Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-04-12
la STUCK 10 rAE FLAG.
True Story of a Naval Hero When Hs
Was n Midshinman.


True Story of a Naval Hero When Es
Was "A Midshipman.
They tell n story, a true, unvarnished
story of him that touches the patriotic
chord Of every man in the navy who
happens to hear 1T for the first time.
The civil war had just broken
out, when brother was to meet,
brother and fathers %shouldered
their muskets to kill sons. The
niagara had just come home from
the Asiatic station, proud and as i'm
pregnable in those days as the Iowa or
the Puritan is today. Getting into
soundings, the boys heard the news,
the sad news that threatened to divide
IL union. the grandest and greatest that
God had ever blessed and that men had
ever fostered. The word came aft in
the usual way that bad news travels
and shipmates of many days looked at
II another, shook their heads and
said:
"You are n southerner, Jack. 1 can't
fight you.!'
And you, Bill. are a nortl.erner. I'd
he IL dog to fight you!!'
That was the spirit and they the men.
The South wanted men. wanted them
badly. The North called for patriots
and hands went to the gun butts. But
it was hard to ask those of the niagara,
North as we'll as South, to draw arms
against one another. Military laws re-
nr,;, ~, ,.1,o,, I,,,, ,,l,,,,, ,,;1;I,.,,
laws rule. and it just had come to the
moment when the captain of the ship
had to ask how many OF, his old ship
mates and friends cared to stand by
the old flag. He called her officers to-
sctlcr and as they gathered about the
wardroOm he said to them. his voice
trembling With expectancy with every
word:
"Gentlcmcn. this question of the civil
VAR is the parting of the ways. Some
of us will never meet again and some
of us will die doing what we believe to
be right. Uncle Sam has educated, fed
and clothed us. and we have sworn to
stand by him. Yet no oath can bind Il
man beyond the strength of his con
science. and changed conditions make
II changed man. On that table 1 have
written out the dear oath of allegiance.
l have signed it. l stay by the flag. Let
each of you go to his cabin and think
it over; then let him come back here
and sign below me or let him go his WAY
in peace
Then they vent away, white faced
and undetermined. \ half hour passed
before the first man came back to put
his name to the paper that meant that
Uncle Sam could have not only his
sword hut his life ii needs. Then others
followed until nine names appeared ur-
der that of the commanding officer. The
others had gone, gone to the South
that claimed her onS Just as the North
WAS doing. AS the ninth man appended
his signature to the document the cap
tain came into the cabin, picked UP the
paper and shook his head. The name
he looked for was not there. He drop
ped the paper and turned to go away.
when he heard Il heavy. determined
WV SOiiiliiS W II llIC SOlllDIlIIOllM uI.
1t seemed to him that he recognized
that foot. Yes. he was right.
A young. handsome. tall midSllipman
from Maryland approached the table
and the captains voice faltered as he
asked:
"Winnic. do you sign?"
"Aye, aye. sir. Same flag and same
Uncle Sam in Maryland as in Massa-
chusetts. you know"
"God bless YOU. boy" said the cap
tain. 'Your father and l fought side
by side as lads in 1912. and. while there
are some of us who are going away, I
prayed God that your fathers son
would stick to u.s."
The midshipmen? Go ask Winfield
Scott Schley. He stuck to the flag
when others didn't.-Mail and Express.