New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-12
OBITUARY.
REAR ADMIRAL L. A. BEARDSLEE

Rear Admiral Lester Anthony Beardslee. retired.
whose sudden death from apoplexy. at Augusta.
Ca. was reported in The Tribune yesterday.
porn at Little Falls. n Y, February 1, lS9s. He
was appointed a midshipman in the navy in 1S59.
and for four years he attached 10 the slcop
Plymouth in the East Indies. and participated In
a battle with the Chinese at Shanghai Returning
to this country in the spring OF 1855. he entered
the Naval Academy the following October and
remained until June. 1856. when he graduated.
After being promoted to 4 passed midsntpman,
June 90 1sh6 he was detailed for special service
the steam frigate Merrimac. His promotions 70
be master and lieutenant followed soon dfterward.
On July 1e, 1853 he was made lieutenant com
mander and was attached to the monitor Nan
tCcket He participated in the attack OF the iron
clad feet upon the defences Of Charleston Harbor.
April :. 1868, and in the capture Of the rebel
steamer Florida at Bahia by the United States
ship Wachusett. After the FIOrida's capture
Lieutenant Commander Beardsee was detailed TO
take the prize Hampton Roads When the
Wachusett abreast Of the Florida Beardslee
called out to of the seamen:
You tell your captain to surrender without any
fuss. or we'll send your damned craft down among
the sharks Understand
From 1861 TO 1858 he commanded ths steam gun
boat AroOstcok and after that, in succession, COM
handed the steamer Saginaw. Of the Pacific squad
ron. and the steam sIoop Ldclxawauna Oh the same
station He was commissioned commander June
u. 1869 For year after that he was attached 10
the photographic Office at Washington In lS'0 ne
took the tug Paos to China, the first vessel carry
ing the Stars and Stripes 70 pass through the
Suez Canal From May. 1872. TO April L. lS'o' ne
was in command of the washington Navy tard
For the next four years he was q member OF the
United States board for testing iron steel ana oner
metals In 1873 - he commanded the Ja4l4-stO'eL
Alaskan and discovered anu Isd4ItSu
Glacier Bay. In November 1850 ~olnI 9 4tL
Beardslee got his captains commission ara Win
IL a leave OF absence for two years he comm
the receiving ship Franklin during lSsS ana Leet
when he was transferred to the steam IIl6dsS
Powhattan Later he was stator Cd AZ me 'o tAIo
station and the receiving ship vermont = IOLL
1891 10 1894 he commanded the naval stsLlOn dt
Port ROYAL. 5. c. On August "a 1884 ne We
transferred to the Pacific station. He was Tn1ds
commodore June y. 1885. and rear aoIl1ral le 80
/ 1875 He continued to command the PACING sta
tlOn until TX While n TINS CoAln.e-Lt,A
that he met in Honolulu the Japanese cotlsuI
general 70 Hawaii and said 10 him. LOOK usLs
We want you people to keep your helu- on 49, =
country 1t had been reported that Japan Wo1Id
send a warship to the island repubhc ara lIe
consul general asked the doughty adInlral II 5e
should report these words to his government Az q
miral Beardslee said: DO as you Ahe a. in the
but IL you do, say the WORDS were Ns0N Al '
course Of social chat - - r.
Admiral Beardsee was retired oy age N -
ruarv / 1898. He at that time tne Sscc ~
rsnk in the navy ana preslIeit VI -L-1
Examining and Retiring boards at " eauII.s-t.
AdT1iraI TAardsIee was one of the officers serVllS
under Commander Perry VINO pa tcl ~ -
landing at Kurihana. Japan. July n 90, go
at the interview Of COmTnodore Fe5Iy - ,,1-r
4vvo 0rfnres representing the MiEado- 70 Wlo4l
President FTImore's letter was presented A. oIL0
OF the survivors he visited Japan IN ISVo anu
Gated the erection of a monument on ne -
f[st historic Interview. which was put Up ~ LIITT
Japanese and unveiled July oe, Nv Srs F7VeIvn
Small Of Little Falls. n. \. his NOME III 40o04-
years at Beaufort, = l.