at odd
jobs"
Young Sampson found time to attend
school in an irregular way, and showed
so much ambition that he attracted the
attention of William H Southwick of
Palmyra, who spoke of him to E. 4. Nor
gan, at that time representing the district
in Congress, and the lad received through
Morgan the appointment as naval cadet
at Annapolis.
Sampson first won fame and recogni-
tion on the old Patapsco which formed
part of the blockading squadron at
Charleston in 1864 The harbor had been
mined by the Confederates, and when
the blockading admiral decided to enter
the harbor he detailed the Patapsco to
go ahead and clear the way for him.
Brave Deed at Charleston.
Sampson was executive officer of the
ironclad, and as the vessel steamed into
the harbor he stood on the bridge in
the most exposed position on the boat.
He was fascinating mark for the
sharpshooters. AS the little boat enter
ed the harbor bullets from their rifles
rained upon it. SIMPSONS men fell all
around him, struck by the leaden mis-
siles. He ordered them below and faced
the fire alone. Slowly and carefully the
minesdestroyer went ahead on its hunt.
Suddenly there was an OminOus roar,
columns of water were thrown into the
air, and mingled with the liquid streams
were the guns, turrets and sheathing Of
the gallant boat. OF the crew twenty
five were saved by other boats from the
fleet; seventy-five sank in Charleston
harbor. Sampson was blown 100 feet
in the air and fell in the water many
feet from where his boat went down.
In Charge of Naval Academy.
After the war Sampson was detailed
for service at the Naval Academy and
remained there from 1868 to 1871 as
head of the department of chemistry and
physics. Then for several years he was
attached to the Congress, but his first
command was the Alert, to which he was
assigned with the rank of commander in
1874 From 1876 to 1873 he was again
at the Naval Academy, and ten years
later he became the superintendent of
the institution and maintained a high
state of discipline He was promoted
to captain in 1899. ard the next year he
was placed in command of the cruiser
San Francisco. In July, 1892, he was in
spector of ordnance at the navy yard,
Washington, and the next year he was
made chief of the bureau of ordnance.
He held that position until the Iowa was
ready to be commissioned, when he was
detailed to that battleship.
Service in Spanish War.
After the breaking out of the Spanish
war Sampson was given command of the
North Atlantic station, and he blockaded
the ports of Cuba with his squadron
being joined in this work by the flying
squadron under Rear Admiral Schey,
who was next in command to him. At
the time of the fight off Santiago, on
July 3, 1898, Sampson, with his flagship,
had started for Siboney, giving the sig
nal Disregard the movements of the
flagship" but returned after the battle
was over. The details of the contro-
yersy in regard to the credit for the de-
struction of the Spanish warsbips are
fresh in the public mind
Rear Admiral Sampson was married
twice. His first wife was Margaret Aid,
rich, a niece of Pliny L. Sexton of Pal
myra, n. Y. They were married in 1862
and had five daughters, four of whom are
living. Rear Admiral SIMPSONS second
wife was Miss Elizabeth Burling BY
this marriage Rear Admiral Sampson
had two sons, Ralph and Harold