The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-27
A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
1T THE N1V4L VETERANS re-
UNION At SAVIE ROCK.

UNION At SAVIE ROCK.
Carl Dewitt, the Man who Had the
Honor of Firing the First Shot at
Cervera's Fleet, Wns n Guest ofthe Vet
GRAMS Business Transacted and a Fine
Dinner Enjoyed.
One of Uncle Sans bravest and most
valiant liars" was the guest of the
Gideon Wells Naval Veteran associa
ton No. of Connecticut at their an
nual reunion and banquet yesterday at
the Sea View hotel, Savin Rock. This
distinguished parsonage was no other
than Carl Dewitt, famous for having
fired the first gun at Cervera's fleet in
the harbor of Santiago when Admiral
Sampson and his boats made the Span
ish fleet look like counterfeit quarter.
At the time Dewitt was captain of the
S-inch gun on the battleship Texas and
owing to his great experience and repu-
| tation for accuracy he was given the
honor of firing the initial shot in the
great battle. Dewitt is now chief boat
SWANS mate on the United States
steamship Maynower, lying in Boston
harbor, and came down Wednesday
night on invitation of the secretary of
the association. lie was welcomed by
the old sailors and each considered 1t
an honor to shake his hand. He has
seen service on Uncle Sans war vessels
for twenty-five years and on his left
sleeve he carries seven red stripes.
The naval veterans reunion and ban
quet was great success notwithstand-
ing the bad weather, about eighty mem
bers and their wives attending the
meeting
The business session was held at II
o'clock in the parlors of the hotel. The
meeting was called to order by Clinton
D. Rood, captain of the association.
After few appropriate opening re-
marks the secretary, A. ]. McCullon
was called upon and reported as chair
man of the Defenders monument COM
mittee of the association The COM
mittee consists of Mr.. McCullom and
Alfred Elcock. 1t is recommended that
the. monument be placed at the place
where mere handful of Continentals
met the $500 troops of General Garth |
with 1900 British regulars July s. 1873,
when they had landed at West Haven
and attempted to enter the city by
means of the West river bridge The
Continentals had small field piece
and they made General Garth and his |
troops go around the city and entered
the city by way of Westvile. This
was at the time that Rev. Naphtali !
Daggett of Yale college was fighting by
himself with a musket and when he
was captured by the British troops and
asked what he was doing he said he
was merely exercising the rights of
war" He was treated with great in
dignity, as is shown in the various
histories of the city of New Haven and
state of Connecticut.
Delegates to the national convention
of naval veterans to be held in Chi
cago August and were elected. They
are Daniel Mckay, member Of the
association, who lives in Mansfield, O.;
Allen Rowe of Hartford and George
Wright, also of Hartford. Six new
members were mustered In at yester-
days meeting. Their names are Levi
]. Coe of Springfield James S. Drew of
New York, d. d. Blanchard Of New
York, Joachim Hempel of New York, G.
H. B. Shepard of New York and w. G.
Peck of Bridgeport. After an informal
talk on subjects Of interest to the old
fighters, the meeting adjourned about
o'clock At 1880 the gathering sat down
TO a fine shore dinner. Alfred Elcock
Of this city acted as POSTMASTER and
at the conclusion of the dinner called
upon the following for brief speeches:
G. C. Kirkham Of East Haven, DR.. H.
b. Shepard of Farragut squadron, U.
s. N. Y. of New York, Captain Samuel
p. Krafts w. S. Wells and Rev W. d.
Mossman of this city.
Among those present were: Clinton
D. Rood, Edward Hubbell, Walter f..
Jacobs, Charles A. Thompson, Robert
Tyrrell, Theodore H. Backman, Ma :
ooleon b. Boughton. Francis b. Allen,
Levi B. Coe, J. j, Butler, John M. Hub
oard, Philip Higgins, Edward r. Cor
'igan, Edwin Shelby, John C. Jackson. !
Felix S. Leighton, William Cushman,
James s. Drew, Carl Dewitt, d. B.
Shepherd, H. F. McCullom, Calvin c.
Joachim Temple. c. H. b.
<irkham, William S. Weles, w. C. {
Peck, Alfred Elcock, Samuel P. Crafts. ,
franklin Beach, George Wright Allen
1. Rowe owen McArdle. Peter Lewis {
FOR SARATOGA. {