Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-05
THIS SLOOP
HAS HISTORY
THE Jamestown WILL BE
At THE COMING JAMESTOWN
EXPOSITION.

Norfolk, Va, May 31.-Peaceful and
beneficent, the United States sloop
Of war jamestown lies off Sewell's
Point, where a multitude of men are
building the jamestown Exposition to
commemorate the birth of the nation
At jamestown.
Exactly fourty-four years ago this
famous war slOOp lay in the same spot
and threw shot from her twenty guns
at the Notifications thrown up by the
confederates on the beautiful spot
where the exposition is now rapidly
assuming shape. Peaceful and smil.
ing with beauty as the scene now is,
it requires an effort of the magma.
ton to recall the unhappy days of
yore.
The sloop jamestown is now in the
marine hospital service as quarantine
station, and has been anchored for sew
eral years where she now lies.
Peaceful old age has succeeded her
fiery youth, when she was one of I'm
Gle Sans fighters and gave good &C
count of herself. Visitors to the James.
town exposition will desire to know
something of the interesting history
of the sloop of war Jamestown.
She was built at the Norfolk navy
yard and launched in 1874, and on the
25th of January sailed on her maiden
voyage bound for the African station
and Under command of R. B. Cunning
ham.
She mounted 20 guns. was of 1,15O
register, 1853 feet long, with 32 foot
beam. Her armament was changed
tn 1861 and twenty fear-inspiring mon
sters were put aboard and their noses
pOked through her ports. Fourteen of
these each threw 32-pound shot and
six of them were 8-inch smooth bores.
In March, 1S47, when famine was rag.
ing in Ireland she sailed from Boston,
conveying full cargo of food stuffs,
the gift of America to the Irish peo-
pie.
In July, 1858, the jamestown was at
Havana, as the naval records recite,
ito resist the right of search by Brit.
ish." In October of the same year
she was at Graytown, Nicaragua,
searching for fiilibusters who, under
command of General Walker, sought
to free Cuba by forcible invasion
On June Is, 1861, the jamestown was
commissioned at Norfolk and stood
to sea on June 18th. She was of
charleston, S. c., on August 5, and
chased, ran ashore and burned the
bark Alvanado. She captured the
schooner Charles Aigburth on August
81 and captured, dismantled and scut
tied the schooner Charles Long on
September 4th. She put in at New
York City in September 81, and stood
to sea thence on December Is, under
The head of unfinished business, cap
turing the sloop HavelocE, and on May
l, 1862, captured the prize brig In.
tended. Then she came back to Hamp
ton Roads, within a few miles of he,
native home, and threw shot at the
confederates on Sewell's Point Many
of these missiles have been dug ur
since the excavating for the exposition
buildings began.
The jamestown was a nursery TO,
admirals. At times during her lone
lifetime men whose names are famous
in our naval history sailed in her. w
T. Truxtun commanded her in 1869
Charles V. Gridley in 1864, Henry
Glass in 1880, A. d. Brown in 1882
Bancroft Gherardi in 1870, S. B. Luce
in 1888, c. J. Train in 1886, B. P
Lambertson in 1889, c. F. Goodrich
in 1891, and other honored names are
linked with hers. Representative Har
ry L. Maynard, of the Norfolk district
mas set his heart upon having a war
ship built at the Norfolk navy yart
during the jamestown exposition. HI
has asked the congress to let Norfolk
build another warship, which he will
name jamestown.
The sloOp-Of-war jamestown receiy
ed Alaska from the Car of the Rus
slas and put the Stars and Stripes ov
.er that piece of the frozen north which
Secretary Seward had just bought
from the car.
The jamestown on October s, 1867
lay in the harbor of Sitka, while 9Th,
Russian flag was hauled down and tn.
American flag was hoisted on the gov
eminent house."