The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-26

Displayed by the Wen Fighting the
Secondary Battery ofthe Brooklyn I'm
the Fight with Cevera'~ Fleet.

the Fight with TeVerass Fleet.
OF Santiago de Cuba. July l2-"The
secondary battery fire OF the Brooklyn
was really terrible. II drove my men
from the guns and when YOU were at
close range did frightful work" said
Captain Euiate two days after Schley's
defeat Of the Spanish squadron. and
a rescued officer Of the Oquendo said
that nearly one-half OF the terrible
damage 10 that ship was done by l
and 6-pounders, which constitute the
secondary battery. The board OF sur
vey ordered by the commandments
found forty-siX 6-pounder holes in the
OQuendo above her armor belt and evil
dence that nearly all had entered and
exploded
In the NiZcaya there We're eleven
6-pounder holes and dozens OF 1-poun-
derS and on these two ships the tattoo
of deaJh-dealing shells must have been
appalling. The terrible work OF the
secondary batteries on the OQuendo
is somewhat explained by the fact that
she was the last ship out and nearest
the torpedo boats and the Brooklyn.
Texas and Iowa simply riddled her a
she attempted To defend the two de-
stroyers. The work on the NizCaya
was apparently done by the Brooklyn
alone, because no other ship was near
enough to her to use the small guns.
The men on board the ships. who
man these batteries are marines and
haI- Tiobr in, h out
Of the ships with little or no protec-
ton.
Captain Paul Murphy, Of the Brook
lyn, was the senior marine officer pres
ent on the ships that did the fighting
on July 3rd and he commends greatly
the valient work done by the men in
his corps. Speaking Of the men on the
Brooklyn, he tells one very thrilling
incident. He says
The men were full of enthusiasm,
but there was no excitement or dsor-
der and apparently no concern for
personal safety. The battery was
handled with admirable coolness and
deliberatiOn. Greater care could not
be taken in getting sights and aiming
if the men had been at target practice
and each man striving to make a rec
ord score. Considering the fact that
the enemy were within effective range
during the greater part Of tn action.
the fire of the secondary battrey must
have been most destructive to his
men and material and contributed its
full share to bringing the battle to an
end so speedily and with SO little. loss
to ourselves.
when all did their duty so manful-
ly, it is a difficult matter to select in
divduals for special mention. There
are some, however. who deserve to be
brought to notice by name for conduct
that displayed in a conspicuous man
ner courage. intelligence and devotion
to duty. During the early part Of
the action cartridge jammed
in the bore of the starbOard fOrwa rd
6-pOunder and in the effort to with
draw it the case became detached from
the proiectile leaving the later fast in
the bore and impossible to extract from
the rear. Corporal Robert Gray, Of the
port gun, asked and obtained permis-
sion to attempt to drive the shell out
by means of the rammer. To do this,
it was necessary to go out on the gun
hanging over the water and the under
taking was full of difficulties and dan
gers, the latter due in great meas
| ure to the blast of the S-inch turret
guns firing over head. The gun was
hot and it was necessary to cling to
the Jacob ladder with one hond while
| endeaVOring with the other to manpu-
late the long rammer. After brave
| effort he was forced to give up and
ordered in. Quarter Gunner Smith
| then came, sent by Executive officer
Mason and promptly placed himself in
| the dangerous position outside the
gunpOrt, where he worked and failed
| as the corporal had done. Neither had
| been able to get the rammer into the
| bore and there seemed nothing left to
| do but dismount the gun.
AT this juncture, Private MacNeal
| one of the guns crew, volunteered to
| go out and make a final effort. The
| gun was so important, the starbOard
| battery being engaged, that as a for
| lorn hope he was permitted to make
| the attempt. He pushed out boldly and
| set to work. The guns Of the forward
| S-inch turret were firing, almost
| knocking him overheard. and the en-
| emy's shots were coming with frequen-
| cy into his immediate neighborhOod
| 1t was at this time the chief yeomar
| was killed on the other side OF the
| deck. MacNeal never paused in his
| work. The rammer was finally placed
| in the bore and the shell elected and
| MacNeal resumed his duties as cOolly
as if what he had done was a matter
/ Of every day routine"