GUSHING. 61 



The prevailing trait of William Gushing was love of adventure. As a lad 

 he was never happier than when playing some joke upon one of his elder brothers. 

 Once he followed one of his brothers and a young lady to prayer-meeting and, 

 sitting behind them, sang improvised personalities until sent out in disgrace by 

 a church official. The father had died and his mother's cousin, Commodore 

 (afterward Admiral) Joseph Smith, had him entered at the Naval Academy. Here 

 his pranks and "sheer deviltry" continued and culminated towards the close of 

 the winter of 1861, when he fixed a bucket of water over the door through which 

 his teacher of Spanish was to pass on his way to an evening party; the teacher 

 was deluged and the lad was permitted to resign. On one occasion during the war 

 he wore General Hooker's new uniform coat to the theater. His naval exploits 

 in the war partook largely of the nature of adventures. 



Another trait was fearlessness, well illustrated by his aiming the torpedo 

 accurately while only a few feet from the Albemarle's guns. He was a pronounced 

 hyperkinetic. He was animated and enthusiastic in conversation. He spoke 

 fluently, wrote easily and charmingly. He was generous and expressed his emo- 

 tions fully. He would fight any man without the slightest hesitation, and was 

 quick to resent an insult. 



Gushing belonged to fighting stock, as the history of his three brothers shows. 

 They were : 



Milton, born in 1837, became a paymaster in the United States navy and was 

 promoted to paymaster of the fleet, then in the Mediterranean. He was retired 

 for disability and died, without issue, January 1886. 



Howard B., born in 1838, at 14 years of age became a printer's "devil" 

 in a weekly newspaper office at Fredonia, New York; later he became a pressman 

 in Boston, and then a type-setter in Chicago. In 1861 he raised a company of 

 newspaper men in Chicago, but their services were not required. In 1862 he 

 enlisted as a private in an Illinois volunteer artillery regiment. In 1863 he was 

 promoted to a lieutenancy in the regular artillery. In 1867 he was lieutenant of 

 Troop F, Third Cavalry, and was engaged in Indian warfare in Arizona and Texas. 

 He was spare, active as a cat, and famous all over the southwestern border for cool- 

 ness and energy. He was killed in May 1871, by the Apache Indians. 



Alonzo, born in January 1841, was appointed cadet at West Point. Here 

 he showed "himself modest in demeanor, but always efficient in his work and 

 kindly toward under-classmen." He was appointed second lieutenant in artil- 

 lery on graduating in June 1861, and was promoted to first lieutenant the same 

 day. In Washington he drilled artillerymen, became ordnance officer, and later 

 acted as aide-de-camp to Sumner in charge of topographical work. He advanced 

 rapidly as topographical engineer through the grades to lieutenant colonel, up to 

 the time of his death in battle, July 3, 1863. Elements contributing to his success 

 were faithfulness in the discharge of every duty and thoroughness in its perform- 

 ance. "Possessed of mental and physical vigor, joined to the kindest of hearts, he 

 commanded the love and respect of all who knew him. His fearlessness and resolu- 

 tion displayed in many actions were unsurpassed." One says of him, he "looked 

 more like a school girl than a warrior, but he was the best fighting man I ever saw." 



The father of this fraternity, Dr. Milton B. Gushing (born in 1800), was a 

 restless man (see legend), but one of great personal attractiveness and sympathetic 

 for the higher side of public questions. He suffered from ill health and left his 

 family unprovided for. His father, Zattu Gushing, superintended the construction 

 of a ship on an island opposite Erie, Pennsylvania. He was an upright, dignified, 

 clear-headed man, and was for years a county judge. 



