The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-03
LAST OF TEXAS NAVY
NOTABLE CAREER OF FIFE LATE
 JOHN E. BARROW.
At seventeen He Served in Navy oi Republic of Texas with Which Sam Houston Overawed
 Mexicans. ,s

New York Sln.
 The sole survivor of the navy of the Major John E. Barrow of New York died a few days ago. He was 79.
 Forty-eight hours before he died he was as straight as a mast with hair as white as carded wool and suave and courtfy of manner. He had been in re- tiremept so many years that only Him. ited circle in New York knew of his tn- teresting and in some respects unique, history.
 General Sam Houston was President of the Republic of Texas and Commander in-chief of the army and navy of the Re- public in 1859. when young Barrow. then J7. handed him letter from his brother. E. Alexander Barrow. then a United States Senator from Louisiana and the intimate friend of Henry Clay. Young Barrow had gone from Nashville. his birthplace, to Galveston to offer his ser vices in the navy of the Lone Star Re- public.
 The Texas navy even then was rather impressive. At least 1t kept the Mexi- cans in awe. The fleet consisted of the flagship Zarala. Commodore Edward M. Moore; the brigs of war Austin and Me tadora, and the schooners San Antonio and San Jacinto. The ships were,TwDod- en. and by order of President Houston they were painted black.
 They looked forbidding,'' said Major Barrow in one of his reminiscent moods not long before his death. We used to cruise up and down the coast looking for recruits and Greasers. The latter never showed up for an engagement. Whether they feared the navy because it's black color betokened no quarter or whether they saw our armament 1 never knew.
 Most of our shops had been bought from Ship-owners. They were not built Tor warfare. Each ship carried four small smooth-bore guns forward and one aft.
 "I was a midshipman on the Austin It was commanded by Captain Gray. I afterward knew his daughter in New York. She was the secoifu wife of Rufus Hatch.
 T was in the Republics navy nearly two years. l yearned for the enemy. but none came. Never shot was fired at fleet which coasted up and down. There is no doubt, however. that the knowledge of the existence of such a navy kept the Greasers quiet. That was President Houston's idea"
 Major Barrow was a firm believer in the invincibilitv of the navy. He loved 1t to the last. and twentyfour hours be- fore he died in the home of his daugh- ter. Mrs. w. Waddingham of this city. where he had been visiting with his wife overlooking the Hudsen-he applied nau- tical language to the situation saying:
 T must give up the ship"
 Major sarroW vas a Mhig and came in the principles of that party all his life. He died a Whig.
 He was in the Indian service under President Taylor. His brother General Washington Barrow, was Minister to Portugal in the Polk administration, and afterward served in the lower House of the Confederate Congress, representing the Tennessee district.
 Major Barrow was one of the original f-eighters on the plains. He sent trains of wagons from Omaha to California in the beginning of overland trafic. He devised the plan of making up trains of fence could be made to attacks by Indi- ans This plan was afterward adopted by the regular army in the West.
 He sent the first overland freight train to Mexico. He was the first contractor in 1859 to send the mails from Kansas City to Stockton. Cal, over what was