The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-02-01
Farragut at New Orleans.
. neuand for the Surrender of the City.
Ry CAPT. JOHN o. JOHNSON.

Icing nv last United States navy artl-
w VIZ. the battle of Mobile Bay, am
the opinion that | made solemn
-o,,ise that would not again trespass
vou or the readers of The Journal
C:-c,,r stances over which seem to have
:, control have melted me to write
I'LL another, but as Rip Van Wrinkle
-onld say: I'VE will not count this. "
Iem receipt of letter from my old
animate and companion, Captain Thomas
Woodward of New Orleans, native
# Damarscotta, who was a gallant
afFc4r in the U. S. Navy during the war
= The Rebellion and since the war a
ms~her Of the firm of Wright & Wood
1 o,s,.l of New Orleans. The senior MEM
her Of this firm is native of Knox
COUNTY For four years Captain Wood
ra, As The postmaster at New Or
,ss,s appointed to that position by
Pres -1t Roosevelt. He declined a re-
amendment by reason of his age, hav-
passed his S0th mile stone. His sue
,sss.r was a Confederate General, of
rbf,. renlion was made in The Journal
az Zoe inc. Capt. W. writes me that
.t- raa appointed to succeed him got
inf middle in his accounts and was
cancelled to resi- gn under a cloud, and
-ss-v I'll the inhabitants of that great
city c.amored for his reappointment-
ree. women and children signing petit
to- TO that effect. But he felt compelled
10 decline that great honor for the same
reason that induced him to refuse re-
appointment two years ago, viz. advanc-
ag years. He informs me that the
reason his administration of the office
vas 50 successful was that he had the
Whole apartment under the discipline of
the {. S. Navy. Some four hundred
employ ees, including mail carriers, were
psii a that Office, together with his own
.asry, s., 900, and when the final settle
mem was made, which was not for a
wear after the expiration of his term of
Office. Il was found that the government
was Indebted to him in the sum of fifty
.-nts His letter has set me to thinking
Of .5- contrast in that city now and fifty
wears ago. He who is today one of the
must highly respected citizens of New
Orleans, honored by both old and young,
49, woo tho
O.. az otficer of the U. S. Navy, when the
Il of any officer wearing that uniform
would not have been worth a farthing in
that city were it not for the fact that
Fsuagut's victorious feet laid off the
CIT. ready to open fire on it if any officer
t.-l nat fleet was molested or insulted
II any manner while on shore, demand
In tie unconditional surrender of that
# t9 the U. S. Navy. The story is an
messing one, and full of thrilling cpl
rs and thinking that perhaps that it
wi interest part of your readers is my
s0E for giving it, which do in full:
4- clock p. M, A pril 25, 1862, Far
u squadron having completed its
roable passage of Forts Jackson and
s. ip and having silenced the Chal-
e latteries, anchored in front of the
att # New Orleans in drenching rain
T Captain Theodorus Bailey the
s.e.l in command, claimed the privilege
| 0, .rrying on shore the demand for the
s-" aier of the city. This was accord
by the flag officer, and Commo-
]lr. Bailey, accompanied by but one
+cr, Lieut.. George H. Perkins of the
| lag nip Hartford, landed for that pur-
/ pose and proceeded to the city hall to de-
| 7an' the surrender of the city from
Mayor Monroe. No more memorable
. MACH had been witnessed since the
| cragg4 of the Light Brigade. On land
ing they found fully $4,000 angry, insult
5g Feople to meet them, who heaped up
OF ,hem all the vile and insulting epithets
to be found in both the English and
The French language. Thirty thousand
the people of New Orleans claimed
he rejection of the Free Oh flag during
hat var, but they belonged to the home
guards and together with the Italian
hugs u the city were very turbulent
Ind vicious set, who had not the man.
l9)1 to go to the front as did large
part Of the respectable men of the city.
liese, with the fallen and vile women of
lie cl'y-the vilest of any city on the
eminent at that time-were largely the
caSs Of people that met the gallant old
Dommodore Bailey and his brave COM
sanlon, Lieutenant Perkins, as they
snded on the levee, through which they
We're compelled to make their way for
more than a mile to reach the mayors
Sihce at the city hall. They were SUBJ
Fcted to all the indignities that could
" heaped upon them as they marched
lFoagh the streets. Men would ap-
yfoach them and shake their fists in
@slf faces, Or get in front of them and
POINT their revolvers at them and threaten
shoot, railing at them with the vilest
sAguage at their command, which was
saying much. 1t took all the efforts of
VIZ city marshal and his entire force to
NOtect them from bodily harm. Indeed.