Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old TownGoolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
History
Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old Town
Goolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
Fredericksburg (Va.) -- History
Captain John Rudd was a resident of our City after his retirement from the
U. S. Navy. He was too old to serve in the Confederacy and lived in a
house next to the old Citizens Hall, near where the Catholic Church now
stands.
He sailed many years in the old Navy, and had many tales to tell to the
young people of his neighborhood concerning his adventures.
COMMODORE THEO. R. ROOTES
Commodore Theo. R. Rootes resigned from the U. S. Navy in 1861, and was
immediately named as commander in the Confederate Navy. He was stationed
in Richmond in the early part of the war and in 1864 was given the command
of the ironclad "Fredericksburg" of the James river fleet. He took part in
the expedition against the U. S. fleet on the James river and was a member
of the Naval Brigade which after the evacuation of Richmond was surrounded
at Sailors Creek, April 6, 1865. He lived in the old Scott house, now
owned by Charles Cole, Esq., on the corner of Prince Edward and Amelia
Streets.
[Sidenote: _Two Great Naval Officers_]
REAR ADMIRAL GRIFFIN
Of the men whom Fredericksburg has sent forth in its more modern era, Rear
Admiral Robert S. Griffin, who was born in 1857, entered as a cadet
engineer at Annapolis and was graduated in 1878, is among the most
notable. Admiral Griffin has spent no fewer than fourteen years of a busy
career on sea duty, and has been for a decade a recognized authority on
naval engineering. In his position as Chief of the Bureau of Naval
Engineering he is responsible for the innovations and improvements in our
capital ships, the electric drive for cruisers, the turbine reduction gear
for destroyers.
The high state of efficiency in the Engineering Department is due to
Admiral Griffin's constant efforts and his tact in overcoming Naval and
Congressional opposition is a personal accomplishment.
Admiral Griffin resigned from the Bureau on September 21, 1921, and was
retired September 27, 1921.
He lives in Washington, but is a valued visitor to his former City from
time to time. Admiral Griffin's record is almost unexcelled. He rose by
hard work and brains and has for years been a source of pride to
Fredericksburg. He is one of the few men still living whom we may class as
"great."
CAPTAIN BARNEY, U. S. NAVY
Captain Joseph N. Barney was born in Baltimore in 1818. He graduated from
Annapolis first in his class in 1834 and spent many years at sea until
1861, when he resigned to offer his services to the Confederacy.
He commanded the "Jamestown" at the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8th and
9th, 1862, and, on April 11th, was sent in to capture vessels under the
guns of the Monitor, hoping to provoke the latter to come out and fight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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