The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-01-31


French. In Lincoln's first administra-
ton Gideon Welles became Secretary
of the Navy and Ezra B. French be-
came End Auditor of the Treasury
Dept, and when the reports of the en-
gagement with the ram were received
at Washington Lieutenant Commander
Rowe of the Sassacus received orders
from the navy department to recon-
mend acting master G. A. Boutelle for
promotion, which he did. But he could
not recommend him without recon.
mending another acting master, who
was Mr.. BOutelle's senior in rank and
was the executive officer of the ship; so
G. A. BOutelle were recommended for
promotion, the report saying that these
two officers were as cool and as fearless
in action as at general exercise.
have previously stated that in Can.
tain Rowe's first report no officer was
mentioned for promotion. This can be
authenticated by look at that report.
which will be found on page 1871, vol. g.
series /, of the Official Naval Records
On page TAO appears the next report,
which contains the recommendation
for the promotion of these two officers.
This report had to 60 through the hands
of flag officer Smith, who, though Obliged
to forward it, would not approve it. In
deed, he sent vigorous protest against
their promotion, claiming that they did
no more than many other officers in the
field; also claiming that the Sassacus
did not do the execution that Captain
Rowe claimed she did. This engendered
bad blood between Capt. Smith, Lieut..
Commander Rowe and Boutelle that
lasted as long as they lived. Several
magazine articles appeared in relation
to that fight twenty years later, con-
tinuing the controversy between the
officers on board the flagship Massa
besset and the Sassacus. Capt. Smiths
record was a little unsavory by reason
OF the way he had conducted the fight,
and his remonstrance against the pro-
motion of these officers was of no avail.
But he did not fail to let it be known,
as far as he dared, that these officers
were promoted by reason of favoritism
of the department, which caused great
dissatisfaction among the officers of the
fleet. But they were most incensed
against Capt. Smith, for had the fight
been properly conducted we should
have all been promoted in accordance
with his promise to us made before the
fight.
By reason of that promotion G. A.
Boutelle was enabled to fight his way
into Congress subsequently to be
placed on the retired list as captain
in the navy, and it caused a wave of
dissatisfaction to roll over the breasts
of the volunteer officers of the navy to
have him thus honored, when at about
the same time the gallant Fred Nickels
of Searsport, in command of the gum
boat Ella Il Annie, recaptured the
steamship Chesapeake, steamer ply
ing between New York and Portland,
which was captured by pirates styling
themselves Confederates, off Cape Cod
on the night of Dec 9, 1868, killing the
End engineer for his refusal to give up
the engine room to them. They fled
with the Chesapeake into British wat
ers, where few days later she was
captured by Capt. NickelS, who had
been sent in pursuit of her. Twenty
years later, when he had become
physical and mental wreck, as had Cap
tain Boutelle, the latter was placed on
the retired list, while Nickels was per-
mitted to die in the hospital at Sailors
Snug Harbor, Staten Island, New York,
although the government he had served
so faithfully and so we'll had been fire.
quently importuned to come to his re-
lief, but failed to take the slightest no.
tice of the appeals made in his behalf.
[ will close this somewhat lengthy
epistle by giving letter of congratula-
ton of the Secretary of the Navy to
Capt. Smith, which is as follows:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, |
May 25, 1864.
Sir: l have had great satisfaction
in receiving and perusing your re-
port as the senior officer present
and the reports of the commanding
officers of the several vessels that
were engaged in the encounter with
the rebel ironclad ram Albermarle
and her tender on the afternoon of
the 5th, instant, in the Albermarle
Sound. The department congratn-
lates all of the officers and men of
the United States Navy who par
ticipated in this remarkable con-
test between wooden gunboatS and
formidable armored vessel, in
which the latter was forced to re-
treat to prevent capture, and it par
ticularly thanks you for the vigilant
use of the means placed at your
command to thWart the designs OF
the rebels to regain control of the
sounds CT North Carolina.
Very respectfully, etc,
GIDEON WELLEs,
Secretary of the Navy.
CAPT. MELANCTON SMITH,
Senior Officer Sounds of North
Carolina