The New York herald., 1922-08-27
Last Call to Grog.
Admiral O'Neil Tells of Mournful
Occasion Sixty Years Ago.


sary OF the day which saw the passing
Of the spirit ration in the United States
Navy. for on September l, 1869, the act
OF Congress went into effect abolishing
1t as part Of the navy ration.
| On that date I was an acting master
attached to the United States gunboat
Tioga, lying at anchor off Fort Powha-
tan, an abandoned earthwork on The
James River some fifteen miles below
Harrisons Landing, where McClellan's
army was encamped, and at noon on
August 81 all hands were piped to splice
the main brace. as we had no drummer
to announce the ceremony.
1t was not regarded as a festive occa-
sion, as all hands knew it was the last
day OF grace and Jack did not take
kindly to being deprived of his grog. IN
place OF which he was to receive five
cents a day.
As ! am probably one Of the few re-
naming officers of the navy. if not the
last one. who presided at the grog tub.
it may be of interest to some of your
readers to learn something about that
ceremony, for such 1t was, which passed
into history on that occasion.
For several months / was mate of
the gun deck on board the frigate Cum
berland, and one OF my duties was 20
attend at the serving out OF grog, whi,h
took place at noon on the half deck.
which was the after end of the gun deck,
on the starboard side.
At little before noon I used to get
the key of the spirit room from the
Captains orderly and hand 1t over TO
the purser's steward, who with his as
s,stant, the Jack the Dust, would open
the spirit room, get out the grog tub.
hoops and brass hasp and paddock, and
take II to the usual place, and then in
form the officer of the deck that every
thing was ready and sentinel in at
tendance, and when eight bells struck
the drummer would roll to grog, long
roll on tenor drum being the usual
signal, which was soon followed by the
tramp Of mems feet responding to the
welcome call to grog.
Inside the grog tub was half shelf
few inches below the top, which was
perforated with holes and on which
stood several little tin cups or tots, as
they were called, which held gill each.
These the pursers steward would fill to
the brim. and as the pursers clerk called
the mems names they stepped UP and
took their grog neat and fell back to
make room for others. The boys were
not allowed grog, SO their names were
not called, nor were the names Of MEM
bers of the crew whose grog was stoppsA
as punishment.
1t took some time to serve out grog
to large ships company. but it was
done as quickly as possible, the grog
tub returned to the spirit room, the
keys returned to the orderly and the
officer of the deck informed and tho
fact entered in the log that grog was
served to the crew.
While the new order Of things was
very unpopular 1t was accepted with
better grace than might have been ex-
pected under the circumstances.
1t should be remarked that the So
called spirit room on man of war was
not room in the generally understood
sense but was the after hold below the
crlop deck, the space between it and the
berth deck above being called the cock
pit. in which was room for the Cap
tains clerk and one on the opposite
side for the purser's clerk and some
storerooms for clothing. tobacco, soap
and so-called small stores.
The following verses appropriate to
the passing of grog were written by
Paymaster Schenck of the navy. The
scene was supposed to be the ward
room of some United States vessel and
the air Come. Landlord. Fill, the Flow
ing Bowl:
Come. messmates, pass the bottle round,
Our time Is short, remember,
For our grog must stop and spirits drop
On the first day of September.
Farewell, old rye, tits sad. sad word,
But alas. it must be spoken:
The ruby cup must be given up
And the demijohn be broken.
Jacks happy days will soon be gone.
To return again, OH never;
For they've raised his pay five cents day
But stopped his grog forever.
Yet memory oft will backward turn
And dwell with fondness partial
On the days when gin not a sim.
Nor cocktails brought courts-martiai.
All hands to splice the main brace call.
But splice II now in sorrow,
For the spirit room key will be laid away
Forever on tomorrow.
CHARLES O'NErL,
Rear Admiral, U. S. NJ, Retired