The age-herald., 1898-05-26
THE DUELISTS
 OF OUR NAVY.

library and the reading public.
 At the various civilized ports where the
 American ships called the American off,
 cers fell in with the officers of the Euro-
 pean navies. The Yankees had already
 shown somewhat of their skill as sea war
 riors, but in the minds. of the European of-
 ficers they were at best meer plebelans.
 They were of the people. In short, in the
 mind of the European officer, they were
 not gentlemen. The English officers were
 the chief aggressors in treating the Amer
 jeans with contumely. Considering the
 state of civilization at that day, what was
 an American officer to do?
 On certain night in the month of Feb-
 ruary, 1903, while the Chesapeake, the New
 York, the John Adams, and the Enter
 prise were lying at Malta a number of the
 officers went ashore to spend the evening.
 Eventually they gathered at the theater.
 While a number of them stood in the lobby
 there, the secretary of the governor came
 in with some friends. He was of mature
 years and noted duelist of that day-had
 killed a number of men, in fact, and his
 mission in the theater was to get fight
 with one of the Yankee officers He had
 openly boasted, it is said, that he would
 have Yankee for breakfast" the next
 day.
 Looking over the group, he selected one
 of the youngest, Mdshipman Joseph Bain-
 bridge, for his victim, ana on walking past
 the group jostled him. As it happened,
 Bainbridge was at that moment speaking
 to shipmate and was taken wholly by
 surprise. Having no idea that any one
 would wilfully seek a deadly quarrel his
 hrst impression was that the jostling was
 accidental. Nevertheless, when the secre-
 tary walked away with jaunty air Bain-
 bridge suspected that an assault had been
 intended, and he was speaking to his ship
 mates about it, when Lieutenant Stephen
 Decatur happened along. Decatur had had
 experience m such matters, and Bainbridge
 at once stated the case to him,
 we'll very soon learn whether it was
 an accident or an insult said Decatur,
 and he was turning away to go in search
 or the offender when the fellow came past
 the group from behind Decatur. As he
 arrived beside young Bainbridge, the duel-
 ist said, in a voice that all could hear:
 "Those Yankees will never stand the
 smell of gunpowder." Then he jostled the youngster again and started on but before
 he could take a second step he received
 blow from the Yankees first that knocked him Sprawlng.
 Of course, the duelist challenged as soon as he could get on his feet. Decatur smiled
 and bowed. Turning to Bainbridge who was, It should be remembered, a boy of
 perhaps 16 Decatur said:
 "Go aboard ship, sir, and give yourself no
 more concern about this matter. I will at- tend to everything"
 AS soon as Bainbridge left the theater
 Decatur went aside with the Englishman to arrange for the inevitable duel As the challenged party, the Americans had the right to make the terms. Said Decatur
 when the others were ready to hear him: " rrn tn fha hoo
 morrow morning. There we will place our men back to back, and at the word March! they shall each march two steps and then whir1 and fire There shall be only the one word"
 My God, man!' said the English second: |: that is clear murder"
 Pardon me-" said Decatur, 'your man is an experienced duelist He has picked out for his victim one of our young officers who has had no experience whatever By the terms that propose they will be placed as nearly on an equal footing as is pos- sibe. However, sir, if you do not wish to light in that way, will take the place of the midshipman and meet your man on the usual terms at ten paces." And the Englishman chose to fight the boy on the terms named rather than face the experienced Decatur.
 So Decatur went on board ship and talk ing Midshipman Bainbridge on deck, placed him with cooked but empty pistol in hand, back to back with a shipmate, and sald March! Bainbridge marched two steps, whirled on his heel in military fash ion, and snapped the empty pistol at his shipmate. Again he was placed in position. and again he marched and turned and snapped the pistol. And from that time on he stood erect and marched and turned again and again, the whole night through; he was drilled in his duty till he did it as | mechanically and with the acuracy of a clock that strikes the hour
 And as the sun was tinging the morning sky he was placed back to back with the professional duelist Both marched at the word and both turned, but because Bain- bridge had been trained by Stephen De- catur he turned more swiftly than the enemy and shot him dead
 Let the reader decide for himself wheth- CT that was or was not fight for the honor of the flag.
 An American lieutenant on going ashore was publicly insulted by six British off, cers, who were all challenged by the American, and it was arranged that he l should meet one each day until he had had satisfaction from them all. For four mornings the American lieutenant rode away to the dueling ground, and each day rode back again, leaving the Englishmen to bring in the dead body of their man. But | on the next morning, as he rode out with the fifth, there being no one in the party put the prlHclpalS, the seconds, and the surgeons, mob of British partisans we'll armed and disguised as highwaymen. came galloping toward them. As it hap pened, the Englshman was riding a thor oughbred animal and the American lieuten- ant worthless scrub.
 Seeing the mob coming the Englishman's face paled with anger.
 'They are coming to kill you, he said to | the American lieutenant. You take my horse and you can escape them, and we will settle this affair at another time Convinced by both the English principal and his second that the mob was really bent on murder, the American accepted the horse and by hard riding did escape But after that he did not have the heart to kill the one who had shown himself so much of a man. The Englishman was will- | ing to apologize. and so was the remain- | ing one who had been challenged and the American. with hearty good will, accepted | their explanations.
 Of a very different nature from a mor- alist's point of view at the present time were the duels the American naval officers | fought among themselves. The story of | the first-probably the only one-fought by the lamented Somers, who lost his life be-