, 1889-02-14
A NOBLE RECORD.
Glorious Past of the American
Navy.
History Of Brave Deeds of Fear
. less Commanders.
II May stiil sweep the Seas and Defy All
the Nations of the Earth. Tho
Old Flag Safe.

Stout hearts have fought for that bright
Strong hands sustained mast head high;
And oh, TO see how proud II waves,
Brings tears OF Joy 10 every eye.
The United States 10 Q great maratime
nation, may have had occasion to blush OF
late, so far as the efficiency and size OF its
navy is concerned, but the rank and tle
have achieved . reputation for galantry
and indomitable courage second to none In
the world. Columbia can point with pride
TO the past. when her blue jackets main
tained the glory and dignity of her colors.
compelling nations TO recognize the fuct
that though the ships were few In number,
the quality was not to be questioned.
One of the bravest spirits who ever
walked the quarterback of q man-of-war
was the late Commodore Josiah Tattnall
He was Georgian by birth aud enter ed the
the age Of II.
On one occasion, in the harbor ct Val.
paraiso, q ChiliAn corvette lying near his
ship, the Macedonian, while flying her
numerous fags and signals to dry them,
hoisted the American ensign below the
English. Upon seeing this Tattnall had
boat manned and pulling alongside, com.
PEELED the officer 10 charge to run the
American colors up to the masthead.
It was In 1928 that. ut the aye OF 80, he
was the executive officer OF The sloop'of.
war Erie. When ready for sea shr re
ceiyed on board as passenger General
Williain II Harrison, afterward prr,id-nl
of the United States and proceeded with
him TO the United States of Colombia, to
which government he had been appointed
by President Adams minister plenipoten--
tiary. During the passage the Erie had
OCCASION to enter the harb0r of st. Barthol-
omew, in the West Indies. A Sonth Amer
ican prisateer or cruiser In the. sBrvics of
Buenos Ayres had captured an American
ship with some Spanish property, Spain
being at war with number of her colonial
dependencies, in Disregard of the princi..
ples that free ships make free goods
The com mauder of the Erie, Daniel Tur-
ner, demanded that the authorities should
deliver up the offending cruiser, then un-
der the guns of the fort. The demand was
refused, and that night Tattnall. in COM
mand of boat expedition, .'cut out the
cruiser 10 spite of the FIRE from the fort,
and she was subsequently sent tO Pensaco-
| la as prize OF war. >,
Commander u. N. IDRraham of South
Carolina, was another officer of the old
school. While in command OF the sloop-
Of war st. Louis in 1868 he entered the
Martin Koszta from the clutches Of the
| Austrians. Kosztt was Hungarian pat
riot who had fought with Kossnth in 1S4S.
| He had subsequently gone on to New
| York, where he bad made application for
citizenship. Some four years later, while
| in Smyrna, he was siezed on wharf and
thrown into the water, whence he was TAX
en- by a boat of the Austrian brig.of-war
Hussar. On board that vessel he was
loaded with chains. and informed that
he would be taken to Austria for trial on
consul at Smyrna made demand for his
surrender on the ground that he was an
| American citizen. While negotiations
| were in progress, with no prospect Of
Koszta's release, the st. Louis arrived 10
port. Commodore InRrsham was iu-
| formed of the state of affairs. ana he also
| learned that the Hussar's commander in.
| tended to send Koszta TO Austria on mail
| steamer. lngraham then moved his yes.
| sci between the Hussar and the mail
| steamer and would not permit the transfer.
| he then wrote for instructions to the leRa.
| tion at Constantinople, and having
| received advice to demand Koszta's re.
| lease, he did 40 in a very peremptory
| note 10 the Hussar's commander. BY
this time an Australian war vessel, mount.
ing ten guns, had arrived in the harbor.
The st. Louis had sixteen and the Hussar
| eighteen. Commodore Ingraham pre-.
pared his vessel for action and the Aus
trians did the same. Four o'clock of the
AFTERNOON was the hour named for Kosz-
ta's release, and up to almost the last mo.
ment it looked like naval engagement.
The entire population was on the water
front waiting to see it; but just before the
hour the Austrian commander weak
ened" and sent Koszta ashore. The Aus.
tran government made demand through
its representative at Washington for full
reparation, but it was never granted.
In 1856 the st. Mary's, under command
of Captain TheodOrus Bailey, one Of the
finest of Admiral Farragut's celebrated
lieutenants, sailed into Valparaiso, Chilli.
Scarcely had her anchor gained the bottom
when her commander WAS informed that
the Chilians had refused to comply with u
just demand made by the United States
minister. Captain Bailey sent y lieuten'
ant out on shore and informed the gov.
ernor that unless the demand was at once
attended to he would open FIRE on the
town in twelve hours. He at once hauled
his vessel into position and prepared for
action. Inside of six hours the demand
had been complied with.
Shortly after the same vessel went into
Iquiqui, Peru. where the rev0lutionists
had levied fine of $4,000 on the American
consul. The perpetrators we're given
three hours to return the money and salute
the flag. It was refused. Capt Bailey
at once prepared for action, and sent
message to the effect that unless the money
was returned and the flag saluted he
should open tire on the second at which
the four haurs we're up. The money was
paid aud the flag saluted.
Captain Bailey was the officer who at
forwards led the FIRST division at the pass
age Of Forts Jackson and st. Philip, and
who, attended by single officer, threaded