The Republican journal., 1910-06-02
"The Three-Hour Sailor"

L
A Brief Autobiography by DR.. Winslow
From Clarke's Book Herald.
DR.. William H. Winslow is an author
of several books, and as our old veterans
are fast passing away any little article
about them is always of interest to the
public in general. We will tell you 8
little something about his curious career
as quoted from him personally:
81 was born in Belfast, Maine, seventy
long years ago; at least they seem long
when look back, and l presume Theo-
dore Winthrop would say l was another
one of those ID Plymouth Rockers.
"Sir Edward Winslow Of England
helped settle the Plymouth Colony with
some superf1uous sons who did not take
kindly to the salt business, at Droitwitch,
and came over in the Mayflower and other
vessels. Edward becamefamous as Gov
ernor, and Kenelm infamous by getting
into Jail because he would not pay an un-
just tax. The Winslows were a stub
born lot. descended from Kenelm.
after graduating from the Belfast
High lost clerkship by going to tur-
key rifle shooting Thanksgiving morning.
when l was ordered to keep the store
until noon. left dry-goods store be-
cause l talked to the millinery girls and
practiced athletics in the back yard. l
thanked this last proprietor forty years
after for putting me out. Calamities
are sometimes blessings in disguise.
81 got busy with Greek and Latin then,
in order to enter Bowdoin College. My
father had been to college and taught
school before he became an architect,
and he bored me so with parsing and
problems that sneaked my clothes down
to new ship bound for New Orleans and
signed articles to go as sailor before
the mast. Father found me out and led
me home, but was finally permitted to
go with better outfit, washed away by
family tears. That book written by
Richard Dana had caught me. My good
ship Hualco sailed proudly out of Belfast
Bay and struck Saddleback Ledge three
hours later and sank in fifteen minutes.
1t was January and showing. l lost
mothers red Bible and a pepper-bo re-
volver, and missed the latter much.
There was an Assembly Ball in Pierce's
Hall in Belfast. l arrived there at one
A. M. and broke up the dancing, telling
my story. had on sea-boots, peajacket
and Scotch cap and--my girl was there.
l was called the 'Three-Hour Sailor for
several months, when l sailed away on
another ship to Savannah, Liverpool and
and returned home a real
hero with brown face and tar black hands.
"When my gloves wore off and had
some store clothes, l took a job reading
law with the local light and Congress
man and doing copying and janitor SER
vice. Everybody chewed tobacco in those
days and sat around hot stoves Well,
the Honorable suddenly appointed me a
cadet in the Navy because, of thirteen of
the boys, | was the only one who had any
sea experience, and he could excuse him
self to his menacing constituents for
sighting their claims because of my rec
ord, and | entered Annapolis Academy.
Running away to sea and being No.
13 had not been disastrous. we can
most always generally tell.
II entered the Navy in 1858 and the
war rushed and scattered my class into
active service in 1861. | served on nine
different men-ofwar in perilous adven-
lures and expeditions; helped batter down
Sumter and smash Moultrie, rescue
negroes; burn plantations; capture block
ade runners, and fought the enemy
wherever possible. Much of this expert
ence is described in the romances of
Southern Buds & Sons of War; 'Cruis-
ing and Blockading, and The Sea Let
ters, which | have written leisurely from
crowding "reminiscences. Of my call to
literature and record of the social life
of the South, permeated with the clash
of arms and the glories of military and
naval life, let the public judge by my
looks, which are growing fast into de-
served appreciation.
"Major Bean, y. S. A., a veteran of
the Regulars, wrote: Southern Buds is
perfectly splendid nothing to change or
criticize. Gen. Wilson says: Your des-
cription of negro and white plantation
life and marching through Georgia, in
Southern Buds, is exact and thrilling
And last, Rear Admiral W. S. Cowles,
of the Bureau of Equipment, Of the U.
S. Navy, at Washington, sent an official
communication to the author. " The Bu-
reau begs to inform you that Southern
Buds and Sons of War" will be purchased
from time to time as libraries are needed
for the ships of war through the Navy
Pay Office in New York. >"
The author retired from the Navy
sometime after the Civil War had ended,
spent years of study, tutoring and lee
turing at the University of Pennsylvania,
where he took the degrees of M. D. and
Ph.D. He is member of the Masonic
fraternity, of the G. A. r. and of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of
the United States, and resides at Rox-
bury, Mass.