The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1918-06-28
TUPELO, MISS, JUNE 2s, 1913.
THE QUAINT OLD CAPITAL
OF MARYLAND
written by P. L. Herndon. J

| N1iitICli Wy =. L. IISTHUOH.J
/ was in Annapolis recently and
thought some historical data concern
ing the old town might interest Jour
nal readers.
| The boat races on the beautiful
Severn River was the attraction on
that day. The first race was Navy
plebes against Syracuse, Navy being
loser by less than boats length.
The second race was the Varsity, CO.
Iuanbia University, Pennsylvania and
Navy. Amidst the blowing of whistles
of all sizes, Navy was victorious.
Our stay while in Annapolis was
at Carvel Hall, the stopping place of
all Navy men and their families. This
old mansion was the home of Cover
nor Paca, one Of the first governors
of Maryland, and one of the signers
of the Declaration of Independence.
It is in perfect state of preserva-
ton. The new part of the hotel faces
the Naval Academy grounds and the
Bay. 1t is quite large hotel. If
those old walls Of Carvel Hall could
speak, doubtless some interesting sto-
ries could be told Of political schemes
hatche out affecting both State and
Nation.
/ am very fond of this historic old
place, for it was here my son spent
four years at the Naval Academy,
having graduated two years ago, and
is now lieutenant on the Battleship
Delaware, somewhere in the North
sea. The proudest moment Of my
life was when President Wilson hand
ed him his diploma, admonishing him
at the same time that he was one of
the defenders of our nation. Should
the German high seas fleet emerge
from behind its sheltering mine fields
firmly believe it will go down to
destruction, for America is standing
on this outpost and these boys are
the sons of the men who followed
/ Lee and Grant, and the world has new
er produced better fighters. They
will -, Gown beneath the pillows Of
the cold North sea before they will
lower that flag.
! At the Academy you see in glass
cases many things of interest collect
ed by Naval officers from every quar-
ter of the globe. The flags we have
captured from other nations, one be-
| ing an English flag It is here that
John Paul Jones, our Naval hero, is
buried under the chapel. Ny son told
me it is a facsimile of Napoleon's
ltomb in Paris. It is of Italian mar-
BILE and the names Of the ships he
commanded radiate from the tomb
/ like rays from the. sun. Napoleon's
tomb IS seen from above, but to see
John Paul Jones' tomb you so down
the steps from inside the chapel and
one is on the level with the tomb.
In 1905 the United States government
seemed to wake up and wanted to
honor him after long years, after he
had died in great poverty and in a
foreign land. So Congress made an
appropriation to try to locate his re-
mains. Excavations were begun in
the residence section, of Paris and o
lead coffin was found and his remains
were brought over on a battleship IN
great ponp. However, Congress fail
ed to make any appropriation for his
burial, so on the arrival Of the re-
mains in America the casket was
shipped to Annapolis and placed un-
der the steps inside of Bancroft Hall.
| There 1t remained for two years un-
s the tomb was completed. It was
at this time midshipman wrote a
doggerel about John Paul. The first
verse ran Ike this:
ssTsverv5odv' works but John Paul,
He lays around all day,
IAN bottled up in alcohol,
| On a terrible jag they say;
The darned old loafer."
There is another Naval hero who
has a monument on the Academy
grounds Comnahdcr Herndon.
There stands a marble shaft perhaps
twenty or twenty-five feet tall, the
name Herndon running lengthwise OF
the monument, with the date 1857
across. 1t is beacon light of courage
! to these young Naval officers In
those early days the United States
Navy was small and the midshipmen
were graduated but could not be
assigned to ships, as there were but