Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-07-21

~S~v' OuA SouAMy' III AcI 14fSH'
course with Foreign Nations May She
Always Be in the RighG, but Our
Country. Right or Wrong would, II
he lad never said or done anything
else, have won him a place in the
memory Of his countrymen. The de.
struction by him of the frigate Phil
adelphia in the harbor Of Tripoli was
I declared by Lord Nelson to be "the
mos: bold and daring act Of the a;s.'
Decatur was as generous as he was
brave. II cannot" said he to Cap
tain Garden, of the Macedonian, as
the latter offered to surrender his
sword, stake the sword of a man who
has so bravely defended his ship, but
I'll thank You for that hat" y
This was in the 49, war, and the
reference TO the hat was Il reminder
OF a bet between the two officers,
made previous to the breaking out OF
hostilitics, in regard to the lighting
powers of their ships, a, the iirst
fire the Macedonian lost her minzen-
mast. Hearing sailor remark 10
enc of his mates that ''thc, had made
a brig of her" Decatur added:
Take good aim, my lads at the
mainmast, and wen make II S,oop 1T
her"
To the hail of squa icon Of Al
berine pirates, while cruising n N
Mediterranean to "Dove anlate"'
(Where are you going?) Decatur,
from his line ship, answered back;
Dove mi place (where | please), and
they let him go. Toward the close of
tho Algerine war one OF their cap
tains sought for delay in order to
gain some advantage
mot a minute" replied Decatur,
with a threat to capture pirate
squadron If his terms were not COM
piled with instanter.
Toward the close Of the 1872 war.
Decatur. in command Of the Presi-
dent. was chased by large squad
ron, all of which, with one exception,
the Endynlion, he 0ut-sailcd. In the
emergency he conceived the daring
design of capturing that ship before
her sisters could come to her assls.
lance, and having scuttled his Own
vessel which was injured at the time,
sailing into port on his anticipated
prize. His speech to his crew on that
occasion rs unique.
"My lads" said he, that ship is
coming up. As our own ship won't
sail, we'll 80 TN Loard of them. ev-
cry man and boy Of u.s. and carry her
into New York. All | ask of you is
to follow me. This is a favorite ship
of the country. If we allow her to be
taken by the enemy, we shall be de-
serted by our wives and sweethearts.
What. lose such ship as this for
nothing? "Twould break the heart of
every pretty girl in New York"
The President at once headed for
the Endymion, and the engagement
began. During the action Decatur
was wounded and the Endymion dis.
mantled. Before the President had
time to repair damages the Tenedos
and Pomona came up, and the De-
catur was forced to strike his flag
Don't give up the ship" the dying
words of Lawrence, the heroic COM
mander of the Chesapeake, are among
the noblest ever uttered The gal
liant Perry flew that signal at his
masthead in the memorable battle OF
Lake Erie, at the glorious close OF
which he had the inspiration to pen
that famous Dispatch 1--WE have met
the enemy and they are ours 1t was
written on his stiff hat in lieu of
table, on the half of an old letter.
and the additional information in 1t
gave the size and number of the enc
my, namely, 1.-TWO ships, two briggs
one schooner and one sloop.'
Perry was hero in peace as well
as in war. During winter storm,
while lying in the harbor OF Newport
he heard that merchant vessel had
been driven on a reef six miles ris-
tant. He at once manned his bragg
and said to the crew:
Come my boys, we are going to
the relief of shipwreckea seamen.
Pull away"
That act was applauded by the
country almost as much as the bat
tie on Lake Erie. During the Mexi-
can war General Scott requested the
loan of some guns from the feet to
be used on shore. Perry complied,
but on one condition, that wherever
the guns go the officers and men must
90 Also
Commodore Porter, father of Ad-
miral Porter, happily phrased the
sentiment of the country in the motto
which he flew on his flag in the war
of 1872: Free trade and sailors
rights" In those days il became the
text for many patriotic song and
thousands ., poliuc". Speccn,s. b.,