The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-03-23
Fifty-Four Years at Sea.

Capt. Willard Mills Of Rockland was on
the Constellation When she Made her
Famous Cruise to Foreign Ports During
the Civil War. Some of his Exciting
Sea Experiences.
Serving three years in the U. S. Navy
| while the Civil War was IN progress, yet
not even remotely connected with the
activities of that great confllct, Capt.
Willard w. Mills of Rockland, Me-, had,
nevertheless, an experience that he
counts as the red letter period OF his 81
years on the ocean wave.
He was one of the 400 men drafted for
service on the frigate Constellation,
whose duty during the Civil War was to
carry the nations flag into foreign ports,
demonstrating to the eastern hemisphere
fthat this country, though torn asunder,
still had place, however humble, among
the world powers.
| The Constellation cruise, during
which it visited ports in Europe, Asia
and Africa, was, under the circum-
stances. one of the most remarkable
peace VOYAGES ever made by an Ameri-
can warship, and Capt. Mills counts it a
privilege to be numbered among the
handful of survivors.
Fiftv-four years at sea, figuring in but
one disaster, is in itself conspicuous
record, but stranger than all else is the
fact that the solitary wreck in which he
was concerned was that of steamboat
in which he had engaged passage for
home after a long coasting trip,
Capt. Mills has another modest claim
to offer in the summing up of his seafar-
ing career-that of having crossed Pc
nobscot bay, from Rockland to the Fox
Islands, more times than any other man
now living. Multiply 365 by 81 and you
get pretty nearly the exact number, for
he was in the packet business 81 years,
and averaged at least one trip day.
One Gay he covered the distance six
times.
Capt Willard Mills was born in Vinal-
haven, December S, 1883, a son of Moses
and Sabra (Calderwood) Mills. The
family consisted of 10 boys, and six girls
After he was s years old, Wizards
schooling was limited to about eight
weeks year, in the winter time. After
one coasting trip, made when he was II,
he chose fisherman career and operat-
ed from Browns banks to the Grand
banks.
At q he went to Labrador in command
of the schooner Oriole, owned by his
father. The schooner cruised as far
north as the straits of Belle Isle, and
was gone about three months. Her fare
consisted of $50 quintals of cod apd her
ring, which sold at So so quintal. The
method of fishing at that time was by
handlines altogether.
DOWN WITH THE MEASLES.
When the war broke out Capt. Mills
hauled up his fishing schooner and at
Boston enlisted for general service in the
navy. After spending four weeks on the
receiving ship Ohio he was drafted for
service on the flagship Hartford, but
next day he came down with the measles,
and in place of winning fame with Far
ragut he nursed his wrath and measles
for five long weeks in Chelsea hospital.
Upon his recovery he was drafted for
the frigate Constellation, which the gov
eminent sent to the Mediterranean on
three years cruise At Gibraltar Com
mander Thatcher found the gun-boat Tus-
carora blockading the rebel privateer
Sumter. The Constellation took the Tus-
carora's place for two weeks while the
latter went into dry-dock at Cadiz.s Capt.
Semmes, the Sumter's famous command
er, was then in London negotiating for
the purchase of the Alabama.
From the storehouses at Spezzia, Italy,
the Constellation took on new supplies
and then went on up the Mediterranean.
The sailors were given shore liberty at
all ports except the Egyptian and As
syrian ports, and were treated with re-
spect, except that the British, whose
sympathies were plainly with the con-
federacy, were inclined to ridicule the
representatives of the U. S. navy"
The officers were handsomely entertain
ed in several foreign ports, and Capt.
Mills still has vivid recollections of a ball
which they gave on board the Constella-
ton while in the harbor of Naples.
At Genoa Capt Mills saw the king of
Italy, whose barge on landing from one
of the warships passed within few feet
of the Constellation. Commodore Thatch-
er ordered the yards manned, and the
royal salute was fired.
While the frigate was lying at Port
Malone orders were received from the
American minister at Madrid to proceed
to Tunis, where an insurrection had brok-
en- out. The Constellation was there and
during the day there arrived IA others
representing dif # erent nationalities.
1IOOPo WclS ldIluSu 1IOlIl d SllCl oLlP
but there was no occasion for fighting.
Queen Victoria's birthday was cele-
brated while this fleet was assembled at
Tunis. All of the ships dressed with
flags, and one ship from each nation fired
the royal salute.
During the three years cruise there
were several accidents and tragedies on
board, the latter followed by the newt
able burial at sea. On one occasion Com
modore Thatcher put in to the Canary
Islands to bury sailor, but the authori-
ties denied him the privilege. Prepare
lions were made for sea burial and the
corpse was laid on the plank ready for
consignment to the deep.
The clerk had read but part of the
Episcopal service when gale arose and
it became necessary to delay the funer-
al" The topgallant and royal yards
were sent down, and, finally, in the shad-
ow of the highest peak of the island of
Teneriffe, the remains found their last
resting place.
Capt. Mills finished the cruise with the
rating of seaman and received $18
EREE===WONT