The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-12-26

near --ttuilItl james II. tlill>, l. >
n, retired, a gallant officer of the old
navy. died December 8. 1910. at Mel
bourne Beach, Florida, of paralysis
He had made his winter home in Flor
ida for several wears. Mrs. David Muir
ray of Binghamt0n, New York. is his
daughter. and other surviving children
are H. H. ellis and Lyle n. ellis of
Washington, and ieut.-Comdr. |. V.
ellis, L. $. \. \ brother, B. ". ellis.
also survives.
Rear Admiral J. H. ellis was born
near Ridgeway, Pennsylvania. May ii,
1881, of Scotch ancestry, his father be
ing an officer in the War of 1872. AMI
afterward one of the pioneer settlers of
Psnnsy lvania. He entered the United
States Navy in 1913. cruised in the
West Indies and on the coast of Africa
IN the frigates Raritan and Dale. and
was graduated from the United States
Naval Academy in 1854 He had a
wide range Of service and a fine record.
In 1859. while a lieutenant on board the
United States steamer Supply at Monte
vlde0, he saved the lives of three men,
whose vessel, the Argentine schooner
Filomena, had been wrecked in a pam
pero. For this act of heroism he re-
celved the thanks of the Argentine gov
eminent, and thirty years after the Off
GERS of the Argentine navy presented
to him medal of steel and gold mount
ed in diamonds, commemorative of the
exploit.
He participated in the first naval en-
counter Of the Civil War. between the
! United States frigate st. Lawrence and
the Confederate privateer Petrol the lat
ter being sunk. He served in the Sus-
quehanna of the Mediterranean squad
ron; was with the South Atlantic block
aiding squadron, and after being am
pushed at Slaums Bluff by battery and
two regiments drove them off. for which
he received a commendatorv letter from
the secretary of the navy. He was in
command of the steamer Commodore
Morris at the battle of jamestown
Landing. In the taking of Mobile his
vessel, the monitor Milwaukee. was
blown up by the torpedoes in Mobile
Bay. After this he volunteered for and
received command of a naval battery
on shore and assisted at the taking of
the Spanish fort. He was afterward
promoted for gallantrv by act of con
gress and received the special com
mendation of the secretary of the navy.
While in command of the Elk he went
/ to the assistance of Admiral Porter's
feet, when he was up the Red River
! with Bank 5 expedition. He was also
in command of the Monongahela and
Scioto of the West Gulf blockading
squadron. While in command of the
United States steamer Wateree in the
harbor of africa. Peru. his vessel alone
escaped total destruction by the tidal
wave and earthquake of 1868. The re
ceding waters left the Wateree safely
lodged between the hillocks half a mile
inland. uninjured. and none on board
the worse for the involuntary cruise.
|, For his services to those rendered dest-
tute by the catastrophe he afterward
received the thanks of the English gov
eminent. He reached the grade of cap
tain in 1887.
In 1881. while in command of the
United States steamer Lackawanna, he
successfully arbtrated and concluded a
treaty of peace between the rival kings
of Samoa, Nalliatoa and Tamasese. In
1883 he was placed in command of the
South Atlantic Station. In 1892 he was
ordered as member of the lighthouse
board. on which duty he remained unt11
his retirement. Nav Il. 1892. he hav-
ing reached the limit of age on the
active list. He spent number of years
with his family in Binghamton, and was
well known to most of the older citi-
zens.
The funeral of the late Commodore
J. H, ellis. t. 5. n, took place at
one-thirty p. m. December from the
Church of the Covenant, Washington.
D. c., and the burial was at Arlington.
with full military honors. The pail
bearers were Rear-Admiral II. l. Cone,
engineer-in-chief. [. s. n: Comdr c.
", Dyson, I. s. n; Lieut. -Comdr. R.
w. McNeelv, T.. 5. n: Lieut-Comdr
r. Mclean, [. s. n. and G. w Little
hales. R. L. Frazier. T. \. Witherspoon
AMI F. J. Ryan