to do as he had done on behalf of his Government. His resourcefulness was magnificent. To understand the importance of the act performed by Mr. Stevens, we must remember that it saved the arbitration at Geneva to us, and that the award of that tribunal to America for the depredations of the Alabama and the Sumter and the rebel vessels was a round sum of $15,500,000. And mirror'd turrets on the river's breast Tell in advance the coming of a storm ADDRESSES AT LINCOLN CENTENARY. DELIVERED BEFORE THE COMMANDERY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, MILITARY ORDER OF THE LOYAL LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES, AT THE REGULAR MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 3, 1909, AT DELMONICO'S, IN OBSERVANCE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN. General Anson G. McCook, Senior Vice-Commander, commanding, presided, and spoke as follows: S INCE the organization of this Commandery two Commanders have died in office, Ulysses S. Grant, in July, 1885, and Joseph B. Coghlan, in December, 1908. The sudden death of Admiral Coghlan was not only a shock to all of us, but thereby another distinguished name has been placed on the roll of our honored dead. His life was an active and useful one. He served the country with gallantry and distinction in war and in peace for over forty years. He was devoted to the interests of this Commandery and to the charitable and patriotic purposes for which the Loyal Legion was established. He was a loyal friend and as manly and lovable a gentleman as I have ever known. A delegation from this Commandery accompanied his body to Washington and he is buried in historic Arlington, by the side of thousands of his comrades who died for the Union, and not far from another well-beloved member of this Commandery, General Martin T. McMahon. He was buried with the honors due his rank and station. The guns of Fort Meyer fired an artillery salute, a company of marines fired three volleys over his grave, and when taps were sounded there were few dry eyes among those who were there to do honor to their Commander and friend. Immediately after the return of the delegation the Board of Officers convened and a committee was appointed consisting of General Hubbard, Captain James Parker, and Paymaster Barton to prepare resolutions in regard to our former Commander. General Hubbard is here and I ask him to read the resolutions to the Commandery. General Hubbard read the following report: The New York Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion has dedicated this evening to the commemoration of the birth and life of Abraham Lincoln. It is fitting that it should at the same time record its affectionate remembrances of that other Union-loving native of Kentucky and citizen of the United States, its late Commander, Rear-Admiral Joseph B. Coghlan, U. S. Navy, who died since its last meeting and who like his great predecessors, Farragut and Grant, held at the time of his death the highest office of the Commandery. Joseph B. Coghlan was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, December 19, 1844, and on September 27, 1860, when less than sixteen years of age, was appointed Midshipman from the Eighth District of Illinois, and sent to the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. On May 28, 1863, his class was ordered to sea, a year in advance of the usual time, and he was commissioned Ensign. On July 20th he was ordered to duty on the Sacramento and served on her until August 17, 1865. During this last interval that vessel was actively engaged in pursuit of the Confederate cruiser Alabama and arrived off Cherbourg only a few days after the Kearsarge had destroyed that famous vessel. September 19, 1865, he was assigned to duty on the old steam sloop-ofwar Brooklyn; March 8, 1866, was commissioned Master; November 10, 1866, promoted Lieutenant; March 12, 1868, promoted Lieutenant-Commander. From this time until February, 1882, his duties were those of naval officers of his rank in time of peace. He served on the U. S. S. Portsmouth in 1868; on the Richmond from 1869 to 1871; in command of the Saugus in 1875 and 1876; as Executive of the Dictator in 1876; on the Colorado in 1877; as Executive of the Monongahela in 1878 and 1879; as Executive of the Independence, 1879 to 1882. In intervals between his service on these vessels he was assigned to various shore duties at League Island, at the Hydrographic office, and elsewhere. While Lieutenant-Commander he wrote a savage letter to an old clerk in the Navy Department, for which he was tried by court-martial, and punished by suspension, April 22, 1876, for one year and to retain his then number on the list of Lieutenant-Commanders. The offence was a mere outbreak of high temper and involved nothing dishonorable; and on April 14, 1902, the President granted a pardon which restored him, then Rear-Admiral, to the position on the Navy list that he had lost by sentence of the court-martial. This restoration met with the unanimous approval of the gallant officer's friends and brother officers. On the 4th of February, 1882, he was promoted Commander; on August 4, 1883, he was ordered to command U. S. S. Adams and served on her until September 8, 1884. On the 23d of August, 1888, he was ordered to command the Mohican, on which vessel he served until January 23, 1890. November 18, 1896, he was promoted Captain. On March 25, 1897, he was ordered to command the Raleigh. Under his command that vessel took part in the battle of Manila Bay, as one of Commodore George Dewey's squadron, on May 1, 1898. On June 10, 1898, Captain Coghlan was "advanced six numbers in grade for eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle on May 1, 1898, while in command of the U. S. S. Raleigh, during the battle of Manila Bay." From this time his health was impaired, but he so recovered that, on April 11, 1902, he was promoted RearAdmiral. In May, 1902, he was ordered as second in command of the North Atlantic Squadron, on board the Brooklyn as his flag-ship. On September 17, 1902, he shifted his flag to Dewey's old flag-ship, the Olympia, and served VOL. IV-6 on her until March 21, 1904. On September 23, 1904, he became the Commander of the New York Navy Yard, where he remained until his retirement for age, and, after a few months' further service, left active duties as an officer of the Navy forever. Rear-Admiral Coghlan was elected Commander of the Commandery of the State of New York, of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, at the May meeting, 1907; and re-elected at the May meeting of 1908. He died at his home in New Rochelle, New York, on December 5, 1908, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. His conspicuous and efficient service, merely suggested in this brief recital, deserved and won the approving recognition of his brother officers and of his country. In the genial popular characteristics of life he was preeminent. He was a distinguished example of the Scriptural statement that, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." No one could be brought into relations with him, without becoming at once attracted to him personally. As a speaker on social occasions, he was inimitable. His recital of the "Hoch der Kaiser" lifted that bit of wit into a worldwide prominence, though it had been recited quite a long time before at a meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, at Milwaukee, October, 1897. In all his addresses on such occasions he proved himself to be well described in Shakespeare's words: "He was a fellow of infinite jest; and of a most excellent fancy." He will be greatly missed, not only by his comrades of this Commandery, and his naval friends, but by a multitude of others who have been charmed by his wit and pleasing thoughts most fitly uttered. As illustrative of the estimation in which he was held by those over whom he was set, the following is copied from a resolution adopted by the Master Workmen of the New York Navy Yard: "During his career as an officer, the men always found him a most fair-minded, courteous, and just Commander, and we felt |