Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-07-20

| mined % defend her to the last He .aco-s
| taken ON shore. and prepared for 10 -. y
| At daylight on tho morning Of tho 27fh ~
| Carnation was observed under vav -.
stood close in for the privateer. when sS,
Immediately led heavy IRE With an H.
force. The c. ' OF the Armstrone. a I
lives. still grimly stood by their little barS
returning broadside for broadside III
| wonderful effect The maintou-mast ~ -.
| Carnation soon fell by the board, ana a..
| became so much cut up in her hull and IL.
| ging. and with the loss of men, that he,
| to retire. 1t was sublime spectacle. FL a
| of the little privateer. with but handful q,
men fighting hopeless battle against snct
| tremendous odds. in vindication OF he,
rights and her country's honor. with he,
colors flying in reckless defiance.
Finding all further resistance fruitless,
Capt. Reid scuttled his vessel to preveni
the English from obtaining possession oi
her. and then. with his gallant crew, wen
on shore. The enemy soon after boardeG
the Armstrong and set her on fire, Vhen
she blew up. and thus ended the fate of this
noble little craft.
After burning the prfvateer Commodore
Lloyd made demand on the Governor to
deliver up the Americans as his prisoners.
which the Governor refused. He threat.
ened to send 500 men on shore and take
them by force. The Americans immedi-
ately retired. with their arms. to an old
Gothic convent. knocked away the adioin-
ing drawbridge. and determined to defend
themselves to the last. The Commodore
however. thought better than to send his
men.
Lloyd was detained over ten DAYS at
Fayal. refltting his vessels and burying his
dead. Two sloops of war. the That's and
H.lvv - l. II
few days after the battle. were sent back to
England with a portion of the wounded.
The expedition against New Orleans was
planned by the English Government at the
same time with that against Washington.
In proof of which, Lord Castlereagh, the
In Paris when the news arrived of tho burn.
ing of Washington. publicly boosted that It
would not be long ere Louisiana would be
in the possession of his .countrymen. It Is
well known that Gen. Pakenham and Ad.
miral Cochrane had charge of these expe-
ditions. and. having executed the first. con-
centrated their forces at Jamaica, awaiting
re-enforcements to carry out the latter. On
L1oyd's arrival they were furious at the oc.
casion Of his delay, and beaped upon him
the most bitter reproacHes. while charging
him with having jeoparded the success Of
the expedition. which only proved too true.
This remarkable battle was the last fought
upon the seas in the war with England.
while. strange enough. that of New Orleans
was the last fought upon the land. When
Gen. Jackson afterward learned that DOR
ton Of the feet which was engaged in the
assault upon New Orleans was composed Of
the same vessels which attacked the Arm
strong. he declared to Capt. Reid that, but
for his determined bravery in resisting the
enemy. he Uackson) would never have
fought the battle of New Orleans. but that.
most probably. the battle ground would
have been nearer the shores Of his own
State.
To show the unparalleled victory Of the
Armstrong. we will state that in the great
naval engagement off Cape St Vincent in
1877. between a Spanish fleet Of twenty
seven ships Of the line and twelve frigates,
and British squadon of fifteen ships Of the
line and seven frigates and two sloops Of
war. the British acknowledged loss of
only 70 killed and 223 wounded. Yet in this
tremendous conflict, which lasted over six
hours. the English did not lose as many
men as they did in trying to capture little
brig of only seven guns! Admiral Jervis.
defeated the Spaniards. was created an earl
by the king of England. and granted PEN
sion of $4,000 year: while Capt. Reid and
his men were granted the privilege of PROS
ecuting their claim before Congress for
nearly half century, and died without re-
ceiving one cent of recompense. While to
prove more fully the ingratitude OF repub-
lies, Capt. Reid. in 1918. on the admission of
Indiana into the Union. made the design OF
the present flag of the United States. which
was then adopted by Congress, thus having
been not only the defender of the old flag,
but the designer OF the new one.