The St. Louis Republic., 1901-02-25
yelling Club.
BIDDLE's HEROIC SACRIFICE.


Revolution after Paul Jones. AFFORDED an
example Of that nsroic bravery wnss
In American Fights and Fighters, Cyrus
Townsend Brady tells the tragic story Of
captan npisncS Bidds %as great favorite with
the gallant South Carolinians while he was
blockaded In Charleston Harbor for nearly
fivs 4 M small IL vesssls which. under bis COM n
mand. set forth to seek the srstwhile block.
aiding squadron Of the enemy which had
not successfui in finding this squadron. how
ever. although they captured several prizes
while cruising TO the southward.
of Martinique. some accounts say at s In
the morning. some at the same hour In the
afternoon: the difference Is not material.
time: that counted. The squadron made for
the approaching vessel. but rs the hours
wore away she was discovered to be large
signaled to his squadron Of small and
lightly armed merchant vessels and prizes
to make sail to escape. He then stood
their retreat. It was an act Of the greatest
hardihood and resolution for O small thirty.
two-gun frigate TO engage q heavily built
and frames. The difference In the number
of guns on the two ships two to one. does
not BY any means indica.s the dineIence n
five to one. especially considering the great.
er size and weight Of the liners guns. It
mastiff In a finish fight to pit these two
ships against each other.
"Biddle va. game s1ns for s,,: :nytnincsno y mo
this young Captain. just "a years OF age
but although he was heroic. he was not
foolish: a. I would seem st trst glance: s % for
was necessary. He intended to sacEif1ce
his own ship IN order to protect the stata
%sns s .d o1: e: !Dss: Sn s
laughed & T at S ODDS. 80 Biadis look his lie
In bis hand. and: supported BY g stout stout;
down ON his huge antasenist HereeA one
srsrn n within SSep
the Yarmouth hailed and asked the name
Of the smaller vessel. and then demanded
that t she strke. .,x,
Randoph es reSed sddis i 'es sSs
same time pouring in . broedside which
e IN. shps %
in pistol-shot distance. II has been sur
missed that Biddle desperately hoped to
es eeud SnSe aons os s S
he had gained her decks. against 600 Of the
English. is difficult to see. However, dur
ing the whole OK the action he endeavoFed
Instructive desire; that ID the kind OF man
he was! For forty minutes the action was
kept up with the greatest spirit, the ships
moment, until at last they came In con-
tact. At the end Of that time. with q
tremendous roar, the Randolph blew up
Probably shot had reached her magazine.
though we are certain Of nothing except
the fact Of the explosion which tore her
to pieces.
The Yarmouth was hurled over on her
beam ends and covered with burning tim
Der. sails spars and other debris and
wreckage from the Randolph, including =
8 small. tightly rolled up American fiax.
she had great dimeu!ty in successfully
ging and spars. which were much cut up
by the fre OF her .puny and desperate an
tagonist. and her other casualties amounted
she was In condition to chase, the Ameri-
can ships were too far away TO be over
hauled by the weakened battlsship, and
they all escaped: Thus Biddle's heroic reso-
after the battle the Yarmouth. again cruis-
ing in the same vicinity. four men, starv-
Ing and exhausted. were picked up from q
spsr to xhieh tnsy had been spsns
fated Randolph. and that they were the
only survivors Of 31S officers and men who
had gallantly fought her until she was de-
Biddle had been severely wounded in :Ea
leg in the early. part Of the action. but
that he refused to 60 below and had re-
maiped sitting 81 70 a; chair on & dsck % %sncou,ay.
the surgeon dressed his wounds-a gallant
picture Of heroic seamon. Before he had
sailed away on this cruise he wrote to his
Se oun isse; Ss Il Whst msy
you may rest assured It will never cause =
blush in the cheeks OF my friends or coun-
trymen; And 80 Biddie vas not only =
can tighter, In 30 short . career, ever
gained more honor on the sea than he.S