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 1884] Captain George Hamilton Perkins, U.S.N. 229

located among the mountains of north- awanna, for a cruise of three years in

ern Alabama as on the Gulf; and owing the North Pacific. The "piping times

to strategic reasons, operations for its of peace " had come, and officers who

immediate reduction came to a halt, had had important commands, now had

But on the twenty-seventh of March, to take a step back to the regular

1865, the land and naval forces began duties of their grade. Returning from

a joint movement against the defences the Pacific in the early spring of 1869,,

surrounding the city, and on the twelfth he was ordered to the Boston Navy

of April the Union forces were in full Yard on ordnance duty, and in March,

possession. In tiiese last operations, 187 1, received his commission as com-

which cost the loss of two light draught mander. Two months later, he was

ironclads, a gunboat, and several other selected to command the storeship

smaller vessels by torpedoes, we may Relief, to carry provisions to the suffer-

know that the Chickasaw was never in ing French of the Franco-German

the background. war. On his return, after a lapse

In July, Perkins was relieved from of six months, he resumed his duties at the command and ordered home. He the Boston yard, until appointed light- had volunteered for the Mobile fight house inspector of the Boston district, but had been detained on board the which position he held until January, Chickasaw nearly thirteen months. 1876.

On his arrival home, he was over- Meanwhile he had taken to himself

whelmed with congratulations upon his a wife, having, in 1870, married Miss

gallantry and achievements in Mobile Anna Minot Weld, daughter of Mr.

Bay ; but his friends felt indignant that William F. Weld, of Boston. The

no promotion had followed them, be- issue of the marriage has been one

lieving that at least the thirty numbers child, a daughter, born in 1877.

authorized by statute, "for eminent and From March. 1877, until May, 1879,

conspicuous conduct in battle," could he was in command of the United

not be reasonably denied him. But he States steamer Ashuelot on the Asiatic

would not work personally toward that station, making a most interesting

end, nor pull political wires to attain it. cruise, and having, for a time, the

With him, the promodon must come pleasure of General Grant's company

unasked or not at all. It never came, on board, as a guest,

and others disputed, with unblushing Since his return from that cruise he

effrontery, the laurels he had won. has been on "waiting orders," varied by

Not only that, but he has seen, as well occasional duty as member of courts-

as others, those who did the least ser- martial, boards of examination, and the

vice during the war, given recognition like.

and place over those who "bore the In March, 1882, he was promoted

heat and burden of the day," during to a post-captaincy, as the grade of

those four years so momentous in the captain in the navy was styled in the

annals of the Republic. olden time, which grade corresponds

The following winter he was sta- with that of colonel in the army,

tioned at New Orleans, in charge of Captain Perkins has a house in

ironclads, and in May, 1866, was or- Boston, where he makes his home in

dered as executive officer of the Lack- winter, but nothing has ever weakened

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