men. Gradually but steadily he advanced, and at the close of his academic term stood twelfth on the list in a class noted for the intellectual strength of its members. Upon graduating, in 1850, Cadet Slemmer was assigned to duty as a brevet Second Lieutenant, and was attached to the First Regiment United States Artillery. He joined his company at Tampa Bay, Florida, in the fall of that year.

The soldierly qualities of Cadet Slemmer were eminently displayed in his second year's course at the military academy. The class succeeding his was as much smaller than ordinary as his had been larger. The new one, as usual, had assigned to it the police duties of the camp. Owing to the paucity of its numbers this duty was likely to prove irksome, and the third class, by reason of its greater numbers, having had comparatively little of this kind of duty the preceding year, was required to assist the then fourth class. Of course the "dignity" of the higher cadets was touched and obedience refused. None but Cadet Slemmer reported for duty. He answered all remonstrances from his classmates with the inevitable "Duty to obey orders," and as a consequence received honorable distinction for his military bearing, while his misguided classmates were reduced, nolens volens, to obedience. That Cadet Slemmer, notwithstanding, retained the respect and esteem of his classmates, is ample evidence that his acquiescence was based on rigid adherence to principle and not the offspring of cowardice or other unworthy motive.

After serving a brief period at Tampa he was promoted to the grade of full Second Lieutenant, shortly after serving at San Diego, Fort Yuma, and other posts in California. In 1855 he was commissioned First Lieutenant in the same regiment, and stationed a short time at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. He was there but a short time, when application was made by the United States Coast Survey to have him assigned to duty in the principal office in Washington. But, as at the same time, he was called to assume the duties of an assistant professor at the military academy at West Point, the War Department refused to grant the request of the Coast Survey, and assigned him to the professor's desk. Here he remained four years, first as instructor in ethics and English studies, and afterwards in mathematics. During this period, in August, 1857, he married Caroline Lane, daughter of Rev. John Reynolds, formerly rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Norristown. This

union was blessed by the birth of a son, Albert Lane Slemmer, who died in his fourth year, leaving them childless.

In the autumn of 1860 Lieutenant Slemmer was placed in command of the Florida forts, where he was joined by his accomplished and loyal wife. Here, with a handful of men, he was given the oversight rather than command of three forts, requiring two thousand soldiers for their proper defence, while the fires of rebellion were lighting all along the coast, and the chief conspirators were busy at Washington and at Montgomery, Alabama, organizing the "Confederate States of America."

Pensacola Bay is commanded by Forts McRea, Barrancas and Pickens, the first two on the main land and the last on the point of Santa Rosa Island. Early in January the Governor of Florida began to make arrangements, even before the ordinance of secession had declared the State out of the Union, "to take possession of the forts, navy yards, and all property of the United States within the limits of the State." Lieutenant Slemmer was early apprised of these designs, and at once made the best arrangements in his power to frustrate them. He, with his family, occupied as barracks Fort Barrancas, the least defensible of the three, because the most comfortable and convenient as a place of residence in time of peace. The navy yard, nearly a mile eastward, was held by Commodore Armstrong, a veteran naval officer. Governor Perry, of Florida, had just purchased in Northern cities and received six thousand muskets and rifles, and the ordinance of secession was expected daily. Lieutenant Slemmer learned also that the forts near Mobile had been surrendered without resistance, whereupon he and Lieutenant Gilmore called upon Commodore Armstrong, of the navy yard, on the 7th of January, and engaged, as they thought, his cooperation to secure Fort Pickens for the United States as the keyfort to the harbor. The Commodore at first declined to do anything, pleading "want of orders." Lieutenant Slemmer himself, without waiting for orders from Washington, proceeded the same evening to place the batteries of Barrancas in working order, secured the powder or removed it, and, strengthening the outer guard, drew up the draw-bridge, thus preventing an assault which was contemplated the same evening. About twenty armed insurgents appeared before the fort, but finding it prepared for resistance retired. The next day Lieutenant Slemmer received instructions from Washington to use all diligence in protecting the forts, and Armstrong had like orders to assist him. The two commanders agreed that Slem

mer's petty garrison of forty-six men should be removed in the Wyandotte to Fort Pickens from Fort Barrancas, where they then. were, and be reinforced by all the men that could be spared from the navy yard. The armed vessel and the store-ship Supply were to furnish him provisions, and both to anchor under the guns of the fort. Lieutenant Slemmer fulfilled his arrangements, and was transported to Pickens, but no reinforcements were then added. He expostulated with the commandant, asking Armstrong how he expected him (Slemmer) to defend a fort with fifty men which was only fully manned when it had twelve hundred. It subsequently appeared that Armstrong's subordinates who were expected to cooperate were traitors.* Slemmer and his loyal little command, with about thirty ordinary seamen from the yard, and the officers' wives and children, were carried over, however, on the 10th. Nearly all the fixed ammunition also was transported, and the abandoned guns, fifteen in number, spiked. In this hasty and tumultuous "moving" the patriotic wives of Lieutenants Slemmer and Gilmore did yeomen's service. Having apparently assisted thus far, Armstrong, against the protest of Lieutenant Slemmer, ordered the two vessels off the coast on a cruise.

No sooner had the garrison become ensconced in Fort Pickens than five hundred troops from the States of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, appeared before the navy yard and demanded its surrender, when the Commodore and sixty men, most of them disloyal, yielded without a blow. The rebels soon after also occupied. both Forts Barrancas and McRae. Before leaving the coast Cap-tain Berriman, of the Wyandotte, sent Lieutenant Slemmer some muskets which he had procured from the navy yard before its surrender, with which to arm his small reinforcement of men. The Commodore, however, ordered the captain of the Wyandotte not to assist in the defence of Pickens, but only to defend his vessel in case it was attacked. No sooner had Slemmer and Gilmore got into the fort with their wives and families than they began to labor unceasingly to strengthen every defence. He had but eighty-onesouls within, with five months' scanty provisions, and fifty-four guns in position. They were not left long to wait, for on the 12th

*Lieutenant Gilmore, who accompanied Lieutenant Slemmer on a visit to Commodore Armstrong to ascertain the cause of the failure to fulfill the promises before made, said subsequently that "on that occasion Lieutenant Slemmer spoke as he had never heard one man speak to another. Treason and bad faith were manifest, and Lieutenant Slemmer hesitated not to upbraid them in becoming terms. That the world may never know more than this, the old Commodore trembled before the patriotic impulses of the young Lieutenant, and yielded so far as to give him some thirty odd landsmen, who were thus added to the numerical force of the defenders of Fort Pickens."

Captain Randolph, Major Marks and Lieutenant Rutledge, all in military dress, presented themselves at the entrance of Fort Pickens and demanded admittance as citizens of Florida and Alabama. They were not permitted to enter, but were allowed an interview at the gate with Lieutenant Slemmer. "We have been sent," they said, "to demand a peaceable surrender of this fort by the Governors of Florida and Alabama." Lieutenant Slemmer immediately replied: "I am here under the orders of the President of the United States and by direction of the General-in-chief of the army, and I recognize no right of any Governor to demand a surrender of United States property. My orders are distinct and explicit."

The intruders immediately withdrew, and Slemmer prepared for an attack that night, which was dark and stormy.* The men stood by their guns, but the attack was deferred. On the 15th Colonel W. H. Chase, commanding Florida troops, and accompanied by Farrand, a renegade officer of the navy, asked of Lieutenant Slemmer another interview, which was granted. They exhausted all their powers of persuasion upon the patriotic commandant of Fort Pickens, who, after consulting the commanders of the two ships, positively refused to give up the fort. The rebels now made preparations to reduce it, and on the 18th again demanded a surrender, which was still refused, and a siege regularly begun. Acting in accordance with the spirit that then controlled Mr. Buchanan's government, the garrison of Pickens stood merely on the defensive, while its commander saw arrangements made on every hand to bombard it.

General Scott urgently advised the reinforcement of Pickens, as all the other Southern forts, but the President, though anxious, was unwilling to do so, lest he should be charged with launching the country into civil war. But at last when he learned, late in January, that the rebels in Barrancas and McRae were seriously menacing Pickens, he consented to send the Brooklyn with one company of ninety men, under Captain Vogdes, from Fortress Monroe. Before landing them, however, a new order was sent not to do more than deliver some provisions to the fort. Thus a sort of armed neutrality continued all winter, while the insurgents were gathering strength in every direction. Nevertheless, the fidelity with which Lieutenant Slemmer held the fort, seemingly deserted, was worthy of all praise.

*Lossing's "History of the Civil War," page 171

To increase the deprivations of the little garrison there was no surgeon at the post, but Lieutenant Slemmer had learned much of pharmacy while in his brother's store, and afterwards, when stationed at Fort Moultrie, had procured some books on medicine, which he had studied. Thus, during the emergency, he was able to be not only the commander of his men, but also their surgeon. With only a limited stock of provisions at first the fort had been reduced to about a ration of Indian meal. The officers and men were also greatly exhausted with watching and double duty. But as soon as the new administration came into power, on the 4th of March, orders came to the commander of the Brooklyn and Captain Vogdes to land reinforcements and supplies to the fort. Owing to a notion entertained by Captain Adams, of the Sabine, then cruising off the fort, that the armistice was still in force, the order was not executed until the 12th of April, or full three months after it was first beleaguered; and not then till Captain Worden, as messenger, had passed overland to convey direct orders to the naval commanders. Had it been postponed another day, General Bragg, who was in command of the rebel troops, meant to open fire upon it. Indeed, Pickens was only saved from successful assault by a mere providential discovery made through a communication to Lieutenant Slemmer from a loyal man in the navy yard that such attack was to be made. The reinforcements, however, soon became known to the rebels, and prevented an attack being made at all. A few days later the Atlantic and Illinois arrived with several hundred troops under Colonel Harvey Brown, and Fort Pickens, after the long suspense, was safe. Being outranked and relieved by a superior officer, Lieutenant Slemmer and command, worn down by excessive labor and watching, were brought to Fort Hamilton, New York harbor, to rest and recruit their strength. Lieutenant Slemmer, for his activity and fidelity under such trying circumstances, was commissioned Major of the Sixteenth Infantry.

The gallant names of Slemmer and Anderson (the hero of Sumter) were soon on every loyal tongue in the free North. The Chamber of Commerce passed complimentary resolutions in behalf of these two brave men, and ordered handsome bronze medals to be struck in their honor, to be presented to them and their men. The medal designed for and conveyed to Lieutenant Slemmer contained a medallion likeness, with "Adam J. Slemmer" on the obverse, and on the reverse a chained Cerberus, with collar engraved "U. S.," symbolizing these brave men as chained to an empty fort