Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-09-15
BLOOD THE THICKER.
THE PEI-HO FlGH T IN WHICH TATNALL
HELPED THE ENGLISH.

This is the story of naval battle,
notable not because it was one OF the
most desperate in modern warfare, but
because it revealed, as in flash OF
white light. the kindred ties that bind
the two mighty nations of Anglo-Saxon
blood On June "a, 1852 twenty-one
ships of war, the allied fleets of Eng
land and France, rode at anchor in the
Gulf of Pe-chili, off the mouth of the
Pei-ho River. They had come bear
ing the newly appointed ministers to
China who were TO ratify the treaties
negotiated in the preceding year. Ac-
cording to agreement. they were to
proceed up the Pei-ho River to Tient-
sin, where the diplomats were to re-
ceive safe escort to the imperial court
at PelIn. Upon their arrival, however,
they found that the Chinese had
blocked the fairway with booms and
the sunken hulls Of fat old junks and
fortified the shores with seven formida-
BILE forts.
For such offences England knows
only one remedy.
II will give you until June % to open
the river wrote Admiral Hope. IF
the work is not done by that time l
shall blow up your forts"
bar five miles wide filled the river
mouth like the stopper of bottle. pre-
venting the passage of the larger yes
sells On June "a Admiral Hope and
the French Commodore marshaled
thirteen of their smaller gunboats in
line of battle and steamed boldly up
the river. While they were prepar-
ing to make a demonstration, Captain
Josiah Tattnall, flying the blue flag OF
an Admiral of the United States Navy.
came up across the bar on the unarmed
steamer Toeywan. He had left his
flagship, the Powhatan, in the bay out
side. The allied fleets parted to let
him by. His purpose was to demand
instant passage in the name of the
President of the United States. When
he was almost under the walls Of the
first fort the plucky little Toeywan
rammed her nose into the mud and
heeled over heavily with the falling
tide Captain Tattnall sent messengers
ashore, but they were hardly allowed
to land, the gigantic coolie still refus-
ing passage. Admiral Hope now saw
the danger of the American ship, par
ticularly in her exposed position under
the forts, and he sent the gunboat
Plover with his compliments to drag
her off. But the chain parted and the
Inv stil
At this the gallant Admiral despatched
another vessel.
Shortly after o'clock on the follow
ing day the allied fleets cleared for ac-
ton. The gunboat Plover ran up the
river under a full head of steam and
drove headlong into the first boom.
1t snapped like cotton cord, and the
Plover spun shuddering into the clear
water beyond.
OF a sudden, while the Plover was
trimming for a plunge at the second
boom, the ramparts above swarmed
with gunners. An instant later hum
dred guns, trained with merciless cum
ming, belched out stream of fire and
solid shot Nearly every ship in the
fleet was hit. The little Plover stag
gered and futtered. riddled with shot.
A ball carried away gunner's head
and mortally wounded three other men.
This was the beginning. At ) O'Clock
two of the British ships had been sunk
and four others were aground hope
lessly wrecked. Admiral Hope and
three of his Captains We're wounded
and the flag had been twice changed
and now flew from the masthead of the
Cormorant.
Captain Tattnall had seen all this
from the bridge of the Toey-wan. His
masts ha6 swarmed with seamen,
cheering the British gunners, but the
law of neutrality forbad any interfer-
ence.
AT sunset three small boats shot out
from among the English ships and
made across the river in storm of
shot. Before they had gone half way
two boats went down, pierced through
with all their crews. The third. bring
ing an English midshipman. ran along
side the Toeywan. The officer leaped
OH DOdlu anu IGpOItCu lHdl OUT Ol Il
crew of thirty-seven men on the
flagship only six remained. and that
Admiral Hope lay desperately wound
ed on the quarterdeck-and the little
midshipman looked wistfully down
across the bar where the larger ships of
the fleet swarmed with reserves. Small
boats had been put out, but owing to
the swift current and the recedng tide
they could not cross the bar
Tell your Admiral" said Captain
Tattnall. that the American ship will
bring up his reserves"
Captain Tattnall looked across the
river where the helpless English ships
were being battered to pieces under the
merciless fire.
Blood is thicker than water" he
said.
And while the English seamen
cheered and the Americans answered
them from the tops, he dropped back