USA > New York > Broome County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Broome County, New York. > Part 43
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is fully competent to take charge of a ship with advantage to the owner."
Served at Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1852-53 and part of 1854. Served in ship "John Adams" in the Pacific Ocean, 1854-55. Served at Marine Barracks, Bos- ton, Mass., and at Philadelphia, Pa., 1856 and part of 1857. Commissioned as First Lieutenant September 28, 1857. Served on board ship "John Adams," Pacific Ocean, 1857-58. Ordered September 12, 1857, by Commander Henry K. Hoff (afterwards Ad- miral Hoff), ship "John Adams," to take charge of the Purser's Department of that vessel, which duty Lieutenant Broome per- formed until the vessel was paid off at Nor- folk, Va., May 5, 1858. Commander Hoff commended the conduct of Lieutenant Broome in an official communication, dated August 22, 1858, as follows : -
"I am indeed gratified (for reasons which you will perfectly understand) that your many intricate accounts should have been balanced by the Auditor to, in fact, a fraction. This result has alone been effected by that constant watchfulness, which I was ever pleased to notice, in the smallest item connected with the money affairs of the government; and I truly trust that you may always be moving on the stepping-stone of lucrative and agreeable employment as a reward, should these 'piping times of peace' prevent your obtaining it in a more grateful way."
Served on board the receiving-ship "Penn- sylvania " at Norfolk, Va., part of 1858 and part of 1859. Served on board ship "Ports-
mouth " on the coast of Africa part of 1859 and part of 1860. Served on board steamer "San Jacinto" on the coast of Africa part of 1860. Ordered on board the prize slaver brig "Bonito " by Captain T. A. Dornin as Execu- tive Officer October 10, 1860. Served on board the above vessel as Executive and Watch Officer until her arrival at Charleston, . S.C., December 19, 1860. Mobbed in Charleston, S.C., December 20, 1860, the day of the passage of the secession ordinance, and compelled to go on board the "Bonito," then anchored off Castle Pinckney, Charleston Harbor. Commander James P. Foster (Lieu- tenant commanding prize brig "Bonito ") wrote officially as follows in regard to Lieu- tenant Broome while on board the "Bonito," under date of November 23, 1866: -
"I have no hesitation in saying that you have always performed your duties to my . entire satisfaction as a good seaman and officer, and always careful to see that all my orders were executed; and, in conclusion, let me say I know you to be trustworthy, reliable, and in every way capable of commanding any class of vessel."
Ordered to the ship "Powhatan " April 4, 1861, and served on board that vessel at the relief of Fort Pickens April 17, 1861. Com- missioned as Captain July 26, 1861. Or- dered to the flag-ship " Hartford," Flag-officer D. G. Farragut, January, 1862, and while attached to that vessel as Fleet Marine Officer was in the following battles, and performed the following services : battle of Forts Jack- son and St. Philip April 24, 1862; occupa-
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tion of quarantine above Fort Jackson with United States marines, under command of Captain Broome, senior officer on shore, and hoisting United States flag there and taking prisoners of the rebel troops stationed there April 24, 1862; battle of Chalmette April 25, 1862; occupation of New Orleans with the United States marines, under command of Captain Broome, and hoisting the United States flag there on the custom-house April 29, 1862, and on the same day hauling down the rebel State flag of Louisiana from the City Hall, which flag, in accordance with previous orders, Captain Broome delivered in person to Admiral Farragut on the quarter- deck of the flag-ship "Hartford." In an official communication addressed to Colonel Broome, the late Rear-Admiral Theodorus Bailey wrote: -
" April 24 .- The anniversary of our great victory. The part you took on that memora- ble occasion will ever grace the history of the United States Marine Corps, and will ever be the pride of your brother officers."
Battle of Vicksburg, June 28, 1862 (wounded). Commander R. Wainwright, commanding flag-ship "Hartford," under date of June 29, 1862, in reference to the battle of June 28, 1862, wrote that "the marine guard, under the command of Captain John L. Broome, had charge of two broadside guns, and fought them well, thus sustaining the reputation of that distinguished corps." Battle with rebel ram " Arkansas," morning of July 15, 1862; second battle of Vicksburg night of July 15, 1862 (severely wounded),
skirmish at Donaldsonville, La., United States marines under command of Captain Broome, senior officer on shore, and burning the place August 9, 1862; battle of Port lludson, March 14, 1863; battle of Grand Gulf, March 19, 1863; battle of Warrenton, March 21, 1863; second battle of Warren- ton, March 23, 1863; third battle of War- renton, March 25, 1863; fourth battle of Warrenton, March 28, 1863; second battle of Grand Gulf, March 30, 1863; second battle of Port Hudson, May 27, 1863. The following is a copy of a medical certificate on file in the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery from the late Surgeon-General J. M. Foltz, Fleet Surgeon of the West Gulf Squadron during the War of the Rebellion, in relation to wounds received by Captain Broome in battle :
PHILADELPHIA, October 15, 1875.
I hereby certify that Captain John L. Broome, commanding United States marine guard on board Admiral Farragut's flag-ship "Hartford" in 1862, was wounded slightly during an engagement off Vicksburg on June 23 ; and again during an engagement with the batteries and the rebel ram "Arkansas" off Vicksburg on July 15, 1862, he was wounded, - severe contusions of head and chest, -and that on both occasions he remained on deck at his post until the termination of the engagements.
(Signed)
J. M. FOLTZ,
Ex-Surgeon-General, U. S. N. Late Fleet Surgeon West Gulf Squadron. .
True copy. (Signed)
W. GRIER, Surgeon- General, U. S. N.
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Captain Broome was brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct : first, in the battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, fought April 24, 1862; second, brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Vicks- burg, fought July 15, 1862; and, third, bre- vetted for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Port Hudson, fought March 14, 1863. Was commissioned as Brevet Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel for the above services, bis brevet majority dating from April 24, 1862, and his brevet lieutenant colonelcy dating from March 14, 1863. Served in the flag-ship "Hartford " 1862 and part of 1863. Captain James S. Thornton, commanding ship "Kearsarge," addressed to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Broome an official communication, dated May 21, 1870, as follows: -
" Your brevets gave me as much pleasure as any other recognition of services during the late war, and I wish sincerely I could con- gratulate you on a real promotion. However, the empty honor is a recognition of real services, and as such will be prized by you, as I know it is by your friends."
On duty at Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N. Y., part of 1863. On duty at Marine Barracks, Portsmouth, N.HI., part of 1863 and part of 1864. On duty at Marine Bar- racks, Brooklyn, N.Y., part of 1864. On duty in command of the marines at Mound City part of 1864 and part of 1865. Commis- sioned Major December 8, 1864. On duty in command of Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Va., part of 1865, 1866, and part of 1867. Or-
dered to command the Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N. Y., December 7, 1867. Colonel Broome was thanked by E. T. Wood, Esq., United States Internal Revenue Collector for the Third District, New York, in an official letter dated April 14, 1868, for the valuable services he rendered on April 13, 1868, on a whiskey raid in the Fifth Ward, Brooklyn, N.Y .; also thanked by Michael Scanlon, Esq., Assessor of the Third District, New York, in an official letter dated March 28, 1870, for the able manner in which he sup- ported the United States revenue officers on a whiskey raid in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rear-Ad- miral S. W. Godon, Commandant Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y., wrote officially to the Hon. George M. Robeson, Secretary of the Navy, under date of March 29, 1870, in referring to the whiskey raid of March 28, 1870, that "Colonel Broome performed this most deli- cate duty, as I expected he would, with much prudence, forbearance, and firmness." In an official communication in reference to a whis- key raid in Brooklyn, N. Y., on November 2, 3, and 4, 1870, S. B. Dutcher, United States Internal Revenue Supervisor, wrote, under date of November 7, 1870, to Rear-Admiral M. Smith, Commandant Brooklyn Navy Yard : "I also desire through you to convey my warmest thanks to Colonel Broome, who so ably commanded the marines on that occasion, and for the manner in which this peculiar and difficult duty was performed."
General Israel Vogdes, First Artillery, United States Army, addressed an official letter, dated November 9, 1870, to Colonel
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Broome, in which he expresses his "high appreciation of the valuable services and hearty co-operation rendered to him on that occasion," referring to the whiskey raid of November, 1870, on which occasion the United States marines, under Colonel Broome's command, were associated with those of the United States Army, under the command of General Vogdes. Brigadier- General Jacob Zeilin, Commandant United States Marine Corps, in an official communi- cation, dated November 17, 1870, addressed to Colonel Broome, wrote as follows in refer- ence to a then recent whiskey raid: "The ser- vices which the officers and men were called on to perform on this trying cocasion were of a delicate nature, requiring firmness and dis- cretion. To the display of these qualities is due the successful and bloodless result of these operations. I highly appreciate your conduct throughout as commanding officer of the marines."
On January 27, 18712 Colonel Broome re- ceived a complimentary official letter from General Zeilin, Commandant United States Marine Corps, dated January 24, 1871, ex- pressing his entire approbation of the manner in which Colonel Broome had performed his duty in command of the marines on the occa- sion of the whiskey raids of the 12th and 13th of January, 1871, in Brooklyn, N.Y. In an official letter, dated July 15, 1871, James Jourdan, Assessor Internal Revenue, wrote to Rear-Admiral Smith, Commandant Brook- lyn Navy Yard, in reference to a whiskey raid on the 14th of July, 1871, as follows:
"I have but to add my thanks, and, through you, to Colonel Broome. Were it not for the presence of Colonel Broome and his forces, many of my men would certainly have been killed or wounded (as it was, three of them were injured, one, it is feared, mor- tally)."
In an official letter, dated Treasury Depart- ment, Washington, July 19, 1871, Commis- sioner A. Pleasanton wrote to Colonel Broome as follows: "Colonel, accept the thanks of this office for your promptness in responding to the call made upon you for assistance on the morning of the 14th inst. by Assessor Jourdan of the First District of New York. Great credit is due you and your command for the services rendered him and his assistants in breaking up the business of illicit distill- ing in his district."
In 'an official letter, dated October 19, 1871, addressed to Colonel Broome, Rear- Admiral Smith, Commandant Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y., expresses the thanks of Su- pervisor Dutcher to Colonel Broome for his services on the whiskey raid of October 17, 1871. In September, 1872, Colonel Broome was ordered by the Navy Department to visit the States' prisons of the Northern States, and to report the result of his examination of them to the Navy Department, which duty was performed to the satisfaction of the De- partment, as expressed in the following ex- tract copy from the report of Commodore C. R. P. Rodgers, Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated
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BUREAU YARDS AND DOCKS, WASHINGTON, November 13, 1873.
Our prisoners now pass their time in wretched idleness; but, under a better sys- tem, their labor would provide for their support, and perhaps lead to reformation. Lieutenant Colonel Broome of the marines has, under the direction of this Bureau, ex- amined the prisoners of the Northern States, and has carefully and intelligently stated the need of the navy in this particular and the best method of meeting it. His excellent report is already in your hands.
Commissioner Douglass, of the Internal Revenue Bureau, Washington, addressed an official letter of thanks to Colonel Broome, dated November, 1874, expressing his high appreciation of the services rendered by Colo- nel Broome on a whiskey raid in the Fifth Ward, Brooklyn, "N. Y., November, 1874. Colonel Broome was thanked by Vice-Admiral S. C. Rowan, United States Navy, Command- ant of the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y., in an official communication dated December 21, 1874, for services rendered at a fire in the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y. Colonel Broome was thanked by Commodore J. W. A. Nichol- son, Commandant Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y., in an official communication, dated January 3, 1878, for services rendered at a fire in the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y. On the occasion of the whiskey gang and other like parties in New York and Brooklyn en- deavoring to remove Colonel Broome from the command of the Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N.Y., General A. Pleasanton, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, addressed an official
letter to the President of the United States, dated Washington, March 3, 1871, of which the following is an extract copy: "Colonel Broome on several occasions has shown so much ability energy, and usefulness in this service, and it is so critical a service in bringing the troops in contact with the civil authorities, that I must request, if it can be donc, Colonol Broome shall remain in his present command. At this time I do not know of an officer who can replace him for this particular service."
Detached from the command of the Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N.Y., October 31, 1879, and ordered to command the Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Va. Continued in com- mand of the Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Va., until March 15, 1881, and was then ordered to command the Marine Barracks, Brooklyn, N. Y. Assumed command of that post on the 18th of March, 1881, and continued in that command until 31st of January, 1883. On waiting orders from January 31, 1883, until April 10, 1883. On leave of absence in Europe from April 10, 1883, until Septem- ber, 1883. Ordered to command the Marine Barracks, Kittery, Me., Navy Yard, October 1, 1883. By request of Rear-Admiral J. W. Livingston, the United States Navy made a report of an occurrence which took place under his orders during the War of the Rebel- lion, while he was in command of the Mound City, Ill., Navy Yard, which narration was indorsed as follows, and placed on file in the Navy Department by order of the Secretary of the Navy : --
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[COPY.] NEW YORK, February 21, 1884.
Colonel, - The narrative you give me of an occurrence which took place at the Mound City Naval Station when under my command - namely, an expected attack by the Confed- erates upon that station during the late war -is quite correct. I also remember your gallant conduct in volunteering to take an order from me, your riding nine miles to de- liver it on a dark and tempestuous night, in a country infested with enemies of every char- acter, in which you succeeded in obtaining valuable information and returning with it through "much suffering," and which proved to be of great importance, and for which you received my praise and thanks.
Respectfully, JNO. W. LIVINGSTON, Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy.
Col. JOHN BROOME, U. S. Marines.
[COPY.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, November 19, 1884.
Sir,- I have to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 15th instant, enclosing a letter addressed by you to Rear- Admiral J. W. Livingston, bearing date of December 22, 1883, with his indorsement thereon, and to inform you that it has been placed on the files of the Department.
Very respectfully, WM. E. CHANDLER, Secretary of the Navy.
Detached from command of the Marine Bar- racks, Kittery, Me., Navy Yard, on the ist of February, 1885, and on the same date, as ordered, took command of the Marine Bar- racks, Boston, Mass., Navy Yard, and re-
mained in that command until detached and placed on the retired list, as shown by the following letter of the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, namely,-
HEADQUARTERS U. S. MARINE CORPS, WASHINGTON, February 23, 1888.
Sir, -- In detaching you at your own request from the command at Boston, preparatory to your retirement from active service March 8, I desire to testify to your long and faithful service, extending over, a period of forty years, and your uniform zeal and good conduct in the performance of duty during that time, covering, as it does, important eras in our national history, both of foreign and civil wars. Wishing you health and happiness in the future, I remain,
Very respectfully, C. G. McCAWLEY, Colonel Commandant.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL J. L. BROOME,
Commanding Marines, Boston, Mass.
In January, 1866, a Board, consisting of all the Admirals in the navy ( save one on foreign service), was convened at the Navy Depart- ment, and ordered to report to the Secretary of the Navy those officers of the Navy and Marine Corps who had exhibited eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle or extraordinary heroism, and who were entitled to advance- ment, as provided for in the Act of Congress, approved by the l'resident January 24, 1865. Admiral Farragut particularly recommended to this Board, of which he was the President, that Major Broome should be promoted; and the Board unanimously reported that Major Broome should be advanced from Junior Major to Sen'or or Number One Lieutenant Colonel,
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thus advancing him, as provided for by law, over the five field officers in the Marine Corps who were above him. Had the law of Con- gress been respected, Lieutenant Colonel Broome would have been promoted a full Colonel on the 7th of December, 1867, by the vacancy of Colonel William L. Shuttles- worth, and retired as a Colonel instead of a Lieutenant Colonel in March, 1888, as unani- mously reported by the Naval Committee of the United States Senate as follows, namely :
That on the twenty-fourth day of January, 1865, an Act of Congress, to provide for an advance of rank to officers of the Navy and Marine Corps for distinguished merit, was approved by the President of the United States, and therefore became a law of the United States, in the following words and figures, to wit (United States Statutes at Large, vol. 13, 1865, p. 424, January 24, 1865) :-
AN ACT to provide for an advance of rank to officers of the Navy and Marine Corps for distinguished merit.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Amer- ica in Congress assembled, That any officer of the Navy or Marine Corps, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, may be advanced, not exceeding thirty numbers in rank, for having exhibited eminent and con- spicuous conduct in battle or extraordinary heroism.
SECT. 2. And be it further enacted, That any officer of the Navy or Marine Corps, either of volunteers or others, who shall be nominated to a higher grade by the provisions of the first section of this Act, or of that of Section 9 of an Act entitled "An Act to establish and equalize the grades of line officers of the United States Navy," approved
July 6, 1862, shall be promoted, notwith- standing the number of said grade may be full; but no further promotion shall take place in that grade, except for like cause, until the number is reduced to that provided by law.
SECT. 3. And be it further enacted, That all acts or parts of acts which are incon- sistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.
For the purpose of carrying into effect the above recited Act of Congress with intelli- gent and just discrimination, the Honorable Secretary of the Navy organized a board of naval officers of the highest rank to take into consideration the purposes of said Act of Congress, and report to him the names of those officers of the Navy and Marine Corps who had exhibited eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle or extraordinary heroism. The Board so ordered consisted of Vice-Ad- miral D. G. Farragut, Rear-Admiral Charles H. Davis, Rear-Admiral John A. Dahlgren, and Rear-Admiral David D. Porter. This Board convened at the Navy Department, Washington, on or about January 24, 1866, and after a session of about seven days, dur- ing which time the Board, engaged in obedi- ence to the orders they had received from the Honorable Secretary of the Navy, made an official report in writing to the Honorable Secretary of the Navy, dated on or about the 20th of January, 1866, recommending by . name a number of officers of the naval service of the United States for advancement. After the report of the aforesaid Naval Board was made, a large number of naval officers re- ceived promotion by advancement ; but not one . officer of the United States Marine Corps was advanced or promoted a single number. The proceedings of this Board of Admirals were not made public or promulgated by the then
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Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Gideon Welles; and, when Mr. Welles ceased to be Secretary of the Navy, and left the Navy Department, he took the proceedings and re- port of the said Board with him to his home in Hartford, Conn. And, when the Hon. G. M. Robeson became Secretary of the Navy, he wrote to Mr. Welles, requesting him to send the report of the Board of Ad- mirals to the Navy Department, which Mr. Welles declined to do. Nearly twenty years after Lieutenant Colonel Broome received in a letter from Mr. Welles, son of the late Sec- retary Welles, a copy of the action of the Board of Admirals in his case, recommending him for advancement to the rank of Junior Colonel in the United States Marine Corps for conspicuous and meritorious conduct in battle. And, in confirmation of this informa- tion from Mr. Welles, the following letter has been written by the Admiral of the Navy :
OFFICE OF THE ADMIRAL, Washington, D.C., January 13, 1888.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :
This is to certify that Lieutenant Colonel .
John L. Broome, United States Marine Corps, was recommended for promotion by the Board of Admirals, of which Board I am the only surviving member, said Board having been convened to recommend the promotion of officers for gallant conduct during the late war. Colonel Broome, then the Junior Major of the Marine Corps, was particularly recom- mended to the Board for promotion by Admiral Farragut for bravery and highly meritorious services in battle; and the Board recommend that he should be promoted to Number One Lieutenant Colonel for New Orleans and the Mississippi River. In con- sideration of the circumstances of his case, I consider that Lieutenant Colonel Broome should be retired with the rank of Colonel. Admiral Farragut always spoke of Colonel Broome in the highest terms, and desired that
he should be promoted; and, although Colo- nel Broome never served with me in battle, yet I consider it but just that promotion should be given him.
DAVID D. PORTER, Admiral U. S. Navy.
It is impossible to suppose that the action of this distinguished Board in the case of Lieutenant Colonel, then Major, Broome, by which he was advanced from the rank of Junior Major to that of Colonel, was caused by anything but a sense of the exceptional merits of this officer, which at that time, just after the war, was well known and fully recognized by his fellow-officers. This is a promotion dearest to a soldier's heart, and the incentive to and the just reward for that per- sonal gallantry which has often turned defeat into victory and illustrated so many pages of our military history. If Major Broome had received the advancement which we are com- pelled to think was then (1866) his due, and which the Act of Congress intended should be his, he would have been retired as a Colonel, instead of a Lieutenant Colonel, in March, 1888. The committee, therefore, inasmuch as his retirement has taken place since the bill. (Section 1463) was referred to them, report back the same, with an amendment in the' nature of a substitute, authorizing the placing Lieutenant Colonel Broome on the retired list as a Colonel instead of Lieuten- ant Colonel. This they think an act of simple justice, which the country will grate- fully perform to a gallant and meritorious officer.
The list of Colonel Broome's commissions are as follows: He was appointed from New York State in the United States Marine Corps Second Lieutenant, January 12, 1848; First Lieutenant, September 28, 1857; Cap-
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