The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-06-03


Remember the Maine" Com.
schley's now famous signal of attack
On the Spanish fleet, viii undoubtedly
become immoral in American history,
in the history of the English-speaking
peoples, in fact; for, as an appeal to
patriotism it is as thrilling as was
Nelson's battle cry at the Nile, Eng
land expects that every man will do
his duty"
81 have not yet begun to fight, was
one of Com. Jones famous replies to a
British captain with whom he had been
fercely engaged for over an hour, and
who desired to know if he had sur
rendered. It was not Jones who sur
rendered when the battle came to an
end.
The first commodore of the young
American navy was Capt. John Barry.
In BE spring Of 1881 he was hailed by
9 British ship on his way from Havana.
TO the inquiry as to his identity, he
replied: S'The U. S. ship Alliance,
Saucy Jack Barry, half Irishman, half
Yankee; who are you?"
mot the value nor the command Of
the whole British feet could tempt me
from the American cause was the
heroic reply of Barry to Lord Howe, in
1776, when he offered him $4,000
guineas and commission in the Eng
iish navy to join the royal cause.
Com. Stephen Decatur was one of the
very brayest men that ever walked the
quarterback. His famous toast at
public dinner in Norfolk, Va, in 1876,
''Our Countryl In her intercourse with
foreign nations may she always be in
the right; but our country, right or
wrong would, if he had never said or
done anything else, have won him i'm
mortality.
Don't give up the ship" the dying
words of Com. Lawrence, the heroic
commander of the Chesapeake, are
among the very noblest ever uttered.
They will live as long as ocean rolls
or ships float.
The gallant Perry flew that signal at
his masthead in the memorable battle
Of Lake Erie, at the glorious close. of
which he had the inspiration to pen
that dispatch which has canonized him
in our history: Eve have met the en-
envy and they are ours" It was writ
ten on his stiff hat in lieu of a table,
on the half of an old letter, and the adj
ditional information in it gave the size
and number of the enemy, namely,
two ships, two briggs, one schooner
and one sloop."
When the Constitution, under the
command of Com. Hull, engaged the
French frigate Guerrero, a dramatic
scene was witnessed on the deck of
"Old Ironsides." AS the Frenchman's
guns began to thunder out, Lieut.. Nor
ris, second in command, asked Huh if
he should give the order to fire.
'tNot yet," replied Hull.
Nearer and nearer came the two
ships. Again Morris asked for the or
der, and again came the answer, Not
Eet.~ A few moments later, high above
the roar Of the guns. as the Constitu-
ton completely covered her enemy,
HulPs voice rang out: Now, boys, pour
3 1t into them!'
The Guerrero was literally torn to
pieces, "the blood of the killed run
ming out of her scuppers," says naval
historian.
Com. Macdonough sighted the enemy
on Lake Champlain on a Sunday morn
ing. He ran up the signal for divine
service, and, kneeling on the deck
among his men, offered appropriate
prayers. During the engagement a
British shot struck the hencoop on the
Saratoga and released a gamecock.
which few into the rigging and crowed
Justify all through the fight, the men
loudly cheering. Macdonough's vic
tory aroused the enthusiasm of the en-
tire nation.
A war cry that closely resembles
"Remember the Maine" was that which
Gen. Sam Houston gave to his troops at
the battle of San Jacinto-the battle
which gave freedom and indepen-
dence to Texas
Col Travis was in command of about
1856 Texan soldiers in the fort called
the Alamo at Bexar. There he was
surrounded by a greatly superior force
under the Mexican dictator, Santa
Anna.
On the morning of March 6, 1886, the
little garrison of the Alamo capitulated,
on the pledge of the Mexican general
that their lives would be spared. Not
withstanding this pledge Col Travis
and his entire force were massacred as
soon as they had surrendered. Their
dead bodies were gathered together, a
huge pile of wood was heaped upon
them. and they were burned to ashes.
On April 10, 1886, Gen. Houston, with
about 700 men. gave Battle at San ia
cinto to Santa Anna, with nearly three