The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-17

a hospital Admiral Kitty was born at
Annapolis in 1907, and entered the navy
as midshipman on July 4, 1921, when
he was in his fourteenth year He was
nephew OF Hon. William Kitty, the
/ first chief justice of the District of Co
| lumbia. and who was afterward made
| chancellor of MARYLAND.
Kilty's record in the naval service
was most honorable, though unevent-
! full until the outbreak of the civil war.
When the southern states seeded he
was in command of the naval station
at Baltimore, and his patriotism was
proved to be as true as steel during
the critical moments ewhen Baltimore
witnessed many bloody scenes His
services during the war were most gal
liant and valuable to the Union He
was wounded during an engagement
on the Red river with the rebel COM
mander, Fry. Kitty captured Fry, and
the two commanders. who were both
| seriously wounded. lay upon the deck
of the federal gunboat Kilty's atten-
ton to his wounded enemy showed the
magnanimity of a true and brave
sailor, and was one of those incidents
which partly relieve the horrors of war.
1t was while Kitty and Fry were be-
ing nursed by the sisters that the grace
of conversion came to both. Fry is the
same who was afterward captured with
party of filibusters, on the steamer
Virginous, off the coast of Cuba, and
| shot by the Spanish authorities.
Admiral Kilty's last command was
the Roanoke. Afterward he was placed
in command of the Norfolk navy yard
and was subsequently retired His &C
tual rank was that of commodore, but
he was retired with the rank of rear
admiral, conferred by President Grant
as a recognition of his meritoriouS
service. After his retirement he made
his home in Baltimore. where he died
in the year 1879 He was never mar
ried. the duties of his household hav-
ing been performed by his nieces. He
died as he had lived. a sincere Cath
Ollie, comforted and sustained by the
sacraments of holy church. An old
friend of the admiral, in speaking of
his death. remarked: "a nobler soul
never went to Cod
Commodore John Guest who COM
manded the Owasco, of Porter's mortar
fleet during the civil war, was still an
other recruit to Rome. as were Rear
Admirals kirkland and Ammen.
Captain James Hartman Ward, hero
of the Mexican war and the first naval
officer killed in the civil war Cat Ma
thias Point, Va, was also a convert
In the year 1866 occurred the CONVEX
sion of a soldier of fortune whose life
would make an interesting story if
properly told-Rear Admiral William
Theodore de Rohan. He was born in
Washington, d. c., and was the son
of a Swedish nobleman.
Owing to a misunderstanding with
his brother. Rear Admiral Dahlgren,
he gave up his fathers name and as
IL
DE Rohan. While still a young man
he wandered over Europe, and meeting
there Admiral Hobart Pasha, he en-
tered the service of the sultan of Tur-
key with the rank of captain. Leav-
ing the Turks, he went with Garibaldi
to the Argentine Republic, and was in
command Of the naval forces that
brought that country independence.
From the Argentine Republic this rest
less soul passed over to Chile, where
he rose to be admiral-in-chief of the
Chilean navy.
When his old friend Garibaldi began
his Italian campaign, De Rohan hur-
ried over to help him at the same time
that another soldier Of fortune. and
a son of West Point, Washington Tev-
is, was offering to raise company to
defend the pope's dominions. Not only
was De Rohan appointed admiral of
the Italian navy, but collecting all the
money he could spare, he bought three
steamers, the nucleus of the Italian
fleet. During the siege of Rome, De
Rohan commanded the water forces
and supervised the artillery.
From Italy he visited England and
was commissioned commander by the
British admiralty board When the
civil war broke out De Rohan was
most anxious to fight for the Union
but fear of being placed under his
brothers command kept him from of
fering his services to his country. His
zeal in the cause of Mazzini and Carl
baldi ruined him financially, and on
making application to Victor Emman-
uel to reimburse him, that bogus hero
refused to have anything to do with
him. In his poverty and trials he
turned to the Catholic church. our only
solace when all else fails. Like all the
Italian sympathizers, De Rohan had
been an enthusiastic Freemason. 4
Several months ago there was much
written in the English and American
papers concerning the sale of the al
legged flag carrier in the Chesapeake.
the ship commanded by "Don't-give-
up-the-Ship" Lawrence.
1t may interest many to be told that
Lawrence ]. Kip. grandson of the Pro-
testant Bishop Kip of California. is
collateral descendant of Commodore
Lawrence, his grandmother being Law
rence's sister. Mr.. Kip became a Cath
Ollie in 1892. He seems to be we'll pro-
vided with noted relatives for besides
the one mentioned he is a cousin of
the late noted hater of Rome, Bishop
Cleveland Cox, and ex-President Cleve-
land. while his grandfather was a half
brother of the latesE. c. Stedman.
The wife of the late General di Ces-
nola of New York, and her sister, Mrs.
are converts from the family
of another famous American: their
grandfather, Captain S. c. Reid, COM
manded the privateer General Arm
strong against the British in 1914, and
was the original designer of the Ameri-
can flag.
Other convert sons of the navy are:
Captain Long of the L. S. S. Ohio, who
entered the church many years ago:
Commander Lowe, son-in-law of Rich
ard Storrs Willis; DR.. George w.
Wood, U. S. N: Lieutenant James H.
Turner of the Alaska squadron: Cap
tains Bayard and Browne, DR.. John
NJ Bigelow, William Oswald Dundas.
c. S. A: Captain F. H Gerdes and
and Lieutenant Nicholson.
To enumerate the names of convert
relatives of naval officers we would be
obliged to use a much larger space