Evening journal., 1899-09-12
HEROES IN AL WARS
Service On Land and Sea
Don BY the Marine Corps
ABTEDATL TIE ARMY AND NAVY

ABTBDATE fHE ARMY AND NAVY
THE MARINES ARE NOT SAILORS
AS POPULARITY SUPPOSED, BUT
SOLDIERS SERVING ON SHIPS
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE
TWO BODIES OF DEFENDERS.
In every war in which the United
States has been engaged, the marine
corps has served with faithfulness and
gallantry II is the boast OF the ma
rines that they are the Oldest military
body in the regular service of the
United States. for they claim, not with
out some foundation, TO antedate both
the army ana the navy. This claim is
based upon the act OF the Continental
Congress OF November 9, 1775, which
provided that two battalions OF ma
rines be raised to be enlisted and com
missiOned to serve for and during the
present war with Great Britain and the
colonies. and to be considered as part
Of the Continental Army before Bos-
ton" These battaliOns were actually
recruited independently Of the army
before Boston.
it Is Of interest to note that Con-
gress even went so far as to prescribe
a uniform for the marines Of that per-
iod, the officers wearing green coats
faced with white, round cuffs, slashed
= sleeves and pockets, with buttons
around the cuffs, silver epaulet on
the right shoulder, skirts turned back,
buttons to suit the facings, white
waistcOats and breeches, edged with
green, black CATERS and garters" His
tory is silent as to whether the officers
who commanded the marines anoat
with John Paul Jones wore all this
fnery or not, but in 6he attacks of that
hero upon the coasts OF Great Britain
and in the great sea fight between the
Bon Homme Richard and the Serapls,
the marines played a prominent part.
During the revolution the marines
We're drilled into a highly disciplined
Dody. Actuated by a strong sense OF
duty and having a matchless esprit de
corps, and at the close OF the war.
when the Continental Army was dis
banded, and the navy placed out OF
commission, the marine corps was re-
tained and thus became the only body
OF troops in the regular service.
Inc army and the navy were organ
lied later. The marines have never
lost sight Of this priority of establish
ment and continuity OF service.
In the popular mind the marines are
synonymous with sailors. As a matter
OF iact they are not sailors at all. but
soldiers serving on ships. They are
part OF the naval force and under the
jurisdiction of the secretary OF the
navy but they are a distinct organi-
zation from the navy proper. The ma
rines serve under their own officers
and wear a uniform differing widely
from that Of the blue jackets.
In fact, the uniform OF the marine
corps closely resembles that OF the
army consisting Of sky blue trousers
and closely-buttoned dark blue coat
with red trimmings. The marines take
the greatest pride in their personal an
pearance. Each member of the guard
strives to be at all times the pink of
perfection His clothes always appear
new with trousers creased as though
fresh from the hands of a tailor His
Deit is pipe-clayed to a dazzling white
ness, and his rife is equally ready for
parade or action. This conscientious
surviving toward scrupulous cleanliness
mas Dorne good fruit Whenever this
country IS called upon to send a detach-
Meht OF soldiers to compete with for
tish troops the marines are selected
because Il Is recognized that they viii
renect credit upon the nation. At the
last Paris Exposition the United States
We're represented by a company of ma
rlnes under the command OF Cantai,
Henry Clay Cochrane and Iient psnI
81. clair Murphy. Here they came into
competition with all the crack troons
OF Europe, including many of the a.
nous royal guards. For neatness ~
appearance, soldierly bearing and nre-
Sisioh OF drill the marines bore off the
paih' nelng unanimously voted the su-
reriors OF all their competitors BY the
rarls papers Of the day Il caused the
heart OF every visiting American toI
Deat with pride to see American troopsI
pointed out as model soldiers. So|
marked was this superiority that the
onicers in charge We're decorated with
1he crosses OF the Legion of Honor.
Much rivalry has existed in times
past between the sailors and marines
on board ship. Fortunately this feeling
has almost entirely died out. The ma.
rlnes ON board ship perform the duties
OF orderlies and sentinels, and are pa
raded under arms in honor OF visiting
officers Of high rank. Il was the ma.
rine orderly of Captain Sigsbee who re-
ported the ship has blown m Sir -
when the Maine was torpedoed in Ha-
Vana harbor. Marines are also attach
ed to navy yards, where they live in
Darracks,and perform guard duty simi-
lar to that done by other soldiers AZ
army posts
The rivalry between marines and
sailors dates back from remote ages
goes back, in fact. to the very bepin-
ming of naval warfare. The Greel,
and Romans and before them. the
Phoenicians, had great fleets of battle
galleys. The motive power was fnr-
nished by oars handled by slaves am;
prisoners Of war The fighting men in
these crafu were soldiers armed with
bows and arrows. spears and slings
who held themselves to be vastly the
superlors OF the men at the oars. The
soldiers afioat in olden times were the
progenitOrs of the modern marines
and fhn