Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-29
NAVAL TALES OF THE INDIES,
Our Operations on the See Have Oftex
Carried Us ThsRe-KearsarEs
Was Wrecked There.

Ou1 Operations On the See Have O1te0
Carried Us ThsRe-Kearsargs
Was Wrecked There.
Fights OF the American navy In West
Indian waters date back as far al 1Hs. .
the year Of the declaration Of tndepend-
ence.
In that year the Lexington. Captain VIII
lam Hallock. was returning from the West
Indies, loaded with powder and other mill
tary stores, when she was captured by the
British frigate Pearl. There was such
high sea running at the time that the cap
tain Of the Pearl decided. after taking four
or i've men out Of the Lexington, not to
transfer the rest of the crew to his own
ship. So he placed her In charge Of prize
crew, with orders to follow the Pearl Dur
Ing Ing dec the might when the prize captain and
Lol Yankees knocked the British sailor
from the tiller and the guards to the deck.
secured the companionway against the ex-
rived safely.
The first real even sea fight occurred Ia
1ae Pn,ta sane year lne OF the western end Of
drea Dorta and the British brig Racehorse.
~ ended, after two hours tight, In the
surrender sur Ter, OF the Racehorse. after her cap
Wounded % h,su.cnsnt Ths Jones had been mortally
inson, lost four killed and eight wounded.
Anotnef west Indian hight was still more
Ths ~ sne g,ory o OF the young American navy.
Martinique. fell in. just outside Of that
port, with the British sloop-of-war Shark.
sixteen guns. Not only was the Shark q
.a.gef Vessel. but the Reprisal. because Of
number Of prizes sent home, was short
handed; Nevertheless. the American
promptly engaged the British vessel and,
fought her with such vigor that the Shark
was compelled to haul on for repairs.
captain Bfddle, he of the Andrea Doria.
lnnsequent!y called the Randolph. sailed in
February. lT7. from Philadelphia for the
Garilnnean sea. He had as consorts four
had been lifted out by the state Of south
caro- carolina; The Randolph carried thirty-two
s,sh.s, s,ndss yet Captain Biddle. Immediately upon
mouth. stxty-four guns. engaged her, while
sne state cruisers were signaled to run for
saaety; sa.e The engagement. which took place
tion or the Randolph, with all hands on
board except four seamen.
Ear Early IN 17ss and 1900 occurred the IA
Constellation, thirty-six guns. Captain
sgrgens SURG thirty-six guns, and the vense-
vas cruising between Nevis and Kits. al
fHe Ms.t notsneast corner Of the Caribbean sea:
c.nsn.sd s1e t ttnsuresnt was encountered and
nours. The next year the Constellation
compelled the Vengeance to night. almost
att at the Id identical spot. and after the vense:
away unter darknes1 ~ thN ni.ht s"Spe0
DurjnR the .first wear ~ fha -. - 1ef,
xmer,can n1s many Snd bloody ens1unters % between
between the Azoree and Tapsrw ,sia us,S
the coast ON Brazii hmt We.t irdiar di Msta, ~.
sa bns no I naval nav battles nor even
old American frirafe Constif,,t,cn vo.Eirs
her way homeWsrd from Surinam feii n
six guns. oil Porto Sico Tins h.d fIey hssyy
and that not no long before Vhen : Rrits.i
frigate Of that size would have come hnoI,.
fight. hut the .Rritish ve..ai ~ ,,Uaa, .U5
written orders not 10 enesee a shin of ths
weight OF the Constftufion and thn ~