Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-23

4
totally unused to such scenes as were
daily enacting on the frontier. The
pages OF history may furnish paral-
lei to the noble exploit of Elizabeth
Zane, but an instance OF greater self
devotion Is not to be found anywhere.
| About ten o'clock that night, the en-
envy made another fierce attempt to
carry the works by storm, but it was
of no avail. They were driven back
in bloody repulse by the sharp firing
of the garrison and the few brave men
in Col. Zane's house. 1t was their last
effort, and despajring of success, they
determined to raise the seige.
The seige was in reality the last
battle of the Revolution, as it Is prob
able ttnt the last shot fred by Brit
ish soldier in that war was fred at old
Fort Henry in Wheeling.
Mr.. Brockunier concluded with trib-
ute to the naval heroes, and his mention
of the names of Dewey and Doddridge
were signals for outbursts of enthus-
iastic applause.
The Sword Presentation.
| At this point Rabbi Harry Levi was
introduced, and stepped forward, hold
ing in his hands the magnificent sword
purchased for Lieut. John S. Doddridge
by the citizens of Wheeling. Rabbi
Levi made one of the very best adj
dresses of the afternoon. He was list
tened to attentively and ct several
points was interrupted by long con-
tinued applause. He said:
History tells US that when. during its
/ tcr he ~b
checked by the famous Mameluke cavalry,
Napoleon gathering close his men and
pointing dramatically to the massive wit
nesses OF the ancient greatness of the
| Pharaohs, cried aloud. Soldiers. forty
centuries are looking down upon youi"
lis far cry from the French revolution
to our own day. but unconsciously, per-
haps, yet none the less significantly, these
! words now recur, as with hearts beating
and bosoms swelling with patriotic pride
we have gathered in such dense numbers
| on this memorable occasion. To be sure,
| unlike the soldiers to whom Napoleon ad-
| dressed himself, we have not come armed
for offensive warfare. No pyramids look
| down upon US. Yet. we, too, have for the
day ceased our onward march, where sue
cess has been tempered but little with fail
ure, and for the time that we halt have
| determined to find, not in the centuries,
perhaps, but in the century, in the years
! that look down upon us since deeds which
we to-day would recall were DONE in inspi-
! ration to greater and grander and more
! glorious work than ever has been ours
| We have come here to-day to recall him
whose soul one hundred years ago winged
| its way heavenward, him TO whose life
and work we owe it that we stand here
| to-day, citizens Of blessed America. We
| have come here to commemorate the part
our city, then a village, played In the
! drama of revolutionary times. We have
come to do honor to the man to whose
| genius was due the greatest victory in our
late war and whose success across the
water was responsible for the brevity of
the only struggle America has known for
| three decades and more. And last, but
| not least, We have come to pay tribute
to what one of our own has done to reflect
credit upon himself and our State, and to
mark in fitting form our appreciation.
From the time when on May i, 1895, there
sounded the shot heard round the world,
| the shot that shattered Spans colonial
power and unfurled victorys banner above
an American feet in foreign waters-from
| that time Wheeling has never ceased to
! be proud of the fact that ii was repre-
scented at the first work done for a down
trodden and oppressed people, and that in
that work ono born and bred In It's midst
and by it sent forth to his country's de-
Tense should have contributed his share
to the results there achieved. Wheeling
is not bombastic enough to boast of the
ships Lieut.. Chen ensign Doddridge sank
or the fleets he captured or the batteries
~ I'll
of which he was but member, a band of
men under the direction of the master ex-
pert in naval lines who sits before us, was
responsible for all this. But because Lieut..
Doddridge did not himself win the battle Of
Manila makes us honor him none the less.
We glorify him not because we can point
! to the visible results of his individual work,
but because al a time when shot and shell
! were flying fur!ously he stood by his post
and did this duty as only brave sailor
could have done it, Had there been ships
! for him to sink he would have sunk them;
had it been his to silence the batteries that
belched forth their deadly contents he
would have silenced them; but it being CIV
en- him to perform certain definite duties
he performed them earnestly, honestly,
conscientiously, and in so doing necessar-
lily risking his life, he contributed no less
than the men behind the guns to the VIC
tory won well nigh two years ago.
Lieut.. Doddridge, the citizens of Wheel
/ ing are not unappreciative Of the good
work you did, and the manner in which
| you did It, when the Spanish-American war
began. They know that tbs for every man
/ to do his duty, whether commentator or
| appreciation come TO him or not They
| know that the truest reward for work well
| done is the consciousness of having done 1t
! well. Tney know that that consciousness
is yours and that nothing that they can do
can serve to intensity it. But at the same
| time these same citizens are not unmind-
full of the fact that what you did has serv-
ed TO reflect credit upon them. In bringing
honor TO yourself, you have showered II on
| them. In sharing dangers and a victory
| with Dewey, you have lowered your ma
! tive city with some of the glory he has re-
ceived 1t battling for the preservation Of
your country'S principles, you have con-
| tributed to the maintenance Of that peace
| and order, without which your native
home would not now be enjoying the pros
perity which to-day 1t can call its own.
| For all this Wheeling feels II is deeply
! indebted to you. For all this Il feels II can
never give you adequate compensation.
Yet, as proof Of its gratitude. as evidence
of its pride in you, it now asks you TO ae-
eept this sword as a token of its esteem