Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-07
They didn't fire; it was al, a buff.

They didn't fire; it was all bluff.
where are you going?" they hailed
him.
Where it pleases me-" was the rug
ged response.
The Mexican war was not to any
great extent maritime, yet the navy
played an honorable part and strictly
held its own. On one occasion Gen.
Scott asked for some of the guns for
use on shore. Certainly" replied
Capt. Perry, but must fight them
Wherever the guns go, their officers
and men must go with them" And with
them they went.
Later Tattnal asked Perry: "What
point shall engage, sir?"
Where you can do most execution,
sir.''
The execution done by the naval bat
teries was, indeed, SO great, that Capt
Mayo was presently able to report to
Scott: General, they are done; they
will never fire another shot,
who? your battery" cried Scott in
CONSERVATION.
mo, general-the enemy"
The navy during the civil war was
more characterized by deeds than
words. Some good things, however,
were uttered. Among these, perhaps,
may be reckoned the non-committal
answer of Lincoln-head of the navy
as well as of the army-whcn pestered
by presuming politician as to the pro-
posed destination of certain feet.
well, my FRIEND" sud the presi-
DENT W'll tell you-they are going to
sea-"
In the celebrated duel between the
Monitor and the Merrimac, Lieut.. Wor-
den, commanding the former. was hor-
Ftbly hurt by u she'll which exploded
almost in his face. While writing in
agony, he was told that the Minnesota,
which he had been fighting to defend,
was safe. "Then can die happy" he
said. But luckily he did not die, and
rendered good service afterward
Some of the most memorable utter
ances of this period were from the lips
of Farragut, but there was nothing
theatrical about them; he was a plain,
practical man, not given to posing.
This was particularly noticeable in his
absolutely informal but phenomenally
effective order on the day when he ran
the terrible gauntlet of the guns an
Mobile bay. In the morning, as pc fin
ished his breakfast, be simply re.
marked: well, we might as well be
getting under way'0and in an incred-
IDLY short time the command was sig
nailed all over the fleet. Later, when
the fight grew hot and the volleys from
the forts were something terrific, he
climbed high in the rigging to see over
the clouds OF smoke; and here he was
dashed to the shrouds that he might not
fall if wounded. While he was in this
position, directing the battle with
matchless skill. his leading ship, the
nf.ffaepklyp, suddenly stopped and backed,
throwing the whole line into disorder,
Then came the signal-"Torpedoes.''
Damn torpedoesl" roared the adj
miral from his perch. go ahead; four
bells!"
And taking the lead himself, amid a
scene of the most awful carnage, he
brought order out of chaos and went
on to victory. His profanity has not
been greatly criticised.
Our list may well close with the
heroic speech and act of Commander
Crayen-such was his strangely map.
propriate name-during the same en-.
gagement. He, too, had been warned
of the torpedoes, but had replied: 81
don't care pinch of snuff for Them
Nevertheless his vessel, the monitor
Tecumseh, was blown up and sank like
Q stone. Craven and his pilot sprang
together to the opening leading out Of
the iron pilot-house, but only one could
pass through at q time.
after you. siE.n cried Craven, step
| ping back. But there was no "after."
.When reached the last round Of
the ladder, the vessel seemed to droI
from under me-" said the pilot subse
qnently; and Craven went down like
the victims under the decks of the
Maine.
Such are few of the words that
have been heard upon our battleships
brief, pregnant, and inseparably
linked with deeds. The watchword o!
Capt. Sampson is simply the latest OF
the list; and that his deeds will mattel
1t If occasion arises, no one doubts.
| DAVIS TURNER.