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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