Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-10-07


day S'.o',p upon the squadron. No hid
Ing behind the earthworkS. no digging in
OF cavalry spurs al the sound of retreat.
Mighti"r than all the fortreSSeS on all the
coasts is the ocean when il bombarls a
noi.lla.
tndecorated watery Graves.
In the cemeteries for Federal and Con-
fedcratc dead are the bodies of most of
those who fell on the land But where
those are who went down in the war yes
sells will not be known until the sea gives
up it, dead. The Jack Tars knew that
while loving arms might carry the men
who fell ON the land and bury them with
solemn liturgy ana the honorS of war. for
the bodies us those who dropped from the
ratlincs into the sea or went down with
all ON board under the stroke OF gun
boat there remained the shark and the
whale and the endless tossing of the sea
which cannot rest Once n year. in the
decoration of the graves. those who fell
in the land were remembered But how
about the graves of those who went down
AT sea-: Nuthing bur the archangrl's
trumpet shall reach their lnwly hrd. \
few of them were gathered into naval
cemeteries of the land. and we every
year garland the sod that covers them
But who will put flowers on the fallen
crew Of the exploded Wcstiirld and
Shawshcrn nnd the sunken S"uthtirld
aud the Winfield Scott; Bullets threat
ening In front. bombs threatening from
above. torprdocS threatening from be-
meath. and the ocean. with its reputation
Of 6.Un years for shipwrcck. lying all
around. ann | not right in saying il re-
quir''d a special courage for the navy in
1863 as IL required special courage in
iS9S?
II looks picturesque and beautiful TO
see war vessel going out through the
Narrows. sailors in new rig singing.
A life on the ocean wave.
home the rolling deep.
the colors gracefully dipping 10 passing
ships. the decks immediately clean and
the guns at quarantine firing n parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out of
that ship ns il comes ont of that engage
mcnt. It's decks red with human blood.
wheclhousc gone, the cabins pile OF
shattered mirrors and destroyed furni
ture. steering wheel broken. smokeStack
crushed. hundred pound Whitworth
rifle shot having left its mark from port
90 siarboard. the shrouds rent away. lad
dcrs splintrred and decks plowcd up and
y
ing among those who nre gasping their
last gasp far away from home and
kindred. whom they love as much as we
love wife and parents and children.
Oh. men Of the American navy re-
turned from Manila and Santiago and
Havana. well rs those who are sur
vivors G. the naval conflicts Of 1863 and
1854. men of the western gulf squad
ron. Of the eastern gul. squadron. OF the
south Atlantic squadron. Of the north At
lantic squadron. of the Mississippi squad
ron. of the Pacific squadron. of the West
India squadron and of the Potomac hotil-
Ia. hear our thanks, Take the bcne,lic-
ton of our churches. Accept the hos.
pitali;ics OF the nation. III we had our
way, we would get You not only pen.
sion. but n home and n princely wardrobe
and an equipnge and banquet while
you live and after your departure a
catafalque and a mauSolcum of Sculpiur
ed marble. with model of the ship in
which You won the day. II is considered
gallant thing when in n naval fight the
flagship with its blue ensign goes ahead
up river ar into bay. its admiral
standing IN the shrouds watching and
giving orders. but | have to tell you. q
veterans OF the American navy. II you
are as loyal Ia Christ aS you were To- the
government. there j. flagship sailing
ahrau of you of which Christ is the al
miral. anu he watches from the shrouds.
and the heavens are the blue ensign. and
hc leads you toward the harbor. and all
the broadSid,.S OF earth and he'll cannot
damage you. and ye whose garments
were once rc,l with your own blood shall
have robe washed and made white in
the blood Of the Lamb. Then strike
eight bells. High noon in heaven
The Veterans of the Navy.
While we are heartily greeting and ban
quoting the Snilor patriots just now re-
turned we must not forget the veterans
u the navy now in marine hospitals or
spending their old days in their own or
their childrcn'S homesteads - ye vrter-
ans. ! charge you bear mp under the
aches and weaknesses that you still ear
~ from the wartimcs. You are not as
stalwari nS you would have been but for
that nervous strain aud for that terrific
exposure. lat every ache aud pain. in
stead Of depressing. remind you OF your
fidelity. The sinking Of the Wechawken
off Morris island. Dec. q. 1863. was n
mystery. She was not under fire. The
sea was not rough. But Admiral Dahl
gren from the deck of the flag steamer
Philadelphia saw her gradually sinking.
and finally she struck the ground. but the
flag still iloatrd above the wave in the
sight Of the shipping. Ii was aftcrward
found that she sank from weakness
through injuries in previous service. Her
plates had been knocked loose in previous
times. So you have in nerve and muscle
and bone and dimmed eyesight and diff
cult hearing and shortncss OF breath
many limitations that You are gradually
going down. IL is the service Of many
years ago that is telling on you. Be Of
good cheer. We owe you just as much as
though your Likelihood had gurglcd through
the scnppers of the ship in the Red river
expedition or ms though you had gone
down with the Melville of IIatteras. On
~ keep your dag flying. as did the illus
trous Wcchawken. Good cheer. my
boys, The memory OF man is poor. and
all that talk about the country never for
getting those who fought for IL is an un
truth II does forget. Witness how the
veterans sometimes had 10 turn the hand
organs on the street TO get their families
n living. Witness how ruthlessly some
81 them were turned out of office that
some hloat Of n politician might take
their place. Witness the fact that there
- not man or woman now under III
years 81 age who has any full apprecia
ton of the four years martyrdom Of
1861 10 1859. inclusive. But. while men
may forget. God never forgets fIe re-
members the swinging hammock. lie re-
members the forecastle lie remembers
the frozen RUPEES Of that January tempest.
lie remembers the ampuintion without
sufficient ether. lie remembers the hor
rors 81 that deafening night when forts
from both sides bclched nn you their fury
and the heavens glowed with ascending
aud descending missiles 81 death and
your ship qnaked under the rccoil Of the
100 FOUNDER. while all the eunncrs. ac-
cordng To- command. stood "n tipt"e.
with mouth wide open. lest the concus-
sion shu::er hearing or brain lie re-
members II all better than ynm remember
II, and IN some shape reward will be- Civ