The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-08-20
Early Incidents
OF the Civil War
THE STORY OF THE FRIGATE
CUMBERLAND.
BY CAPTAIN JOHN Q. JOHNSON OF
LIBERTY, ME.

LIBERTY, ME.
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL:
A few wears ago | wrote series OF ar
ticles relative to the U. S. Navy which
were published in The Journal and
which | have reason to believe were
well received by the intelligent read
ers of your valuable paper. Many who
read those articles are like Pip IN Dick
ems "Great Expectations" continual
ly calling for MORE" and this is my ex-
cuse for again troubling you to read
nv poor manuscript and to correct
the bad spells. Though l have not the
personal knowledge Of the events l am
about to describe that l had in relation
to those of which | have previously
written, yet circumstances made me
yery conversant with my present SUBJ
iect. which is the old U. S. Frigate Cum
berland, sailing ship that was very
much in evidence before and at the be.
ginning of the war of the rebellion and
which was sunk by the rebel ram Merrl-
mac at Newport News, April 8, 1862.
Since that time she seems to be as near
ly forgotten as was old quartermaster
Bill Conway; and yet the name of that
gallant old ship and her noble officers
and brave crew should live as long as
the history OF the U. S. navy, for they,
like CONWAY. refused to strike their
colors to the rebels, and the gallant old
ship went to the bottom with her colors
fyipg at the masthead, and their battle
cry was, NO surrender" They stood
by their guns until she sank, large
number of the killed and wounded 60
ing to the bottom in the noble old ship
after doing all that it was possible Tor
brave men to do in her defence. The
history of the world records no Drawer
fight than that of the officers and crew
of the Cumberland. They well knew
that their case was a hopeless one, ana
yet they stood to their guns and fought
on until the water flowed into Ghelr
muzzles. They knew the ship was
doomed and yet they would not sur
render. At that time momentous events
were tumbling over each other in such
rapid succession that these brave men
were forgotten, even by the navy de-
partment. 1t was more than year
before the saved received any compen-
sation for their effects that went down
in the ship, and the good old ship, her
brave officers and crew, have never had
their proper place in history, and be-
iieve that if the question was asked to-
dav. what about the Cumberland"
not one in ten thousand of our people
could give the correct information.
The Cumberland was first class
sailing frigate of l, 726 tons burden, and
was one of the largest ships OF our Ma
w at the time she was built. Her keel
was laid at the CharleStown, Mass,
Navy yard in 1925, but she was not
completed until 1912. 1t is something
of coincidence that the Cumberland
and the Merrimac that sunk her were
both built in the CharlestoWn Navy
ward, the latter in 1856. The Merrlmac
was one of the largest and best ships OF
our Navy at the beginning of the War
of the Rebellion. She was about 5000
tons burden. | will give the history of
these two ships, built at the same yard,
one destroyed by the other, and the
events that led up to that engagement,
as best | can, though l find it no easy
matter to present plain narrative aid
ed only by tradition and miscellaneous
reports from dozen or more officers
who had to do with the events.
The Cumberland was of the same
class of ships as the Potomac, Brandy
wine, Columbia, Savannah. Rarltan, 81.
Lawrence, Santee and Sabine. The
latter ship was at Belfast on recruiting
service during the War OF the Rebel
lion and many of the Belfast boys
shipped in her. The Cumberlands
first cruise was as Flagship of the Med
iterranean squadron. Her commander
was Commodore Joseph Smith.
Here | will dlgress to say that Com
modore Smith was a Maine man, a
native of Newcastle, l think, but for
several wears was resident of Belfast,
from which port he sailed as mate of
merchant ships. The late Captain
Frank Russ sailed with him as a boy.
He was later merchant in Belfast
occupying a store Gu Phoenix Row.
[Williamson's History says that Joseph
Smith, who came here in 1915 or 1877,
with Capt. Daniel Whittier built and
occupied the brick store on Main street
now occupied by Shales & Follett. Ed.
journal At the beginning Of the
War of the Rebellion Admiral Smith
was retired, but although so years OF
age he was the Chief of the Bureau of
Yards and Docks in Washington, ID. Z.
A letter to him from friend OF his in
Belfast was OF great help to me when L
entered The Navy in 1861. 1t was his son
Joseph Bryant Smith, born in Belfast,
Dec. 30, 1926, who had command OF the
Sloop of War Congress that surrender
ed to the Merrimac. AT the time of the
sinking of the Cumberland Admiral
Smith, with many officials from Wash
ington, was on shore at Newport News
and when he saw the flag come down
on board the Congress the old hero ex-
claimed, sorrowfuily: "Joe is dead!
When asked why he thought so, he re-
piled, ''If Joe was alive that flag would
not have been hauled down" 1t was
soon learned that Joe had been killed
and that the young lieutenant in CON-
mand after the death of Commodore
Smith, losing his head, lowered the flag
to the enemy. 1t was the only ship to
do so during the War of the Rebellion.
But to resume the narrative. The
Cumberland was later the flagship OF
the African squadron, with Commo-
dore Converse in command, and in 1860
was the flagship OF the home squadron
in command of Commodore Fender
grast. She sailed from the Navy yard
at Portsmouth, n. H., in September
1860 and was stationed in the Gulf of
Mexico, near Vera Cruz until Febru-
airy, 1861, when the rapid progress OF
events led to the secession of the Gulf
States and caused her recall to Hamp
den Roads, where she arrived in March,
1861.
At that time the excitement ran very
high at Norfolk and many inducements
were held out for the crew to desert,
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