St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-05


minutes later and The 9lnizZentopmast
went by the board. The eGemy's fire
now appeared to be directed at the
BainmaSt, for the slaughter among the
marines drawn up in the waist was be-
ginning to he something frlghtful. Car
den ordered the marines shifted for
ward and then dispersed as sharp
shooters. The maintopnast now went
by the board, and wreck clearers were
called away The fighting at tits puint
was something terrible. The American
fire, from being directed at the main
mast. was now. playing along the,gun
deck. Its effect was not unlike4Jhe
crash and booming of thunderstorm,
The whole heaven was obScured Sbga
smoke, and from the American ship thes
constant Stream<of fire made that YeSsefs
look as if on fire.
On the gun deck of the MacedoniaIls
the slaughter was awful. One shot hadS
killed outright and wounded seven mems
A sponger in handing his rammer to his
opposite was cut in two. Two powaeE
monkeys rushing to the ammupHof
hatch together were bodily lifted by
shot and their mangled and lifeleSS
bodies dashed against the carlins over
head. One bluejacket stopped over
group of seven dead men in his search
for mate. and after turning eachibedy
found the object of his hunt at the bot
tom of the heap. He gave one cry of
"Oh, Tom" when his division officer
ordered him back to his gun with the
shout to avenge hiSmate's death. On
the main deck some thirty marines lay
dead or writhing In their wounds about
the mainmast, while down in the cock
pit the wounded lay i'll heaps about the
hni IL o,.iac II nm ali
to the quarterback despite the terrible
roar of the guns.
Throughout it all the British captain
stood.at his post on the quarter deck
giving orders. He felt that the only
hope for the Macedonian was close ac-
ton. The guns of the enemy were too
heavy for him and her crew too well
practiced in their service to admit Of
long-raDge work. With this belief in
mind, the Macedonian's captain kept
constantly closing in, with the Amer
lean keeping we'll off. The sea and
wind were in the Macedonian's favor,
and Decatur, fearing that the latter
might get too close aboard
of him, shot out of the smoke
and heat at time when
the Macedonian was distant not more
than pistol shot. Every sail on the
British ship was completely gone save
the fOreSail, and Decatur, with the view
of destroying this canvas, ordered sec
tionS OF chain and bags OF bolts fired
through it. This was done by some of
the forward guns of the United States,
completely blown to pieces. Having
the Macedonian thus crippled, Decatur
lutfed up into the wind and shot under
the stern of his adversary. He raked
the Macedonian just once, and, being
now in position to do the greatest de-
StructiOn, the MacedOnian'S flag was
hauled down.
When Lieut.. Allen, of the United
States, boarded the Macedonian, he
found the decks of that vessel fairly
running with blood, and On the gun
deck there was to be heard a constant
drip. drip of the blood from the slain
overhead. At least twenty bodies had
been thrown overheard by the British
sailors early in the fight to give more
room aboutdecks. and of this number
there is certainty that some
were only pushed through the ports to
put them out: OF misery. In the
cockpit the two British surgeons were
still working with a zeal that knew no
rest. The frighttully' mangled limbs
fashion. There was a slash of the
knife, saving of the bone, a turning
back of the flap, and then the applica-
ton of hot pitch or tar to scar all. No
wonder Lieut.. Allen called the Mace
DOMAIN slaughter pen. Out of 800 men
the British ship had lost 112. The niz--
zenmast and maintopmast had been car
ried away. and over 100 solid shot Mad
pierced the hull.
1t took Decatur's men two days to rig
the Macedonian up as bark. Under
this rig Lieut.. Allen carried the vessel
into port, both ships going to New Lon
don When Capt. Garden boarded the
United States he was shown every
Difference and respect by the gallant
Decatur.
Both men had met each other prior to
the war, and had learned to respect one
another mutually. 1t was consequently
with no little feeling that Decatur adj
vanced, his both hands outStretched, to
meet Garden. In stature both men were
much alike, powerfully built, yet Wiry
and active. The British captain, the
tears almost rolling down his face from
the sad sight of his men lying torn and
mangled aboard the Macedonian, ad-
vanced toward Decatur and mute
ly held out his sword. The warm
hearted Decatur was just the man
to do at such a time a noble act
Capt Garden" he said, 81 could
never forgive myself if took the sword
from the hands of d man who has used
is with the bravery and courage you
have displayed. [ decline to take it.
There are lumber of descendants Of
Capt. John Garden in the British navy
today. The name is one that has long
been associated with the British cOlorS,
and to the writer's own knowledge
every man of them bears in mind the
magnanimity once shown a member of
the family by an American naval officer.
Capt. John Garden remained at New
London, Conn.,, under parole until eX-
changed. Up to his death he cherished
the Warmest affection for Decatur. The
two men, in fact, were much alike in
spirit. Decatur always allowed in az
gument that his battery was the heavier,
and, though he contended that the act
of the British captain in seeking close
action was more courageous than Dru-
dent. he himself admitted that he saw
no other course for a man of honor and
high mind to follow if he proposed fight
ing. Capt. John Garden died at about
seventy years of age. Despite his loss
of the Macedonian, the British admi-
rally showed him marked consideration,
it being deemed that the fight he made
atoned for the loss of the frigate.
During the civil war, 1861 to 1865. a
descendant of Capt. John Garden, and
the only one ever known to become an
American citizen, served throughout
the war as an officer in the Union army.