The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-08-05

The HEerriraae's Exploit in Hampton
Roads Compared With Dewey
at Manila

The expressions regarding Admiral
Dewey's magnificent victory: at IS
unparalleled, IL is phenomenal" fol-
lowed BY such remarks as that the
American people viii not forgive
Sampson If he does not win a victory
or make a triumph so dear TO the
Spanish that they viii not survive an
other, brought forth the following
from my old friend, the ex-cOnfed-
crate oficer: This is al very well,
but the action Of Dewey's squadron at
Manila, while phenomenal, is not IN
Paralleled. as claimed. The destruc-
ton Of the friga5es Cumberland and
Congress, the silencing Of shore bat
teries at Newport News, the partial
destruction Of the Minnesota and the
driving back Of the United States
steamer st. Lawrence and other yes
sells sent TO the assistance Of those
named, was accomplished by just as
few casualties up to the time the Con-
gress struck her colors and the trans
fer Of prisoners from her began"
Of course everybody viii under
stand that It was the historical per
Torrance Of the Virginia, better Cbut
less properly known as the AIerrimac,
in Hampton Roads, to which my naval
friend and authority referred. He con
tinued:
cit was after that time, and while
the white flag was flying on her, that
Admiral Buchanan, Lieut.. Taylor and
other confederate officers and men
were killed or wounded. In both cases
it was the expected, but not the UMPIRE
- FL
vessels attacked by Buchanan were
for that day more up to date. better
equipped carrying more guns and
better driIled) than was MODtejO's
feet Of this new era. Looking at the
situation, therefore, In the light of
the past, as well as that Of the present,
1 think the gallant Dewey's action
more nearly resembles the then really
unparalleled attack made by Buchan-
an than it does the passage of Admiral
Farragut into Mobile bay.
The latter commanded vessels and
men flushed with success at New Or
leans and on the Mississippi. He knew
almost to a nicely the capacity Of his
own ships and men, as well as the ma
ture Of the ships and defenses, both
ahoat and ashore, which they were
called on to assail.
AS in Bucbanan's case, Dewey com
manded entirely untried men and a
class Of mOdern-buiIt ships whose ca
Pacity to resist up-tO-date artillery,
shore batteries, torpedo boats and
submarine mines was altogether an
unknown quantity. MontejO, with the
latter to support him, evidently felt
as secure as did the gallant command
er Of the Cumberland, when, on the
/ appearance Of the Merrimac, he called
his crew to quarters, and is stated to
have thus bravely addressed them:
Ny lads, here comes the great
southern bugaboo.' Stand to your
guns, and in Is minutes she is OUTS"
''They did stand to their guns, and
furnished an unparalleled example,
which our fOemen at Manila have just
emulated, by firing their last broad
side as the ship sank with them in
/ Hampton Roads.
"The geographical situation at Ma
Mia may have more nearly resembled
that IN Mobile bay, but I submit that
all the conditions are almost identical
with those Of the Hampton Roads
fight, and to that extent rebound more
to the credit Of our gallant new ad-
miral "-Richmond Dispatch.