Richard Worsam Meade
1837 - 1897

from The New York Times, May 5, 1897, p. 9:

       DEATH OF ADMIRAL MEADE
 He Failed to Rally from the Effects
    an Operation in Washington
        for Appendicitis.
    WAS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY
  Sketch of His Eventful Career, Which
   Practically Closed at the Time of
     His Quarrel with the Cleve-
       land Administration.

      WASHINGTON, May 4.--Rear Admiral
Richard W. Meade, (retired) United States
Navy, who had been ill in Washington for
three weeks, died to-day at Mr. Johnson's
private sanitarium. He had been ill with the
grip, and was recently attacked with ap-
pendicitis. An operation had to be per-
formed, and from its effects he failed to
rally. The funeral will be held at Miss
Patterson's home, 1,110 Vermont Avenue,
and the interment, with military honors, will
be at Arlington.
  Rear Admiral Richard Worsam Meade,
known as on of the most gallant command-
ers of the United States Navy, was born
in the Ninth Ward of New York City on
Oct. 9, 1837, and his naval career began
Oct. 2, 1850, when he was appointed a
midshipman from California. After spend-
ing three years at the Naval Academy, on
the practice ship Preble, and on the steam
frigate San Jacinto, he was ordered to the
sloop-of-war St. Louis, and while serving
on board that ship was present at the
famous Martin Koszta affair, of which the
following is, in part, his own version: "We
had been cruising in Levant for some
time, and on June 23, 1853, cast anchor off
the City of Smyrna. The American Consul
at that port, Mr. Offley, presently came
aboard and informed us that one Martin
Koszta, an alleged American citizen, had
been kidnapped two days before by order of
the Austrian Consul, and was at that mo-
ment in irons on board an Austrian man-
of-war lying in the harbor. About an hour
later a delegation of residents of Smyrna,
chiefly English subjects, came aboard and
begged our commander, Ingraham, to take
some action regarding Koszta, whose
offense, though purely politcial, would prob-
ably cost him his life.
 "This statement sufficed. Our com-
mander had his gig manned, went aboard
the Austrian brig-of-war Hussar, and asked
to see Koszta. I was with him. Some dis-
cussion took place, and it was evident that
the Austrian officer in charge attempted to
evade the request. The demand was there-
upon made peremptory, and was complied
with. Ingraham insisted that during the
interview Koszta's irons should be removed,
and this was also conceded. The prisoner then
informed us that, although he was not a
full citizen, he had taken out his first papers
after a residence in the United States of
two years, and when the prescribed time
had expired would take out final papers.
      Made Ready for Battle.
  "For the next few days a spirited corre-
spondence ensued between the Austrian and
American officers both on land and at sea,
when finally the Austrian Consul announced
his intention to send Koszta to Trieste by
the next steamer. The American Consul
made a formal protest; but Ingraham was
not satisfied with diplomacy. He simply
heaved anchor, bore down on the Hussar,
and sent word to the Austrian commander
that Koszta must not be removed until the
American Charge' d'Affaires at Constantino-
ple had been communicated with. All this,
too, in the face of the fact the the Austrian
force in the harbor consisted of two men-of-
war and two one-gun merchant vessels,
while we had just our old sloop, with 20
guns and 220 men, against their 33 guns and
550 men.  But Ingraham meant business,
and the Austrians quickly realized it. After
considerable delay, we were advised by Mr.
Brown, our Charge', that, as Koszta was
not a naturalized citizen, whatever we did
for him must be done on the grounds of
humanity and not of legal right. Thus, all
the responsibility was thrown on Ingraham,
and he promptly assumed it. Early next
morning he made a demand on the Austrian
commander for Koszta's surrender by 4 in
the afternoon under pain of forcible seizure
if the demand were refused. The Austrian
did refuse, however, and the other man-of-
war, the Artemisia, a twelve-gun schooner,
fitted with sweeps, bore down on us and
placed herself across the bows of our ship,
ready to pour in a raking broadside. We
immediately started to prepare for action,
but while we were doing this negotiations
had been going on between the Austrian
Consul and the commander. Shortly before the
fight was to commence we received a mes-
sage from the Austrian commander sug-
gesting that Koszta be turned over to the
French Consul pending a settlement of diffi-
culties by the Governments of Austria and
the United States. To this Ingraham as-
sented, much to the chagrin of the Aus-
trian. However, our erstwhile foe did not
long bear malice; for on the Fourth of
July, two days after the incident, he hoist-
ed the American colors, just as if nothing
had happened."
 At the outbreak of the civil war Meade
was detailed as an instructor in gunnery on
board the receiving ship Ohio, and later
served as executive officer on the steam
sloop Dacotah of the North American block-
ading squadron, and on the Conemaugh of
the South Atlantic blockading squadron.
In 1862 he was commissioned Lieutenant
Commander, and was placed in command
of the ironclad Louisville. Becoming dis-
abled while engaged in breaking up guer-
rilla warfare on the Mississippi, he was in
December of the same year sent East as an
invalid, and on his recovery he was as-
signed to the command of the steamer
United States, which was sent in chase of
the Confederate privateer Tacony.
  Meade commanded the naval battalion
during the riots in New York in July, 1863,
and succeeded in maintaining order in his
district.
         Commanded at Marblehead.
  His next duty was on board the gunboat
Marblehead. While in command of that
vessel he took an active part against the
enemy, and rendered efficient service in con-
junction with the troops of Gen. Gillmore.
He especially distinguished himself when
the Confederates, under Kemper, made an
attack from John's Island earthworks, with
the intention of driving off the Marblehead
by a heavy artillery fire. The Marblehead's
crew consisted of seventy men. After a
sharp fight of over an hour the Pawnee and
the Williams came to that vessel's aid, and
the attack was repulsed. The Marblehead
was struck thirty times, and many of her
crew were killed and wounded.
  He commanded the Narragansett from
1871 to 1873, and was especially commended
by the Secretary of the Navy for "great
judgment and skill" shown in negotiating
a commercial treaty with the Samoan
Islands.
  In July, 1883, he was made Captain, and
put in charge of the New York Navy Yard,
and four years later was transferred to
the Washington Navy Yard as Com-
mandant. in 1892 Meade was commissioned
Commodore, and in 1894 be became Rear
Admiral.
    Disagreement with Administration.
  In May, 1895, troubles which had existed
between Rear Admiral Meade and the Navy
Department became public. There had been
various unpleasant incidents, causing un-
friendly feeling, including a dispute be-
tween the Rear Admiral and the Consul at
Curacao, and the affair of a fleet surgeon
who had refused to answer an application
for help from a merchant vessel. It was
said at the time that Meade was a constant
sufferer from wounds received during the
civil war, which increased his natural
irascibilty. He complained to the news-
papers of the conduct of the depart-
ment in ordering most of his squadron, in-
cluding his flagship, the New York, to the
Kiel Canal celebration, and the refusal to
let him have the Cincinnati in her place.
  On the 9th of May he had his pennon
hauled down from the New York and left
the ship, having sent in his request to be
relieved from command, and announced his
purpose to ask to be retired under the forty
years' service provision. His retirement
for age would not have been due until Octo-
ber, 1899.
  During the interval between his ceasing
duty and his formal retirement, he publicly
and bitterly criticized President Cleveland
and Secretary of the Navy Herbert. The
expression which gave special offense was,
"I am an American and a Union man--
two things this Administration can't stand."
There was serious talk of a court-martial
for his language, and more of the same
general kind regarded as being in disre-
gard of disipline. No such action was
taken, but he was placed on the retired list.