The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-29
U. S. WAR sLooP JAMEsTowN
NOW In Marine Hospital Service
Guns No Longer Trained on Sew
ellis Point.
Charles Frederick Stansburv.

! W. ""i ""llcSto"H lies OIL Sew
els Point, where a multitude of
men are building the jamestown ex-
position to commemorate the birth of
the nation at jamestown.
Exactly forty-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 smiling with beauty as the scene
now is, it requires an effort of the
imagination 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
several years where she now lies.
Peaceful old age has succeeded her
fiery youth, when she was on Of Un-
Gle Sans fighters and gave a good
account of herself. Visitors to the
Jamestown exposition will desire to
know something of the interesting
history Of the sloop of war James
town.
She was built at the Norfolk navy
yard and launched in 1874 and OH
the 25th Of January sailed on her
maiden voyage, bound for the Afri-
can station and under comand of R.
B. Cunningham.
She mounted 20 guns, was of 1,150
register, 163 feet long, with 80 foot
beam. Her armament was changed
in 1861 and twenty fear-inspiring
monsters were put aboard and their
noses poked through her ports. Four
teen Of these each threw a 32-pound
shot and six of them were S-inch
smooth bores. In March, 1917, when
| famine was raging III Ireland she
sailed from Boston, conveying full
cargo Of food stutfs, the gift of
America to the Irish people.
In July, 1888, the Jamestown was
at Havana, as the naval records rc-
cite, "to resist the right Of search
by British" In October Of the same
year she was at Graytown, Nicaragua,
searching for filibusters who, under
command of General Walker, sought
to free Cuba by a forcible invasion.
On June Is, 1861, the jamestown was
recommissioncd at Norfolk and stood
to sea on June 18th. She was off
Charleston, S. c., OH August 5, and
chased, ran ashore and burned the
bark Alvanado. She captured the
schooner Charles Aigburth on August
81, and captured, dismantled and
scuttled the schooner Charles Long
on September 4th. She put in at New
York City in September '61, and
stood to sea thence on December 15
under the head of unfinished bust
ness, capturing thes loop Havelock
and on May ], 1862, captured the
prize brig Intended. Then she came
back to Hampton Roads, within Il
few miles of her native home, and
threw shot at the Confederates or
Sewell s Point. Many of these mis-.
siles have been dug up since the eX,
cavating for the exposition buildings
began.
The Jamestown was nursery tol
admirals. At times during hef long
lifetime men whose names are famous
in our naval history sailed in her. w
r.. Truxtun commanded her in 1869
Charles V. Gridl4y in 1864, Henr,
Glass in 1880, A. d. Brown in 1882
Bancroft Gherardi in 1870, S.. B
Luce in 1883, G. J. Train in 1886, B
P. Lambertson in 1889, C. r. Good
rich in 1891 and other honored name:
are linked with hers. Representative
Harry l.. Maynard, Of the Norfoll
district, has set his heart upon having
warship built at the Norfolk nav!
yard during the jamestown eXposi
tion. He has asked the congress t
let Norfolk build another warship
which he will name jamestown.
The soop-of-war Jamestown rc
ccivcd Alaska from the Car of th'
Russias and put the Stars and Stripes
over that piece of frozen north whicl
Secretary Seward had just bough
from the Gar.
The jamestown on October 8, 1867
lay in the harbor Of Sitl1a, whil'
"The Russian flag was hauled dowr
and the American flag was hoisted o,
the government house,
Tom no,, -