The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-06-16
4 sunvIvon or rwo vans.


and Flag In the Mexican War and
Again In the War for the Suppress
sion Of tho IsebeiIion-Thc Only Next
can War Survivor In Wilmington.
sDo you know that there are very
few veterans OF the Mexican war leftfs
said John Guthrie, the veteran proof
reader of the REPuBLIcAH the other
day to a reporter on the same paper?
'That's SO. John, they are growing
very scarce. Ibelieve you are the only
one left in Wilmington, are you rot,
Johnf' was the reply and query OF the
reporter. a..
am O veteran OF two wars, and have
been on the side OF the Government in
both Of them. / tell you it is source
Of great comfort to me In nay declin-
ing days to know that have been able
to do something In the past to sustain
this glorious government and flag.
This government never went into q
war without good cause, and 1t always
came out victorious. / am glad that
1t was my good fortune to help my
country through two OF those wars,
and IL ever she gets into another war,
before DEATHS bugle call puts me on
the retired list, my services will be of
fered to my country again. / am IN
American through and through. love
my country and Its flag and they shall
never stand In need Of o defender
while John Guthrie lives" So talked
John Guthrie, and his face glowed
with patriotic pride and his heart beat
with patriotic emotions as he spoke.
Look mere, John, your experience In
those two wars would make interest
ing reading for the patrons OF the RE-
PUBLICAN. suppose you give me few
notes and let me write them up for the
paper" suggested the reporter. "All
right" said John, and the following is
the result Of the conversation;
'War having broken out with Mexico
my young American blood boiled with
indignation to think OF tho insult to
which ouriiag was subjected, and I at
once made up my mind to do what I
could to wipe out the insult.
AS soon as could say goodbye to
my father, who was averse, us most
parents are, 10 their children going to
war. / hunted up the nearest enlisting
point, and offered my services, which
were accepted, to Captain Nones of
he top-sail schooner Forward, one of
the swfftest vessels In the then navy Of
the United States. When l think OF
and the great progress our navy has
made since / shipped on the Forward,
/ am struck with amazement, but one
thing Is certain, never were the modern
day sailors OF our great iron-clads i'm
bued with q more patriotic impulse
than were those who composed the
little band OF patriots that were abont
starting south on that little revenue
cutter on the Goth day OF May 1647.
l say little cutter
"She would be little now, but she
was great then, and the eyes OF the ma
ton followed the Forward then as
closely as within few weeks past they
followed the great iron-clad Charleston
in her chase after tho Chilinn insurgent
vessel the Itata. But am too prolix,
and must hasten on, for you know we
haven't room for very long articles In
the REPUBLICAN; the advertisers want
oil the space they can get and more
too. Well, without any more beating
round the bush. our vessel proceeded
Immediately TO the Gulf of Mexico and
Joined the squadron OF Commodore
Stewart.
ave lad some lively times down
there In carrying dispatches and hav-
ing occasionally a little riIle practice
with the Long Tom amidship.
or the officers and men on that vessel
all have passed away,so faras know,
except myself. The first to answer
the roll-call was Lieutenant Bennett,
son OF Governor Bennett ofDelaware. y
In his running memOry-dlary Mr..
Guthrie related some amusing expert
ences. On one occasion the vessel was
becalmed in the gulf stream and the
water, which was carried in an iron
tas 3. Il.
night some one told Guthrie that the
men-5h In numbcr-had permission to
have wafer. Young, wiry and inexperi-
enced, he leaned over tho tank, giving
out water to all comers and goefs. he
was checked by the boatswain report
ing him to the officer of the deck, who,
as luck would have Il, was Lieutenant
Bennett, and he being u kind.hearted
man, Mr.. Guthrie escaped the cato.
nine-tails, which would have been the
punishment to any one less favored.
Our fare, said Mr.. Guthrie, consist
ed Of salt pork, beef, beans, dun, coffee.
ETC., but occasionally we RECALLED ourselves
with fish. which were certainly delicious,
and none more SO than monstroua shark
that we hooked aud brought ON deck,
Some OF the greenhorne woro terribly
scared when he opened his Dondelous
Jaws, but the gunner threw n capstan bar
down his throat. which qule;ed hiu We
then proceeded TO cut him up. aud throw
away ali but the iail, which made a meal
ne for the most sublime epleure TO sit
down to.
Directly after finishing our meal of
shark on that day, Lieut.. Mctiowan's at
tention was scalled- as he was officer of the
deck at the time-to some little flags that
were being displayed on the Cominodore's d
vessel. They were signals. b Il did not
strike Lieut.. McGowan that they were
Intended for the officers Of the Forward.
He hnnlly-after Investigating a signal
book, where there were a perfect set of
questions and answers came to the con-
clusion that tho Commodore dt sired to
give some orders 10 the Forward. MoGow-
an was terribly scared when the ComIuo-
dore. by sig nj. ordered him To report
forthwith to him. He was only given
dispatches to take In the neizhborhood Of
Tampioo instead of being court-martiul-
cd, 80 nll hands were beat TO quarters, and
away we went
AT Corpus Christi merchant weasel
was wrecked and tho crew OF tho Forward
rendered the necessary Assistance We
drilled every day In the manual OF arms
under JEFF konee The Captains son, and
we exercised with starbuard and larhOard
pnna and hoisfinR sails. The work we
most d'sliked was holy-stoning the decks
every mofnins, with Il piece OF marble,
water aud sard until tnes we're white anu
clean.
Sometime in August we were lying in
Galveston harbor. Our duties were H. hf,1
hut the only Wky we could get any sleep
was by crotpiHB under mosquito bar or
to 20 nluft and make oneself secure In
the bunt ofthe calls.
The mosquitoes would insert their pro-
hoscis clear through the sail and ihey
woul even piorco holes through shoes ii
We elti.. on deck. While lying in that
hartor. we were granted the privilege of