The Republican journal., 1913-02-06

mander in the U. S. Navy in 1861 and ir
1862 was in command of the U. S. Frig.
ate Congress, which ship was surrender.
ed to the Rebel Ram Merrimac at the
time that the ship Cumberland was sunk
by the Confederate Ram Merrimac or
that ever to be remembered dark April
day in the history of the nation. Com
mander Smith was killed before the sur
render of the Congress. While this
naval fight was going on the shores al
Newport News were lined with specta.
tors. among whom was Commodore
Smith, and when he saw the flag come
down on the Congress he was heard te
exclaim, Joe is deadr' When asked his
reasons for thinking so, he said, eff Joe
We're alive the flag would not have beer
hauled down." 1t was soon learned that
Commander Smith was killed before the
surrender.
There was another Maine man who
took an active part in that unequal fight.
Dc IL ltllItilIbtlttl l!ldI lIG wv NIlpS,
Congress and Cumberland, were sailing
ships, laying at anchor in a dead calm
and had no chance to maneuvre The
Merrimac sneaked up under the bows of
these ships as they lay at anchor and the
broadside guns of neither ship could
be brought to bear on her. Had these
two ships been provided with two tug
boats each, one on each quarter, to en-
able them to shift their positions, the re-
suit would have been different. The only
time that the Cumberland got her broad
side guns to bear on the Merrimac was
when the ram came up alongside for the
purpose of ramming her The Cumber-
land then got a few broadsides at her,
which made her tremble, started some
Of her planking and set her to leaking,
also wounding her commander and few
others. The Cumberland continued ito
fire at the ram until she sank, and the
men stood to their guns until the water
came into their muzz!es, and nearly half
of that brave and gallant crew went TO
the bottom with her.
No Drawer vessel ever flung her pen
nant to the breeze or died grander
death. Having written of this engage
nent before only mention it now to
show that one of the brave officers who
helped to fight on that ship that day was
Lieut.. Thomas O. Selfridge of Portland,
who was the Executive Officer and is now
4 Rear Admiral
| call TO mind one other regular officer
from Maine who took an active part in
the war Of the Rebellion. Capt. James
Alden of Bah, who commanded the
steam frigate Brooklyn at the fight in
Mobile Bay. But having previously
written up that engagement for The
Journal it is unnecessary to 90 into
details now
now come to the volunteer officers
from Maine in the U. S. Navy during
the war of the Rebellion, of which the
State has no record. Early in the war
of the Rebellion it was found that we
had no navy to speak Of. We had only
about 40 ships of all classes, and but one
single ship in the home squadron that
was fit to go into action. Secretary of
the Navy Toucey, being a rebel sympa-
thizer, either had all the ships on foreign
stations or had them stored away at Cos
port Navy yard at Norfolk, Va. The
officers of this yard proved about all
traitors, as they did at Pensacola yard,
and it is well known history how that
yard fell into the hands of the traitors,
who took with them about one sixth of
the entire navy; and as the ships were
ordered home more than half of their
officers resigned and went south with
their people. 1t is not well known to all
that the late Admiral Schley was one of
these. But after being absent from his
ship for 48 hours he returned on board
and took the iron-clad oath of allegiance
to the United States and was ever after
true to his allegiance until his DEATH 1t
will be remembered that he was a native
of Maryland.
Our ships. and the number of officers,
were so few that when President Lin
coin issued his proclamation early in 1861
declaring the ports of the Southern States
under state of blockade, he was laugh
ed at, and with scorn, by the nations of
Europe, who wished for, and prayed for,
our destruction. England, France and
Spain and the Prime Minister of Eng
land, Lord John Russell, issued mani
festo to the people of these nations, adj
vising them to pay no attention to the
proclamation of President Lincoln, tel
ling them that its full value was the cost
of the paper it was written on and that
it was but paper blockade, anyway,
as we had no ships and no officers and
men to enforce it. But he had reckoned
without his host, and was not as wise as
he thought. He had overlooked the fact
that at that time we had the finest Mer-
chant Marine in the world, from which
the secretary of the navy drew ships and
officers, and before the bombastic mani
festo of Lord John Russell had got fair