Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-11-29
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
From the National Gazette.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
CAPTAIN JOHN SHAW,
Late IF tie May ofhe Uutsd States,

Late Of tie Navy Of the piatsd States.
Captain J In Saaw was born in Ire
land, in ibe year 1878, Of respectable
parenis, and educated a, a country school!
IN tire neiehborhood u Balls6n. Aethe
age OF II years h. emigralcd 70 The
United States, well recommended. with
an elder brother, and arrived al Nv.
YORK., December 3lst, 1870 After
passing short TINE IL that cry, he came
II Phiadelphia, where he remained nm.
ii March, 1871, wien 10 embarked for
HE Easl ladcs, 70 WITCH he per5rmod
tour VOYAGES, in the Fourse Of the ensu-
M SIX years. II tn las' OF these vow,
ges, he was made III first officer Of he
slip in which he sallel. II found time
IN the same interval, 10 make himself
master Of the duties oha clerk in a mer.
chants counting hou,s, ard to march rs
a volunteer with " Macpherson's Blues"
an the expedition against he Insurgents
IN The western part Of pefnsyiva ia.
During his second voylge 10 Canton,
tie ship sampson, in which he sailed,
y as attacked in the night. in the Straits
f Banca, by fleet Of Malay prows.
Inc Sampson beat them Of, and Mr..
Shaw displayed much bravery in the ac-
ton.
In the latter part Of the year 1897, on
his return TO B3limore from a voyage
10 the Yves, ladles, as master Of briq,
he obainsd, through the interest oil Ge-
neral Samuel Smith and others. lru-
tenants commission in tire Navy Of tie
Unl.ed States, and joined The naliopl
sup Mon'ezuma, Captain Alexander
Murray. Having passed year on board
mis- SHIP in the West India seas, he re-
iurncd 70 Baltimore. Shorty after, Cap
tam Murray, whom his conduct during
the cruise had Inspired With great sseem
tor bis character. procured for him the
command OF The United States schooner
Gatefhriae, new vessel, mounting Q
SIX p0undefs, with a crew II seyspfp-six
tneu. In December, 1899, he sqiled IN
the schooner, according 10 otdtTs, for
The Wihdwlrd Islgn1 station. and there
lr1isad agains tn Franeh. fsbre-
~, 1890, returning h'qm the Island OF
Clrtacpa, he iely in witt the Cited
States ffigale Constellation, atitF her
action with the French ship Ia Ren-
geaace. Conmolote Irng,cn ehars-
"a MIN with dispatches FOR the govern-
lnenl, wilh which be returned bone in
lilecn DAYS
The Enterprise sailed again in March,
from Philadepins, "ith oiaers 10 ieia
Commodore 'l'ruStaa IN Jamaica. When
"a The east end OF iha' is!ind, Captain
Shaw learned tnal the lrigas Colsielia-
,ian had sailed win convoy i4r the uoited
STATES. In turoins % VINEYARD 10 gain
rs station at St Carlslop yer's, he dis
covered, of the Mona pass I.;e, brig Of
var to the sootA-east, gaze chase, and
1loscd win hcr 'ast. ~ tic a;,;anae o.
shoql mlle, TIE brig, ntouadng guns,
showed Spanlsi, coiors,. ADD oeened
are upon the Enterprise. TIE latter.
shewins her colors, sit! advanced uBdcf
a press Of sale, aud when Sufficiently
scar, took position on the iarboarn
laa'er OF the Spaniard, and relurneI
lor Tire. A sharp CONTEST ensucd, Whiri.
as;cd 90 OF 50 minu,es. The Two YES
sells tnen separated both being considc
tably injured. The Enterprise couin1-
I'd, turning TO windwsri, and anchor.r
| - the har5or Of S.. Thomas 20 ref
Here a circumstance occurred, TIA
shows the impression which the cbarac
ter 0! The American navy, then IN IL.
eawn Of It's existence, had already mac,
upon the minds OF the eyemy.
Cpia,n Shaw received a messag
rom large French lu secn tina, mnunf-
/ cd IL carriage guns, with crew o. 100
,nen, inviting him to trial Of Strength,
which was accepted with three cheer
by all hands on board The EnerArise
AT the hour appointed, SAaw was der
weigh, and when clear OF the DANISH H.
rnils, ne hove TO and fred shot towards
the harbor, and repeated this FIVE several
times through the day, as signal that
| he Enterprise was waiting for the chal-
LANCER to sally out. Bat the French
Captain, having probably reconsidered
the matter, had come to the conclusion
that 1t was better to keep his anchorage.
After acruise of some days 10 leewsrd
OF the island 81! s., Croix, tbs Enterprise
bea, up 10 ST. K.tls, took in provision
and water, and proceeded on another
cruise. Soon afterwards, (May, 1900
she fell in with a French privaieer, La
| Cigne, Ut four guns and hltAscyen men,