Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-30
GENERAL AND ADMIRAL
IN THE SAME PERIOD
Francis B. Allen, Naval Veteran Of
Civil War, Claims That Unus-
ual Distinction.
in TWO BRANCHES OF SERVICE.
Resigns From u. S. Service Because Of
Defective Hearing Brought On BY
Exposure.

Francis B. Allen, past junior vice
commander-in-ch of the G. A. r., and
also past comander-in-c chief OF the Ma
tional Association of Naval Veterans.
who says he Is probably the only per-
son in this country holding the rank of
rear-admiral and major general at the
same time is a visitor to Washington
for the 6. A. r. encampment.
Admiral of Major General Allen, as
he may be called, says he is "a years
old. but looks considerably younger.
He told Of the displeasure which he
said existed between the marines and
seamen of the United States Navy dur
ing the Civil War He declared, how
ever, that feeling does not exist in the
navy at this time He said during the
war the marines were looked upon by
the superior officers to see that dis
cipline was enforced among the sea-
men. The marines were sort of po-
licemen and the seamen the public" he
said Thus this sort of superiority of
the marines over the seamen caused
much i'll feeling" he suggested.
Admiral Allen served as an engineer
on the steamer Port Royal, which was
lashed to the steamer Richmond in Au-
gust. 1855. during Admiral Farragut's
engagement at Mobile Bay. He passed
an examination for a commission in the
navy. and on March /. 1862. at thePhil-
adelphia navy yard. was made an en-
sign In that year he was on the Uni
ed States gunboat Port Royal in the
Potomac James, Appomattox and the
Chickahominy rivers
The following year he was on the
United States gunboat Port Royal, in
the east gulf squadron. and on the
same boat the following year in the
west CULTS quadron. In 1865 he was on
the United States ironclad Dictator,
connected with North Atlantic squad
ron. During 1866 and 1867 he was on
special duty in New York The follow
ing year he saw service on the United
States flagship De Sofa with the West
India squadron. 1t was following this
service that Admiral Allen resigned
from the naval service, his hearing
having failed him.
The hearing of the veteran became
affected in 1865. when he was assigned
to deck watch while in New York har-
Dor. The monitor Dictator, on which
he was stationed, had been on a trip
down New York bay. This monitor
was the largest built at that time, be-
ing of 5000 horsepower Admiral Allen
had been i'm charge of the men in the
engine rooms, and upon the return Of
the monitor to New York harbor, Com
modore Rogers had ordered fires
banked" Working in the engine room
during the trip down the bay, i'm a tenn
perature of from 112 to 120 degrees.
the veteran stated, he was very much
overheated. The fire had hardly been
banked when he was ordered to the
deck watch, to keep members of the
crew from deserting.
Commodore Rogers had ordered him
to the deck watch, he said, and, al
though he felt he should not, in the
condition he was in from being over
heated, and as a strong, cold wind was
blowing, he did not want to feel that
he was shirking his duty. 1t was a re
suit of the exposure that night that
his hearing became affected.
Admiral Allen last year was vice
president of the Connecticut branch of
the Society of the War of 1912, and is
a director of the Navy League of the
United States. He is stopping at the
Hotel Evelyn. 18th street and New
York avenue northwest, Washington.
during the encampment.