The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-02

The intense interest at the present
time on all sides in everything thai
concerns Alaska's commerce, progress
and HISTORIAN interest stimulated
and augmented by the Alaska Yukon
Pacific exposition to be held at Seat
tie in 1909, has brought to light an odd
hit of secret history of the times of the
civil war.
| It now appears from the story of an
old sailor who fought under Admiral
Farragut that the purchase of Alaska
from Russia in 1867, for $7,200,O0O by
William H. Seward, secretary of state,
was not only made to please Russia
and to express the thanks of the Unit
ed States for Russias friendship for
the north, by taking from the car at
a high figure what he thought was a
bit of useless property, but was also
part of deeply laid plot of the diplo-
macy of those stirring times. In fact,
if would look now as if the purchase
of Alaska were a portion of the price
that the United States paid Russia
for keeping 100000 men at Kronstadt
curing the latter years of the war in
order to have them available at once
for American use and for embarkation
on active service as an ally of the
north, did Great Britain openly espouse
the cause of the cOnfederacy.
And another portion of the service
rendered by Russia for the Alaskan
purchase price was the loaning of 500
of her best sailors 70 rservice in the
American fleet, with Russian officers
to translate the orders of the Amer-
can commanders. These men, accord
ing to the story of the old sailor,
fought for some months under Farra-
gut, made brilliant showing and fin
ally were shipped back to their native
shore in the same surreptitious man.
ner that marked their arrival.
The story is given in recent news
paper article. The writer, Gabriel
Justus Dahlgren, relates that he got
the story from a resident of Salem.
Ore, one Thomas Thompson, a we'll
known old sailor Of that place, who for
years had been the town drunkard.
but who was picked up by the Saliva
ton Army and turned into a RESPONSE
BILE citizen. Thompson was born in
Finland. and has undergone several
chnages of name, being rechristened
Ivan Ivanoff when he entered the Rus
sian navy, according to the custom of
that service. His present name was
obtained by him the last time he
shipped on an American vessel.
Your Nance" asked the skipper, the
first day out.
Anderson, sir" he replied.
We've four Andersons already,
your name is Thomas Thompson,
said the skipper.
TT is well-sounding name, sir,
said Anderson and to this day he has
retained it.
The story of Thompson is as follows:
I'm 1863 1 found myself after con-
siderable travelling about the world, a
sailor On a Russian man-owar.
Some time in 1854 1 think in May,
| while my ship was at KrOnStadt, Rus
STA, l was asked if 1 were willing to
go to the United States and serve in
the navy. 1 was asked by a Russian
officer in Russian uniform. l was per-
fectly willing, and with some four or
five hundred other sailors from Rus
sian men, of-war lying at Kronstadt,
was placed aboard a German passenger
steamer and sailed for New York.
I'VE landed at New York in the
night time, and were at once taken to
the Brooklyn navy yard, where within
half an hour, we took the oath of al
legiance to the United States and to
serve in the United States navy as long
as needed. We then changed our Rus
sian uniforms for those of the United
States navy. With us were our Rus
sian officers, who could speak English.
captains and lieutenants, who were also
sworn into the United States navy, and
who changed their uniforms for those
of corresponding rank in the United
States navy. 1t was necessary to have
| our own officers. because none of us
sailors could speak English; and our
Russian officers repeated the COM
mands of the American officers.
I'VE were all placed aboard a trans
port, and that same night before day
light, the night we came there. sailed
to join Admiral Farragut's fleet.
I'VE joined the fleet in tn eMississip-
pi river below New Orleans. and were
distributed among the men of war. |
going to the Hartford, the admirars
! flagship. We were all sailors, and our
duty was to manage the ship but in
case of necessity, we helped the gun
ners.