Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-03-04
A NOTED FIGHT.

The fight between the United States
frigate United States and the British
frigate Macedonia is looked upon in
the American Navy as one of the
greatest gunnery feats in the history
of the service. The engagement took
place October %, 1872, and, though
an affair Of many years past, the rec
ords on the American SIDE are well
preserved at the Navy Department.
They are, in fact, much fuller than
Ia the case Of most reports. Decatur
taking the pains to hand down for
future use all the benefits Of the ex-
perience he gained that day. From
the British side of the fight the rec
ords are more or less incomplete,
though much that was valuable has
been learned in later years through
the private letters written by the
British Captain subsequent to the al
fray.
The fight between the United
States and the Macedonian occurred
at a point some 200 miles to the
southwark and westward Of the
Azores Islands. The Macedonian,
Capt John Garden, Royal Navy, COM
manding, was on an outward bound
cruise to the West Indies His ship
was a brand-new frigate, fresh from
Portsmouth backward. This yard the
Macedonian had left not more than
two weeks previously. On the morn
ing of October Is the British frigate
had about 300 men aboard. Her bat
terry consisted of thirty-eight carron-
AIDES, with a pivot gun on the fore
castle and a small boat gun on the
quarterback. Because of this she
earned the title given her in America
Of being forty-gun ship.
The crew of the Macedonia, were,
for the most part. trained men-of-
wars men. There were some twenty
impressed men aboard who had never
seen service on war ship, but, aside
from this number, all hands had done
duty three years and more under the
British flag. Capt Garden always
had the greatest admiration for the
Macedonian's crew, and it was this
very reliance in the personnel under
him that caused that maneuver in the
light which lost him his ship Good
men as the blue jackets of the Mac
edonian we're, they were still some
what green in working together when
they met the United States The
Macedonian had been hurried off from
the Portsmouth yard, and now, not
more than a couple of weeks out,
without any opportunity for target
practice and with only the training
which came from the daily exercise
at quarters, the Macedonian's men
went into the fight without a MUIR
muir against the seasoned, we'll
shaken-down crew commanded by
Decatur.
The morning of October %, 1912,
was logged aboard the Macedonian as
opening up clear and cold. with a
heavy swell running, the frigate stand
ing along under topsails, topgallant
sails, and courses. 1t was proposed to
give the day to the men in the enjoy
ment Of whatever sports they chose
and, and to make the time fly merrily,
Capt Garden instructed the executive
officer to see to little extra allow
ance OF Rrog being issued. At 8:45
o'clock in the morning Capt Garden
was seated in his cabin engaged in
reading when he distinctly heard the
call Of the lookout at the foretopmast
head call out: ''Sail ho!" Without
waiting to hear the counter-hail of
the officer of the deck, Capt Garden
sprang to his cabin companionway
aud himself hailed the lookout: Can
you make her out?"
'Can't make her out sir" was the
reply
Capt. Garden took two or three
turns along the deck and a minute
later sang out:
'Masthead, there!"
''Sirw came the reply
'Can you make out that sall?"
''She's a sQuare-rigged vessel, sfr!"
'tHere, Mr.. -" said Captain
Garden to the officer beside him,
s+send a lockout to each masthead
100 OH OHiOOA OhO OOp hCCp
q close eye on that fellow" and then
q minute later came the cry from the
mainmast head:
'The strangers a frigate, sir, and
bearing down this way"
'Can you make out his rig?"
"He looks like a Yankee, sir"
This last hail was sufficient. Cap
tain Garden was now surrounded by
his executive and navigator. and by
two or three of the older officers,
while on the lee side of the deck a
knot OF Junior officers was assembled,
ali OF them having tumbled up from
below on hearing the Captains voice.
Turning to his executive Captain
Garden said very quietly: ''Clear
ship for action, sir, and get the peo-
pie to the guns!"
In an instant the boatswain pipes
were ringing out their calls and 800
blueiackets were knocking down
bulkheads, reeving on preventer
braces, switching down trigging. Sc
curing boats, rigging boarding net
tsng8 upshipping lsddets pilling