Evening journal., 1911-06-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The SaiIOrman'S Speech
That Captiyated a Great
Orator
By aHOIIsnd.r

A few weeks after the historic naval
battle in Hampton Roads, in the early
spring of 1862, between the Merrimac
and the Monitor, a great mass meeting
was held at the Academy of Music in
New York city to celebrate the triumph
of the little Cheese box on a raft"
which came unexpectedly into Hamp-
ton Roads On the evening of the day
when the Merrimac had destroyed two
United States men-of-war. the Cum
berland and the Congress.
The chairman Of the meeting was
William r. Dodge, of national reputa-
tion as a philanthropist, member Of
one of the greatest mercantile firms
OF the time, and at one time a member
of Congress- William NJ Evarts, who
needs no introduction even at this day,
was the chief speaker of the evening
The great building was thronged TO its
capacity The stage was brilliantly
decorated with flags and streamers.
The audience was keyed to very
high pitch of excitement.
Mr.. Dodge made a brief speech af-
ter calling the assembly TO order and
then introduced Mr Evarts. The great
head of the American bar, and famous
as an orator, made as impassioned an
address as he ever delivered. Then,
when the tumultous applause which
came at the close of the speech had
died away, Mr.. Dodge rose and said:
I'VE have upon the platform a sailor
who is a survivor of the gallant crew
of the man-of-war Cumberland which
he
will all be glad to hear his description
of the battle"
Mr.. Dodge led forward a man Of
modest appearance, a young man per-
haps thirty years of age, who seemed
not at all abashed by the great tribute
which went up from that vast audience
to him. He stood modestly, smiling
slightly, awaiting the moment when
what he said could be heard. At last
he began:
Il suppose you all would like to
know just how that battle was fought;
WELL l saw it and / can tell you The
captain of the Merrimac called out
with loud voice to the captain of our
ship just as he was closing up on us:
Will you surrender?
Says our gallant captain. Never.
And then he put a broadside at the
Merrimac, but the balls were only
hailstones against her armor.
Then the captain of the Merrimac
ran his ship into the side of the Cum
berland and il shook her like a leaf
When he drew the Merrinac back
there was a great hole in the side of
the Cumberland and the water rushed
in.
Once more the captain of the Mer-
rimac says in a loud voice:
Now, will you surrender?
Says our gallant captain again
Never So the Merrimac gave us her
broadside, and as We went down then
/ took a dead bead on her captain and
he must have felt it, because l heard
that he was shot
That was all that this sailor, James
NARROW, by name, said. But the great
audience went wild with enthusiasm.
They saw the battle as this plain
spoken sailor had described it. And as
the multitude before him was shouting
itself hoarse, William M. Evarts went
up to James Marlow and took his
| hand and his voice shook with emo
tion as he said
you have described a great sea
battle better than IL has ever been
described before and / want to say
to you that if at any time you need
assistance of any kind you must come
TO me
Sixteen years later, when William
Nj. Evarts was Secretary of State
there came to him one day a gentle
man who asked him if he remembered
James NARROW and the description he
gave of the battle between the Merri-
mac and the Cumberland at the great
meeting in the Academy of Music.
We'll" said the gentleman, James
NARROW is in need of help. He has a
large family and he finds It almost i'm
possible to support them. He thinks
you may keep your promise to him"
10 certainly will keep my promise
said the Secretary of State; and
picking up his pen he wrote as follows
to Thomas L, James, then Postmaster
of New York and now the dean Of ma
tional bank presidents of the United
| States:
"In 1862 I promised to help James
NARROW If he ever needed help. He is a
survivor of the man-of-war Cumber-
land that went down in the battle with
the Merrimac az Hampton Roads viii
you now aid me in redeeming my
, promise 10 hlm?"
Five days after Postmaster James
received this letter from the Secretary
of State he appointed James Marlov
to a position in the New York post
office. and there, until the day of mis-
death, MARROW proved as faithful {
civil servant as he had been sailor.
Copyright, 1911, by F. j. Edwards. AL
rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
"The House that Defeated n Senator