Charles Fernald was more than a seaman; he was at the same 

 time a student also. Hence he rose steadily in rank. At eighteen he 

 was first mate, and at twenty-one was ready for a captaincy. Desir- 

 ing still more thorough preparation, in order that he might command 

 a ship of any size, he left the sea to enter the Maine Wesleyan Semi- 

 nary and Female College. This was the largest preparatory school 

 in the State. 



In the seminary he found himself in an atmosphere entirely new 

 to him — an atmosphere of education. It surprised, delighted and 

 inspired him, aroused latent energies, created higher ambitions. 

 Henceforth the call of knowledge was to be more potent than the call 

 of the sea. He prepared to enter Bowdoin College as an advanced 

 student. 



But war intervened. The South seceded. His classmates en- 

 listed. Most of them entered the army, but his sea-faring fitted him 

 for and inclined him to the navy. For three years he had read and 

 studied omnivorously, ranging freely beyond the required curriculum. 

 Among the studies that he chose was music; the teacher was Miss 

 Maria Elizabeth Smith, a student, later graduated from the college 

 department. On August 20, 1862, they were married. Four days 

 later he sailed from Boston on the U. .S. Steamer Housatonic, a sister 

 ship to the famous Kearsarge which sank the Confederate cruiser 

 Alabama in the English Channel. 



In the navy, promotion came steadily, the result of conscientious 

 performance of the task in hand and of constant preparation for 

 something beyond. On the Housatonic he was promoted to be 

 master's mate, and later ensign; as ensign he served on several ships. 

 On the U. S. Monitor Patapsco, he formed an intimate and lasting 

 friendship with Lieut. W. T. Sampson, who remained in the navy, 

 and during the Spanish-American War became Rear Admiral. Such 

 might have been Prof. Fernald's ultimate destination also, had he 

 chosen the career of a naval officer. 



Young Fernald took on shipboard the text-books that he would 

 have studied had he entered Bowdoin instead of the navy. In his 

 three years of service, he found time to complete his college studies; 

 and in 1871 he was given the degree of Master of Arts by Bowdoin 

 College. 



On his return from the war, he was chosen principal of Litchfield 

 Academy and taught with Mrs. Fernald as an assistant teacher. In 

 the academy he found a large collection of rocks and minerals, of 

 little service because most of its specimens were unnamed. To him 

 it made small difference that he had no knowledge of either mineralogy 

 or geology. Every spare moment at Litchfield he devoted to such books 

 as he could procure to enable him to name the specimens. 



This ability to study thoroughly without a teacher it was that 

 fitted him to do the pioneer work which he later did in entomology. 

 Whenever he found himself deficient in what seemed necessary to 

 advanced work, he invariably got books and took up study by himself.. 



