Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-09-15
FATE OF FAMOUS
SEA FIGHTER
SIOOp Of War Portsmouth to
Become a Museum.
WILL Be SENT TO CALIFORNIA

serve at Hoboken to Go to San Fran
cisco Around Cape Horn-Govern-
mont Has Given the Tonopah to Jer-
soy Sailors In Her Place.
Nearly threescore years and ten of
usefulness, first as warship and then
as a ship on which fighting men are
trained, the sloop of war Portsmouth Is
to end her days in peace. She will be
sent to San Francisco, where she will
be used as a naval museum. For four
teen years she has been the home of
the First naval battalion, naval re-
serve of New Jersey, and during all
that time she has been moored to piers
at Hoboken, n. j.
For several years the Jersey sailors
have been cramped for room on the old
wooden sea fighter, and the United
States government has given to them
the monitor Tonopah, more modern
ship. The Portsmouth will soon pro-
coed to the Pacific, going around Cape
Horn.
Conspicuous In tho Mexican War.
The state of California has been very
anxious to obtain the old sloop, for she
was one of the most active craft in the
Mexican war, and ii was through her
efforts as blockader that California
was annexed to the Union. On her ar
rival In San Francisco harbor the
Portsmouth will be moored at the foot
of one Of the principal streets. She
was built in 1S43 In the New Hamp-
shire city whose name she bears.
Three years later she broke into fame,
In June, 1916, at the outbreak Of the
Mexican war, when her commander,
John b. Montgomery, took possession
of the harbor of San Francisco, In
which she was the first United States
warship to enter.
In August. 1916. the Portsmouth
took part In the engagement which re-
| suited In the capture OF Los Angeles
on the 18th Of the month. Later she
figured in the capture of Monterey.
The next year (1S4O, in October, her
guns and those Of the United States
steamer Congress bombarded the city
Of Guayamas. which was reduced in a
| few hours.
After the close Of the trouble with
Mexico Captain Andrew III. Foote was
| placed in command of the Portsmouth
| and ordered to China to put an end to
| the attacks of the Chinese on Ameri-
can ships. At that time the Chinese
| treated all English speaking countries
| as enemies.
The big black ship. her sides bris-
| Ting with guns, kept the Chinese quiet
| for a time, but there were occasional
outbreaks In suppressing one Of which
Captain Foote himself led his men in
person.
| 1t was on Nov. 10. 1856 that Captain
| Foote was in a cutter crossing the har-
Dor Of Canton when one of the Chinese
forts opened fire. The fact that the
| American flag was flying made no diff
! ference to the orientals, and when the
fire was taken up by another fort Cap
tain Foote found himself in danger of
a furious crossfre of grape and CAMS
| ter.
Returning to the Portsmouth. Cap
| tain Foote took up position in front
| Of the forts and opened fire. soon ST.
lencing the Chinese guns. More than
500 Chinese were killed. and the lesson
was so sanitary that never again were
Americans in danger.
Through this engagement the Ports
mouth earned her title of the BLACK
| Devil" This was carried until after
the civil war. During the rebellion
she was rather inactive. her principal
service being at the blockade Of the
Mississippi by Farragut.
After the civil war, having become
! ANTICIPATED by the advent of ironclads
and no further opportunities present
ing themselves for her TO distinguish
herself, she lay at anchor at the navy
yard until the Jersey naval reserve
wanted her, and she was turned over
! to 1t for a training ship. For several
years she was moored at the foot of
Fourth street. Hoboken, and later was
taken TO her last berth at the foot vf
| Fifteenth street She Is $50 tons. Full
! ly equipped. she carried twenty-five
| guns and a crew of 161. The Tonopah,
which is expected to arrive within a
| few weeks, will be moored at the same
place. and the Portsmouth will be sent
to the New York navy yard to be pre-
/ Dared for her long VOYAGE