New York Times, May 5, 1873 THE FATHER OF THE LATE HON. JAMES BROOKS. A correspondent of the Portland (Me.) Press writes as follows: Capt. James Brooks, father of the member of Congress by the same name, whose death was announced Wednesday, was a native of England, and was for several years a worthy ship-master of Portland. His last cruise was as captain of the private armed sloop Yankee, a unique craft, modeled by John H. Hall, the inventor of the breach-loading rifle which was adopted by our United States War Department. The sloop had a flat bottom, with a keel six feet deep. She sailed from Portland in June, 1814. On Sunday, July 10, the Portuguese armed ship San Jose Indiano, with a cargo, most of which was British goods, came in as a prize to the Yankee. The armament of this ship was in the September following transferred by the Portland Rifle Corps to the dismantled brig Boxer, which placed the brig in position to defend Vaughan's Bridge from a threatened attack by the enemy. The capture of this prize by Capt. Brooks was the last that was heard of him or his vessel. Her deep keel probably caused her to founder in a storm. Capt. Brooks left a son and daughterJames and Eliza, who afterward married a Mr. Marsh, of New-York. The second son, Erastus, now of the New-York Express, was born several months after his father sailed. The orphan children drew an annuity from the United States Naval Pension Fund, and were cared for by their mother and their guardian, the late David Trull. New York Times, May 5, 1873 THE LATE JAMES BROOKS On the lid of the casket was a plain silver plate, on which was engraved the following inscription: Hon. James Brooks Born in Portland, Me., Nov. 10, 1810 Died in the City of Washington, April 30, 1873 Next after the pall-bearers were the immediate members of the family of the deceased. Consisting of Mr. Erastus and Mrs. Brooks, Mr. and Mrs. Neilson, Mr. James Milton Brooks and Miss Virginia Brooks, and Dr. and Mrs. George Brooks. These were again followed by the attaches of the Express. ====================== Notes by Chris, who is bouncing this message to the list from Debbye Lansing: Charles H. Neilson, the son-in-law, was the "straw man" the Congressman used to hold the Credit Mobilier stock. Neilson of course insisted he had made the purchase himself during the Congressional hearings, but was not believed. The Congressman's will left him twenty $1,000 first mortgage of the Union Pacific Railroad bonds, "on condition he defend all his other property against suits instituted by the United States or other parties." The "Express" referred to is the Congressman's newspaper, the New York Evening Express, in which his brother Erastus was a partner from about 1847 on.