Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


lief Board as one of the principal legis-
lative acts of the extra session Of Con-
gfess in fulfillment of campaign pledges,
and the nearing completion of the new
administration building for the Depart
ment Of Agriculture, call attention to
this great branch of the Government.
Although the Department OF Agrtcul.
sure dates only from 1852 as an in.
dependent department, 1t really traces
its origin back to Washington and
Franklin.
Washington in his last message to
Congress advocated the organization OF
a Government branch to care for the
interests of farmers; while Franklin,
when agent of Pennsylvania in Eng
land, sent home silk-worm eggs and
mulberry cuttings, thus setting a prece-
dent since followed by United States
consuls all over the world, through
whose efforts new and valuable species
of plants, fruits and domestic animals
have been successfully introduced.
The official history of the department
dates from 1889, when Congress made
first appropriation of $1,000 for the
purpose of distributing seed, Investigate
ing agricultural conditions and collect
ing statistics. At the same time an
agricultural bureau was created as a
division of the Patent ONCE, which
was then a branch Of the Department
Of State.
Few of us ever heard Of Dr. John N.
Taylor of Charlottesville, Ind, or of
A. s. Salley, jr., Of the Historical Com
Koszta, although the latter figured In
one of the stirring events of American
history-though we have heard much
about Senator Cole l., BleaSe
The other day, during debate in the
Senate, mention was made of the
Koszta case. He was a Hungarian pa
triot who was rescued by American
sailors from imprisonment on board an
Austrian brig-of-war. Because it was
an incident omitted in most histories,
DR.. Taylor consulted Henry Howe's ''Ad-
ventures and Achievements of Ameri-
cans" and other sources and wrote a
brief review of the stirring affair, which
was checked over and o KID as his
torically correct by Mr.. Salley and
which Senator Blease has had printed
in the Congressional Record as q public
document. This is an authoritative ac-
count based on the narrative of an
American naval officer who was an eye
witness of that thrilling episode, trans
mitted to his brother in Paris and
which at the time found its way into
Koszta had followed the fortunes Of
Kossuth, serving as lieutenant on his
staff. When the Hungarian revolution
was crushed, he escaped to New York
and had taken out his first CITIZENSHIP
papers. Subsequently he went tc
Smyrna to aid his fleeing countrymen
In June, 1853, forces from four Austrian
warships seized Koszta to hand him
over to the Austrian government, where
his name was on the list of prescribed
and outlawed. Just then into the har-
Dor. sailed the United States wal
schooner st. Louis, under command OF
Capt. Duncan Nathaniel Ingraham
with picked crew Of 200 officers and
men and well equipped for military
contest. The new free republic had
sympathized with Hungary in her fight
for liberty and had protested vehe-
nently against the bloody reprisals Of
the AustrianS.
Capt. Ingraham boarded the Austrian
brig and demanded the release of an
American held prisoner, and was told
there was no such prisoner. Armed
with further facts, he boarded the brig
the second time and demanded to see
Koszta, who was then brought to- the
deck in chains. Ingraham asked him
If he was an American. With despair
in his eyes, seeing no chance for eS-
cape, Koszta replied IT am not" That
night Capt. Ingraham received q letter
signed "Humanite," that assured him
Koszta was in America, but that proof
of it had been taken from him and
would be used against him. Next day
Capt. Ingraham, determined at all haZ-
ards to take Rosetta from his captors
dropped anchor alongside the Austrian
brig and cleared for action. Going
aboard the brig, he again ordered
Koszta to be brought on deck and again
asked, Are you an Americana" Taking
courage, KosZta replied. IT am" Capt
Ingraham then said, do you demand
the protection of the American flag?"
The answer was II do" and Capt. In
graham assured him, You shall have
it, and gave the Austrian commander
four hours in which to deliver over the
prisoner. While the shores of Smyrna
were thronged by the populace, which
expected to see desperate battle. since
the fame Of the American Navy had
already penetrated to that far shore
Capt. Ingraham received a message
from the American consul to stop
action, as an agreement had been
reached through the intervention Of a
committee of leading citizens whereby
Koszta was to be released and placed
under the protection of the French
consul. That night. the night before
the Fourth of July, 1853, far from
American shores, the American Navy
and the American Government were
cheered. When the news reached
America there was general demonstra-
ton. Franklin Pierce personally ap-
plauded Capt. Ingraham's dauntless
courage and achievements. Congress
voted thanks and a medal to him. In
graham entered the Confederate navy
in 1861, but, as there were not enough
ships to go abound, he was made in
spector general of artillery.
Scharf's history of the Confederate
navy carries an equally thrilling story
Of how Capt. Ingraham took the IRON
clads South Carolina and Palmetto
State out one morning and licked the
Yankee fleet in front of Charleston.
temporarily raising the blockade. He
died in Charleston nearly 40 years ago
ct the age Of nearly 100.
Ky x \
Sixty years ago the father Of Senator
Henry w. Reyes, New Hampshire, was
troubled by the blowing OF sand from
a certain part of his property at Haver-
hill, N. H., according to report on f1le
in the United States Forest Service Of
the Department of Agriculture. In
high winds sand would be scattered all
over the estate. To correct this state OF
affairs, in 1870 the elder Reyes planted
the sandy lot with northern white pines,
brought from a nearby pasture. AS a
result sand piles are no longer seen on
the drives and walks of the Reyes
estate, and the planted area covering
about one acre now has a stand Of
A. g. g.