Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-06
THE UNITED STATES MARINES,
Our Sailor-SoIders and Their Honor
able Record.
The History Of the Corps and Its Best Known
Services.


"ho' with every mans hand turned
against them, serve their country
faithfully and Well These are the ma
| iiileS' the policemen OF the ships. AS
| the efficient enforcer of laws and ordi-
hahces on land finds himself unpopular
among the evilly inclined and mis-
chleFous, so does the ship policemen
ma himself unpopular among the
snip crew, tradition, so strong an ele-
nlent in sea life, having inculcated an
/ antipathy for him.
referring to this dislike. Charles
Nordoff in a book called "Man-of- Wal
| Life. one Of the many written a gene
ration ago with a view to lettering
young men from sea life, SAYS: BE
| ing used as a sort of armed police over
| the sailors, the latter cordially hate the
| marines. ana often Wreak vengeance
! upon them Tor some real or supposed
offence. The fact is, q marines place
Is not at all an enviable one. Com
! PEELED to live with and labor among
the crew, ii is yet made their principal
/ dutX to SPY out and bring to punish
ment all offenders against the laws Of
the vessels. Thus it is that they have
| become Il byWord and Il reproach. The
| name of soldier. or 'sojer,' as it is pro-
| nounced by your real tar. is the most
singing eplthet at the command of a
! sailor. Ihere is an Old saying. y
! mesS-mate before shipmate, Il ship
| mate before a stranger. a stranger be
tore dog, but a dog before soldier.
| Which expresses fully the contempt il.
| which they are held" Happily, there
| is more fraternal feeling between the
TWO services in these days, but they
stIll retain their unpleasant duties as
Well as the more valuable military
ones, such as handling the small rapid
fire Guns and manning the military
tops when the modern cruiser goes into
| action.
| j. FcniiN0re CoODCr's description of
| these duties. written nearly sixty years
ago. is still nearly all true: The men
of an armed ship are divided into TWO
distinct classes. those that do the ordi-
nary duty of the vessel, which includes
the petty officers. seamen. ordinary
seamen, landsmen, and boys. and tn,
| marines.
THE former pass under the general
designation of sailors. while the latter
are always known by their own dis
tinctive appellation.
The marines are strictly infantry
soldiers. who are trained to serve
aiioat; and their discipline. equipments
spirit, character. and esprit de corps
are altogether those of an army. The
marines impart to Il ship-of-War in q
great degree its high military charac-
ter They furnish all the guards and
scutincls. in battle they repel or covcl
the assaults Of boarders. and at al
times they sustain and protect thu
stern and necessary discipline of q stiI
h,- their organization, distinctive char
actcr training. and, we might say. ma
tltre. Ii is usual to place one of these
soldiers on board a shD-of-War fol
each gun, though the rule is not abso-
lutte.
Boarding" is. of course. a thing OF
the past now. when battles are fought
at 4 distance, ard 50. TOO, is the serVic,
pulling and hauling at the ropes. whici
the marines were formerly called upon
to perform, in case of emergency. Wher
the sailors required assistance. There
are not 50 many guns ON war vessels
now as in past years, and so the rub
| of one marine to each no longer pre-
walls, but the old custom of posting a
guard at the Water-butt, and one at
| the captains cabin. still continues. as
it has since the origin of the service.
1t was one of the orderlies of the
marine corps, Corporal Anthony. who
when the Maine was sinking, and near
~ all who could do so were hastily
leaving. made his way towards Captain
Sigsbee's cabin, and, on meeting him
calmly gave the report the duty of tho
occasion required OF him, Sill l have
to inform you that the vessel has beer
blown up, and is now sinking" This
quiet performance of duty is destined
TO become a historic episode in MAYA
affairs, as it deserves to.
Despite the dislike in which the corps
Il has been held by its co-WOrkers OF
. men -of-War, it has had a long and hon
ora BILE career in the United States ser
vice. unsurpassed for faithfulness by
any military branch of the Republic
Aware of the Importance of such {
body Of men. the corps was called into
life by Congress on the 9th of NoVem
Der, 11!3, before any regular cruiser
had vet got to sea. BY the organizing
law the corps was to consist of two
hattalionS OF the usual size, and to be
commanded by a colonel. \ resolution
passed on the 30th of the same month
directing that these battalions SHOULD
, not he drafted from the army before
Boston, but regularly enlisted for thf
war. 1t does not appear that this or
; der was ever carried into complete eff
feet. as the great difficulty which ex
listed in obtaining men for the army. NJ
less than the impractibility of getting
4 vessels TO sea, contributed To defeat it,
objects
on the 25th Of June, 1915. notWith
standing, the corps received something
like the contemplated 0rganization.ant
officers were appointed TO serve in it
So That there We're marines in the squad
ron Of Commodore Hopkins is know
. from the fact of their having beer
landed at New Providence. where they
were the assailing force: but even tbs
greater portion Of the sea-Officers en-
uloyed on that occasion had merci!
letters OF appointment. and ii is to b'
e presumed that such was also the cas-