The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-01
WHAT COGHLAN WROTE
COMMANDER OF THE RALEIGH
TELLS THE STORY OF HIS SHIP.
He Is More Reserved, hut Less Pic
turesque, on Paper than In speech
Our Duty in the Far East.

| New York Independent
| So far as actions can be taken as a cri-
terion of thoughts and feelings the Eng
lish during the war with Spain were with
| US heart and soul.
| When we got word to leave Hong-Kong
and attack the enemy the news spread
| about through the various clubs and ex-
cited divers sentiments. 1t was supposed
that the defenses of Manila were very for
midable, that the channel was heavily
| mined, the forts manned by an active and
| intelligent garrison furnished with all the
| implements for detecting the presence of
an enemy and making him regret his in
| trusion.
| The Spanish fleet on paper appeared to be
| as strong as our own; and altogether the
| attack on Manila looked an exceedingly
| hard proposition. So much was this the
case that Prince Henry Of Prussia felt
| sorry for us. He did not exactly say so,
but you could see it in his manner and his
look when he heard that we had to go.
| When i walked down the wharf in Hong
| Kong to step aboard the Raleigh and go
| to sea was in civilian dress, but some Eng
| lish officers whom 1 did not know recog-
nized me and saluted They came about
| me and said: by Jove! you fellows are to
have the first chance after all!' They were
envious. having been waiting month after
1 month, expecting every moment to get an
order 70 fight Russia. They were very
! friendly and thought that we were going
| on particularly hazardous service. They
were full of confidence, however, in our
ability to take care of ourselves, and said
laughingly: IF you don't clean them up,
| don't come back here"
After the battle of Manila and all through
! out the operations there the action or the
English fleet showed that they were heartily
| Manila we found more enthusiastically our
| friends than even their compatriots In
| Hong-Kong. This attitude seemed all the
more pronounced by contrast with the at
| titude of some of the other nations. do not
| know whether Admiral Chichester told Adj
| miral Diedrichs that no one but Dewey
| knew what the British feet would do In
f, case Manila was bombarded. That was the
| rumor. at any rate. But the Germans GER
| attitude of the English certainly saved US
| from much trouble. l do not. however, be-
| lieve that the Germans meant fight. The
French ships were polite enough. but the
| French papers in Asia simply frothed at the
| mouth when they spoke of us. They did
| nothing but blackguard us after the battle
! of Manila calling us DULLES, cutthroats,
| robbers. Previous to the battle of Manila
We had been towards and men without dis
| cipline. who would be very easily put to
| rout by the Spaniards The japanese seemed
| to be very friendly.
| ON THE WAY HOME.
| On Dec Ii we were ordered home, and
started for Singapore, carrying with us
number of the Olympia's men. whose time
| had expired. We were received at Singa-
pore with the greatest cordially, General
| raughan-Jones giving dinner in our hon.
| or and the Derbyshire regiment of which
| Colonel Dalton is the commander, enter
tanning us at their family reunion on Christ
| mas day. A ball was also given in our hon.
| or between Christmas and New Years, and
| the Sultan of lahore gave reception and
races in our honor. We were at Singapore
| ten days during which time the Spanish
| transport Montserrat came in to coal. she
| had Spanish troops aboard who had for
mery been our prisoners; sne Sa,usea e ps
| very badly off for clothing, so our men
| fitted them out as well they could and
| they went on.
Our next stopping place was Colombo,
| Ceylon. There we had almost A repetition of
what had been done at Singapore Inc
| Governor was away in the center or the
| island at the time of our arrival, but the
! commander-in-chief, General Jordan. visited
our ship had us to dinner, and prominent
| citizens Of Colombo gave us dinner at the
! Gale Face Hotel. and showed us the great
est courtesy. Almost the same thing oc-
| CURED at Bombay. The governments navy
| yards are there. and the officials, finding
| that we needed some little stores. very
| courteously sent them to us.
l
| had just come from the seat and headquar-
| tiers of the plague, quarantine was waived
for all our officers and such OF the ships
| crew as were sent ashore on duty-an I'M
precented courtesy. Governor General Cum
| ningham and Lady Cunningham visited our
| ship, and all the messes of the different reg
| iments WED with each other in entertaining
| Us. All the clubs were at our disposal and
| dinners and entertainments were given
| conduct OF the English people at these vari-
| Gus stations was as CORDIAL as that OF our
| own people here In New York.
| At Port Said and Alexandria the English
| received us enthusiastically. and on Feb. y
| their guns saluted Washington's birthday as
| heartily as though he were an English hero.
| Many of our sailors were allowed to go
ashore in Egypt TO see the pyramids. and
| their excellent behavior was the subject OF
much gratifying comment.
| COURTESY FROM THE ENGLISH.
| In Malta we received a perfect ovation.
| The English Mediterranean fleet was lying
there. They gave us SO many entertain
| ments that we hardly had time to think.
| There were dinners and entertainments by
| the Governor, by Admiral Hopkins. by Rear
| Admiral Noel, by the captains of the vari-
| Gus ships: lunches, dinners, dances, all sorts
| of entertainments The Royal Artillery
gave sumptuous dinner. We could not
| stop at Gibraltar and were Obliged TO de-
cline all invitations. AT Bermuda 1t was
| the same story: the English were more than
thing in the Islands at onr dsposa e
said that If we would like to dock our YES
sci the dock was ours. He said that he was
| about TO dock one of the English vessels
but IL we only said the word he would order
| her held back and give preference We.
| however. though very much gratifed, were
Obliged TO decline the offer, we desired to
proceed Immediately 10 New York
The comments of the English naval off,
GERS on Admiral Dewey's victory were very
| generous and gratifying. They were as
| much astonished at the ease with which
We achieved such great results as we our
selves were; but they admitted that IL did
| not in the smallest degree detract from the
brilliancy of Dewey's achievement that we
| found the Spauiards unexpectedly unready
| for our assault. The Englishmen had moth
ing but admiration for the showing which
| the Americans made at the battle of Ma
\ Mia
This kindness, courtesy generosity end
| whole-souled sympathy which we found
among the English everywhere is 10
great extent new growth We were
| friendly enough on foreign stations pre-
| vious 10 the Spanish war. but still there was
| little feeling OF something that resembled
4 jealousy. All that has been swept away
4 The feeling OF the English toward US Is ur-
doubtedly deep and sincere. / believe that
| the Americans understand and appreciate IL
| and that we are certainly moving toward an
| alliance. perhaps not a paper alliance but
Ing between the two English-speaking peo-
pie.
This war has opened our eyes. We have
been living with q Chinese wall around
US, and there were many things which we
ala not see: This war showed that ali
me great european nations were unfriead-
~ with the single exception of England
and II Also. / halt