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Rh upon fair play in everything. His early life was passed partly in the country and partly in town; but he was possessed of an unusually strong constitution as the result of a generous devotion to outdoor life. Young Schley's father was possessed of property, and his son was never confronted with the necessity of performing manual labor for a livelihood; but he never hesitated to do all that came to his hand, feeling always that there was dignity in labor.

In youth, Schley had few difficulties to overcome in acquiring an education. After passing through the primary schools at Frederick, Schley attended in turn the Frederick academy and St. John's academy, at Frederick. He entered the United States naval academy at Annapolis, September 20, 1856, and was graduated from that institution in 1860.

His first active duty in his profession as a naval officer was on board the frigate Niagara, which cruised to India, China and Japan, in 1860-61, primarily for the purpose of carrying back to their home the ambassadors from Japan who had been sent to the United States in 1859. On August 31, 1861, Schley was advanced to the grade of master and served on the frigate Potomac. On July 16, 1862, he was commissioned lieutenant and served on the Winona, Monongahela and Richmond, under Farragut, in the Mississippi River campaign and the actions in the vicinity of Port Hudson, from March 16 to July 9, 1863, participating in many engagements. In common with every other young officer who was intimately associated with Farragut, Schley gained much by force of example from the great naval commander. Indeed, he has been as ready as Admirals Dewey, Clarke and Watson, to attribute much of the fame which came to him during the Spanish- American war to the knowledge of means and methods gained from that famous preceptor during the Civil war.

During the years from 1864 to 1866 Schley served as executive officer of the gunboat Wateree in the Pacific, and in 1865 he put down an insurrection of Chinese coolies in the Chincha Islands, and upon the occasion of a revolution at La Union, San Salvador, landed one hundred men and protected the interests of citizens of the United States. On July 25, 1866, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander; and he served as instructor at the United States Naval academy from 1866 to 1869. The period from 1869 to 1872 found him serving as executive officer of the United States steamship