The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-03

Marco Bozzaris, the siege of TripolitZa. the
massacre of Scio and the lines that set the
world on fire, beginning
He who hath bent him Ger the dead,
And ending
IT'S Greece, but living Greece no more.
The author of the "Giaour'' did not live to
see Navarino fought. but he had accom-
plished mis- mission before Missolonghi had
become famous forever and aye. And yet
Navarino remains to be justified at the bar
of international law The fleets of Eng
land, Russia and France destroyed tho
Turkish navy. Since then the conquerors
have been perpetnally at loggerheads and
the question has TO be settled by the sword.
John Jennings own story of the great
sea-fght and its results to himself was re-
Gently told in the following brief but all
convincing fashion: Il spent my younger
days in Liverpool, where | served my time
as q watCh-motl0ner and capmaker but
then resolved to enter the kings service. L
enlisted in the name of George Bradshaw.
My first ship was the Swiftsure, On which
We proceeded to Plymouth, and at that
place | was removed to the Victory, Lord
Nelson's famous ship. Ultimately | was
transferred to the Asia, which had been in
preparation for active service with the Med
iterranean squadron. | found myself under
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington. We ar
rived on the Greek coast in the early part of
June, 1927 and lowered about under dipio-
20. On that eventful morning our strength
consisted of IL ships of the line. eight
large frigates and eight smaller vessels.
THE Turkish feet consisted Of 81
vessels moored around the bay with a
view to commanding the entrance. outside
which were the French and Russian fleets.
a misunderstanding by the Turks of the
action OF boat from the Dartmouth frigate
led TO them opening fire and the Dartmouth
replying, the action became general. In
f,,, apI ho1 hatxr 4
$4,000 Turks were killed and many vessels
destroyed. Standing close to me was the
admiral and his glass was broken in halves
by shot from the enemy. l ultimately re-
turned 10 Portsmouth with the victorious
squadron and about two years after, learn
ing that my parents were in poverty, left
the service. Removing TO Coventry in 1910
l followed the watch trade, and when
nearly 60 years Of age joined the volunteer
corps and was member for twelve and a
half years. In 1854 my health began to fail
and two years later L became an inmate of
the Coventry almshOuse. | have no rela-
lions living and am IS years of age"
1t is on record that on hearing Of the old
mans condition Major Codrington of the
Coldstream Guards. grandson of the adj
miral, forwarded SIS for Fleming, and an
effort was made to start subscription to
keep the poor old sailor out or the aims
house for the rest of his life. But the Brit
ish Government. which cheerfuliy grants
United States Presidents salary TO every
princeling of royalty, has nothing to say in
the matter.
The Navarino fight was part of series of
events far more romantic and important
than many greater conflict While the
Greeks were struggling for Independence
and the lines OF Byron we're being heard
around the world the United States and
England had healed the wounds OF 1872
and many an adventurous liberty-loving
citizen of both countries fought obscurely
and side by side with Byron and Bozzaris.
1t was of BoZZaris and his Greeks that
Haileck wrote:
They fought liz G brave men, long and we'll
They piled The ground with Mosiem sisin.
They conquered, but BozzariS fell
Bleeding 1T every vein.
His few surviving comrades saw
HIS smile when rang their proud hurrah.
And the red field was won.
They saw in death his eyelids close
Calmly as to nights repese,
Like flowers at set of sun.
Turkey continued the war with Greece
two years after the disaster at Navarino
and only yielded when the Russian General
Diebitsch crossed the Balkans and con-
quered peace in Adranople. History re-
peated itself in 1877, but this time England
sent an ironclad fleet TO Constantinople and
babe her old ally of Navarino keep "hands
off,
The little bag Of Navsrino is only three
miles long and TWO miles wide. Consider
ing that nearly 200 ships OF war and fire.
ships were packed into this small compass
la q hammer ani-tongs fight, il is not sur
prising that the action was q decisive one.
There was not enough left of the Turkish
navy to make decent show in rotten row at
Mare Island.
From the standpoint OF international law
the interference of England, France and
Russia in n struggle between Turkey aud
what was then a revolted province is not
more easily justified than the action of two
OF these powers in regard to the Coufed-
crate States. The Navarino affair has gen.
orally been defended as an interference on
the ground of humanity, and comparisons
have been drawn between the massacres OF
Scio and Sinope and the atrocities in Bal-
garia in 1876.
Navarino is interesting from being the
last naval action in which freboats were
used. The fight grew out of Turkish fire.
boat firing on pinnace sent out by the
Dartmouth. the fire woupding the first lieu
tenant and killing midshipman and two
men.