Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-07-20
A NEGLECTED. Maine Naval Hero.

of Samuel Tucker, naval Zero of the
Revolution and Of the War of 1912, who
is buried in Bremen on tine Maine coast.
Judge Gaslin is a native of Augusta.
having been born here m 1927, and for
10 years after his graduation from
this city serving as city clerk and city
solicitor and in both branches of the
city government. He has been n
prominent lawyer Of Nebraska since
1866 and for IS years was OH the bench
of that state. Judge Gaslin's COM
munication is Timely one and his re-
buke to the State AMI the Eatson for 30
Incglecting the memory CT Commodore
Tucker is well meritel. IL should serve
to arouse some of our historical and
natriotic societies and prompt them to
mark and care for the grave whera
sleeps man who was both prominent
among our early naval heroes and also
la civic leader in the early days of
VI
of Judge Gaslin follows:
The removal of the remains of the
naval hero, Paul Jones, from France to
America in a warship, the interment
of the same in this country and the re-
vival of the picturesque story of the
career of this patriot so long sleeping
and neglected in an unknown grave in
a foreign land without monumental
stone to mark the spot where his re-
mains reposed, wildly recall to my
mind the ingratitude and neglect of the
services by this country of another
equally deserving naval hero "nd patri-
lot, contemporary of Commodore
Jones. This same hero was Samuel
Trucker, Il native of Marblehead on
ICape Cod in the state OF Massachusetts.
Tucker received naval captains COM
mission from Washington in 1776 and
was in actual service during the Revo-
lutionary war as commodore during
much of the time, durin, which he cap
tured 81 British vessels, GO pieces of
cannon and 200 prisoners. besides out
maneuvering the enemy's vessels and
carrying John Adams safely to France
as envoy. For all this ne received the
empty honor of n vote of thanks from
Congress; AMI this vas all lie ever got
II for his Invaluable services to this coun-
TRY. After the close Of the Revolution
airy war he removed to the town Of
Brennan in my native state of Maine
where, for a livelihood, he followed his
. chosen vocation of captain of merchan,
| vessels.
During the war of 1872 with Britain
when English privataers and war-ves-
; sells We're devastating oar commerce
= along the Maine coast, after the pencil
Icf time had furrOwed his noble face and
sketched his brow and the frost o:
years had whitened his hair in a
schooner with a crew Of undaunted and
heroic Maine sailors armed with two
> | brass cannon from the fol at Wiscas-
sctt. n chased, and. after Il hard fight
captured the privateer Crown ana
drove from the coast Of Maine the wal
vessels of the enemy which had been SC
| successfully devastating the American
: Commerce.
eI Samuel Tucker was universally hon.
v Ored and respected by the people OF
Maine who elected him one of thu
selectmen of the town of Brennan where
> he lived. He was member of tn.
> Constitutional convention of 1920 and Il
Y presidential elector when Maine was
admitted to the Union and later wa:
elected a member of the State Legisla-
ture
Fl Defrauded of the fortune that be-
longed to him from his share of tbs
prizes he captured, Commodore Samuel
Tucker applied for the Compensation nc
had justly earned as captain of the
navy. This he was denied because h
/ was barred by the statute of limita-
tons. So in old age he eked out a pre-
carious existence in his accepted voca-
ton and died in poverty i'm 1888. He
was buried on a bleak, rocky neck Oi
: land which runs out into the tempestu-
lous Atlantic in the town of Brennan and
his grave is Inmarke and without :.
monument or stone to shbw where his
I | remains lie.
I A few years ago the sele ctmen of .he
r town Of Brennan through Nelson Ding
ley one of the nOblest representative Is
in Congress, chosen from TIE district II
which the town of Brennan is: locateG
resented to Congress a petition stating
4 that the grave of Commodore Samue
= Tucker would soon be unknown unless
{ | measures were taken to provide /:
:, permanent memorial monument and ii
view of the Commodor.'s services il
would seem that the least Congress.
Y could do would be to grant the prayer
of the petition. This Petition was
n pigeon-holed and on it no action, as
understand, has ever been taken.
Many time have / sailed past this
rocky, bleak, barren neck of lanj
$ where the remains Of this hero lie, ex-
, tending into the ocean. against whose
shore the waves of the te1npestuou.
Atlantic beat high and rebO lnded and
receded with dismal roar. How
wildly at this time and in this connec-
+ ton am l reminded Of the ingratitud,
Of the human race.
Socrates and the Greek philosophers
taught that the first and greatest Grim.
that could be committed was ingrati.
tude and the second was neglect of par
ents. Another Greek sage said: "TC
pass now to the matter of gratitude am
ingratitude; there never wac any sc
abandoned and base as not to admire
the former and ietest the latter