The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
HEROES OF ALL OUR WARS.
,ppyJCE ON land " ~ DONE
ny THE MARINE CORPS.

H., Regular service VI Nv lAhNN 5NtANNa
G,llnntry from the Time of John Paul
,.,,s Down to That of Guantanamo.
=. ,y,rr war in which tho United States have
. Engaged the Marine Corps has served with
saui,rlpess and gailantry. It is the boast
'S,to ,,prinos that they are the oldest military
- ir the regular service Of the United States.
sn- ,bcy claim. not without some foundation, to
S..,Ia,e both the army and the navy. This
- H. based upon the act Of the Continental
C"v,r.ss If Nov. 81. 1875, which provided That
~, l,',aiions OF marines be raised. to be en-
us..I aud commissioned to serve for and dur
Snc ,hp rr,scut war between Great Britain and
tlrrnlnnlcs. and TO be considered as part of the
Continental Army before Boston; particular
o,r. f., he taken that no persons be appointed
or enlisted into said battalions but such as arc
ii -comcn or so acquainted with maritime
srnnr. rs to serve with advantage at sea when
r,,pirrd." These hattalions were actually re-
cr,.i,d Independently OF tho army before
Boston.
II Il, If interest to motto that Congress even
Ur,~,i lar as to prescribe a uniform Tor the
marines " that period. the officers wearing
..rra,n coats faced with white, round cuffs,
sIa.nnI sleeves and pockets, with buttons
orrrud the cuffs, a silver cpaulet on the right
sh,uldcr. skirts turned back, buttons to suit
thc tarirrs. white waistcoats and breeches
e1rod with green. black gaitres and garters."
N's,,ry j. silent as to whether the officers who
coDmandrd the marines afoat with John Paul
Jones wore all this linery or not; but in the at
tarks 81 that hero upon the coasts OF Great
D,,tsin aud II the great sea fight between the
Ron Hommc l;ichard and the Scraps the
marines played a prominent part.
J,irrc the Revolution the marines were
drsI,l int, Il highly disciplined body, actuated
Nv q strong srnsc of duty and having a match
los; esp rs, de corps: and. at the close Of the
var. wonn IN. Continental Army was disbanded
eu,j tMr navy placed out Of commission. the
Marine Corps was retained. aud thus became
thc only body o. troops in tho regular service.
The army aud the navy were organized later.
III, marines have never lost sight Of this pri-
ortv uf establishment ard continuity Of service.
IN she popular mind marines are synonymous
with sailors. IA a matter OF fact they are not
spi,ors a tall. hut soldiers serving in ships. They
arr a part Of the naval force and under the jur-
isdiction OF the Secretary Of the Navy; but they
are. nevertheless. a distinct organization from
the navy proper. The marines serve under
their own officers. who are graduates Of the
Naval Academy. and wear a uniform differing
widely from that Of the bluejackets. In fact.
the Uniform Of the Marine Corps closely re-
semnles that Of the army, consisting Of
the familiar sky blue trousers and closely
buttOred dark blue coat with red trim
mmgs. The marines take the greatest pride
10 their personal appearance. Each member of
the guard strives to be at all times the pink
OF perfection. His clothes always appear new
with trousers creased as though fresh from the
hands II a tailor, his belt is pipe-clayed to a
dazzling whiteness, and his rifle is equally
ready for parade or action. This conscientious
striving toward scrupulous cleanliness has
borne good fruit. Whenever this country is
called upon to send a detachment OF soldiers to
compete with foreign troops the marines are
selected. because it is recognized that they
will reflect credit upon the nation. At the last
Paris Exposition the United States were repre-
sentcd by a company OF marines under the
command of Capt. Henry Clay Cochrane and
Lieut. Paul st. Clair Murphy. Here they came into
competition with all the crack troops of Europe.
Including many Of the famous royal guards.
For %neatness OF appearance. soldierly bearing
and precision Of drill the marines bore off the
palm. being unanimously voted the superiors
OF all the competitors by the Paris papers of
the day. 1t caused the heart of every visiting
American TO beat with pride to see American
troops pointed out as model soldiers. So
marked was this superiority that the officers in
charge were decorated with crosses OF the
Legion Of Honor.
Much rivalry has existed in times past between
the sailors and the marines on board ship. For,
~tunatgly this feeling has almost entirely died
ghNs J le illulliltS Dl bOulu sup ptIIOlll lHc
duties Of 7entinels, and orderlies. and are
pa AIDED UNDER arms in honor oil. visiting officers
sod 'iSF rr fa,f; t to SGaSt, ' sies @SF' thaf RF SfEe shi3
R ReS @I2T N H "; sir" b when the Ma MHiae w Urs e 5Gr3
lar 10 that done by other soldiers at army
posts. The rivalry between marines and
sa'.orS dates from. remote ages-goes back, in
fact. . the very beginning Of naval warfare. The
Thunicians. had great ieats Of battle galleys.
ThG motive power was furnished by oars han
fp4tinE men in these craft were soldiers armed
%lih bows and arrows. spears. and sings. who
t H." m o"S''; At tGS % Sar St S The s s6S isHPS nfi0at 81
0iaSn times Ycre the proGcnitors OF ths modern
marlng7' ana the sailor has evolved from the
tIaY" al the oar. In the days OF the trirelnes
these early marines also, manned catapults,
Ehich threw great stones designed to crush in
E]itoratra had a marine e. Fnard to defend her IN
t tSf '@ sNkon Hargs, as 0 well as sailors to , trim
et the oars, Coming down to compare,
lively modern times. the English Admiral
General and Admiral at sea" while the crews
81 lhf vessels IN his fleet We're in part, made ur
o. sailor who handled the sails and attend,
aNoat, marine, WHO lid the lighting. and whose
Er,"r'i DESTROYED III" maritime supremacy o
tEe Dntch A~iqirals, Van TrompGnd De Ruyter
Even Nelson himself at one time held a com
10 return to The Marine Corps, after ,thil
3 n VI o. IN" mt I has shared gloriously i
PlAi"EtM" minor wars with the pirates OF tn,
Elrlnry state, and during the naval war will
rGr guards upon the American ships invari
anI fought with tir"lcss energy and supnrl
y'ut"Ee, In IN" greatest Of American mari
S'n' var, mat known as the war Of lSl.
nm England. a marine guard formed part o
uopihl."ln"nt Of every ship in the American
navy NJ thht time the marines were detalieC
a. infantry. aud in battle were placed il
iEHlniinrht POSITIONS. especially aloft, TO en-
AZ" Them, by their accurate marksman
hhlp 70 pick OF exposed men on tn
errmI decks and thereby cripple the gun
crows. III those days. ships fought, not as nov
a, y varying from three miles to half
nlli" hHt yhrdarm to yarlarm. aud much de
marines IN the tops. Tpon the few occasion
%h"n ia" English succeeded in boarding Amer
i.ah NcSeniS IN action, they were met wit
fWtl"rlnE llre from the marines, drawn up in
ao{N II was impossible 10 withstand thcs
W'I,%lu,"ri"d y"lirys. and as the enemy brok
az ned, as They almost Invariably did, thei
fllLnNl WI. mad. Aisast rnuS hy the charG