Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-07
CALIFORNIA; CLOSE CALL
Narrowly Escaped Becoming British
Province.
"REMINISCENCES OF A VETERAN TAR
The American Flag Baked the Plans
of u British Notwithstanding
Incident In the san Fran
cisco Hnrbor.

william Hill OF Honesdale, Pa, believes
himself TO be the last survivor OF the United
States naval forces that took possession OF
California In 1916. Veteran Hin Is 20 years
old and works daily at the shoemaker
bench he has worked at for nearly NIFTY
years. One day in 1913, relates the Phila-
delphia Times, he ran away from his home
in Honcsdale and shipped on the whaler
Marcia from New Bedford. for a three
years cruise in the Indian Ocean. They
filled their vessel with oil In two years
and sailed for the Sandwich Islands, where
young Hill and other sailors quit the ship
because the captain insisted on making the
long voyage home without fresh meat
aboard. The United States consul at Homo
lulu supported the men, and the Marcha
sailed without them. Hin shipped from
Honolulu on the merchant vessel Ajax and
went to India and back to the Sandwich
Islands.
zone day n number OF us sailors were
ashore" SAYS Hin. 1--WE were looking out
over the coral reef toward Diamond Head
and sighted United States man-of-war sail
ing in around the head We had heard that
war had been declared with Mexico, and we
were all wild to have a hand in 1t. The ves-
sci cast anchor outside the reef and we gave
her three hearty cheers. She proved to be
the sloop-of-war Cayenne. commanded by
Ce,St2in Mervinc. He sent boat ashore to
see II he could get men to enlist for three
years or during the war. We were getting
from $75 to 500 month In the merchant
service, but wages was no object when war
was concerned. We were eager to enlist,
and when the officers with the boat pulled
of shore to return to the sloop | and two or
three others jumped in and were hurried off
with them We signed the enlistment pa
pers aboard the ship. Captain Mervine lost
no time in sailing. | was by far the young
est person in the crew, being but 20 years
old.
HOSTING THE FLAG.
eve sailed straight for Monterey. We
reached the harbor July G. 1916. The frigate
Savannah, in command Of Commodore Sloat,
and the sloop- of-war Levant were there.
The commodore was waiting for a larger
force II did not come. and the next day
we went ashore and hoisted the American
flag over Monterey, putting out Fremont
and his troops The proclamation was read
In English and in Spanish. That's the way
the United States got California. And she
didn't get 1t any too soon. II she had
waited forty-eight hours longer she'd have
had a war with England on her hands over
the possession, and maybe we wouldn't be
wondering today how California Is going
to vote at the coming presidential cleo
ton.
ION the 9th day OF July, while the excite
ment at Monterey was at Its height n
British line Of battle ship appeared in the
oiiing. She was a formidable looking YES
sell | tell you! She carried more guns than
our three vessels combined. Nevertheless
our decks were cleared for action in short
order. Every man was at his post and every
gun ready to be fired at the word. The
great British ship sailed straight for the
harbor. but as she entered It she tackled,
and her band struck up Yankee Doodle.
(lur napghiu'g hand rpeuDn1pd with
Save the Queen The British vessel was
the Collingwood, commanded by Commo-
dore Seymore I've lowered boat and was
rowed to the Savannah, where he paid his
respects to Commodore Sloat.
! see the American flag is floating on
the shore said he. III II were not, | would
Immediately have raised her majesty's flag
and taken possession OF California in her
namen
1.-THE people OF California wanted English
protection rather than ours, and II our
little fleet hadn't got there first and lost
no time, the history OF those times would
read a little differently today-although as
Tar as written history goes, you won't find
these facts anywhere set down in it, SO far
as | have been able to discover
WAITING FOR A GRAB.
1.-TWO or three days after this episode Com
modore Stockton Joined our fleet with the
frigate Congress. | was transferred from the
Cayenne to the Congress and remained in
service on her until the war was over, pro
tecting the California coast. All through
the war British battleships remained on
guard also along the coast as well as the
Mexican coast, for some reason or other, but
they never came near taking n hand in
the game as the Coddington did at Monterey
AT the close OF the war the Congress was
at San Diego and We gave a grand jubilee
ball aboard her We decorated her with the
flags OF all nations and the old ship looked
fine No invited 10 nd 80
the British war frigate Grampus which lay
close by, and many friendly Californians
rancheros and their wives and daughters, TO
Join in the festivities, and they did so with
n will. The ball lasted all night and no one
was able to do a thing all next day. I've
danced with women in all parts of the world
but never knew any who could match those
California women who danced aboard the
United States flagship Congress that gala
night.
when the war was over the congress was
sent to San Francisco, and the Independ.
ence, commanded by Commodore Schubrlck
was made the flagship. Commodore Stock
ton, with about seventy7fve sailors as
guard. returned to the east overland Cap
tain Avealet was placed in charge OF the
Congress, with orders to sail to Norfolk
Va, around Cape Horn. While going rount
the Horn we were struck one night by {
tremendous typhoon. The vessel was thrown
on her beam ends and all hands we're called
to save the ship In the midwatch of tn,
night a sailor named Thomas McVey fel
from the foretopsail yard into the sea. ant
he was never seen again. The frigate driftet
TO lee at the rate of sixteen knots an hour
At the height OF the terrible storm W,
sighted a ship to wndward. its higgins
filled with men crying for help, but W,
were powerless to aid them. I never knew
what ship she was, but she soon went dowr
with all hands. The Congress weatheret
the storm, and we arrived at Norfolk SAT,
and sound and were discharged. / hav,
every reason to believe that am the las
one OF that old-tme crew"