The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-12


tured by the sloop of war Delaware a
few months before.
In company with the brig-of-war
Norfolk. the Retaliation sailed south
ward in search of the pirates of the
Gulf of Mexico and French privateers
which were preying on American COM
merce. OFF the island of Guadalupe,
the Retaliation overhauled two large
ships, mistaking them for merchant
men, but they suddenly developed into
French men-of-war, and one of them
gave the American vessel a broadside,
which left her a wreck. Lieut. Balm
bridge was entirely unprepared for
such a reception, and as the other war
vessel was working into position TO
rake the Retaliation fore and aft,
he struck his flag. The other vessels
of the little American squadron made
their escape, Lieut.. cambridge
and his crew were landed at Guade-
loupe where they were destined
to remain for a year and a half.
mistake similar to that of Capt.
Bainbridges was made by Capt. John
H. Baker of the Confederate privateer
Savannah, which was the first private
armed vessel commissioned by Presi-
dent Davis. On the 4th of May. 1861,
the Savannah captured the brig Jo-
seph of Rockland, Me, and sent her
as prize into Georgetown, s. G. Soon
after the privateer and her prize part
ed company a vessel hove in sight,
which, it was thought, would be an
other prize. The Savannah made chase,
but when within a mile of the vessel,
Capt. Baker discovered that the chase
was a man-of-war, and put the Savan-
nah about. The United States brig-of-
war Perry, for it was that vessel with
her guns run back and her ports closed,
fired several shots, four of which went
through the privateer's rigging, and
which were returned by the Savannah.
Capt. Baker saw, however. that there
was no chance of escape and he hauled
down his flag. The Perry took Che
officers and crew aboard and sent the
Savannah to New York. The Savannah
was built in Savannah, and was In
the pilotage service of this port until
sold to Charleston pilots.
Capt cambridge and other prisoners
spent many weary months at Guade-
loupe. cambridge, however, proved
himself a diplomat and succeeded in
negotiating a cartel with the Governor
of the island by which the prisoners
were paroled and also obtained possess
sion of his vessel, the Retaliation. on
board of which he embarked 300 Ameri-
cans, prisoners in the hands of the
Il
Baltimore.
The young officers course at Guade-
loupe was approved by his government,
and he was promoted to the rank of
commodore, and ordered to take COM
mand of the brig-of- war Norfolk. His
vessel was attached to Commodore
Truxton's West India fleet, a part of
the service of which was conveying
| a fleet of 119 vessels to ports of the
returned
| West Indies, where he captured num-
Der of piratcal crafts and a French
| privateer. He also blockaded Havana
| and prevented large French priva=
teer from leaving that port.
| tn.H
| Commodore cambridge was appoint
| ed a captain May 1, 1900, and a few
days later was ordered to the frigate
| George Washington, which was to car
| ry $4,000, the ransom due the Dey OF
Algiers. The mission of delivering this
tribute to the chief of the pirates of
the Barbary states was not to the
liking of the high-toned officer. but he
was ordered to do the duty and obeyed.
| Arriving at Algiers, the frigate, the
largest vessel that had ever entered
the harbor. lay under the guns of the
| shore batteries. After delivering the
] tribute, the Dey demanded that Capt.
| cambridge should proceed to Constan-
| tinople with an ambassador and his
suite of 200 people, and a half million
dollars and other presents for the
| Sultan of Turkey. Two hundred guns
were trained upon the frigate. and IN
| the event the Dey's request was re-
| fused, she could have been blown out
| of the water. In the then condition of
affairs in the Mediterranean, there
could be no redress for any outrage
committed by the Mussulmen rulers
of the Barbary states, and, acting I'M
| der the advice of the United States
consul, Capt. cambridge decided to
comply with this extraordinary de-
| mand.
The story of what happened. and
many things happened on the frig-
ate's trip to Constantinople, reads like
a fairy tale. The George Washington
reached Constantinople after a tenn
pestuous voyage of SO days. The Sui
tan, strange to relate. refused to re-
ceived the Dey's half million, or the
delegation, and eventually Capt. Balm
bridge had to take the money and the
very miserable commissioners back to
| Algiers. This time he kept his ship
we'll out of the range of the Dey's
| cannon.
The George Washington was the first
American man-of-war to enter the
| Dardenelles. Neither the Sultan of
| Turkey, nor his ministers, had heard
of the United States of America. The
| Turkish commander of the fortress at
the Straits of the Dardenelles was
about to lose his head for allowing the
| frigate to pass his guns, when Balm
| bridge heard of his trouble and ex-
| planned matters just in time to save
| the Turks life He stated to the Cap
| udan Pasha that he Intentionally dou-
| BILE charged his guns, so that in salut-
| ing the fortress of Tapana there
| would be so much smoke that those in
| command would mistake the George
Washington for a Turkish man-of- war
The two hundred Mussulmen on the
| frigate experienced great difficulty in
| praying in the proper direction. The
| ship constantly swung from one tack
to another, and the Algerians were
| kept rushing toe the pinnacle
TO find out the direction of Mecca
| so that they could face that way
when they prayed Sometimes before
| these followers of Mahomet had gotten
half through their prayers, the ship
would come about" and they would
| miss the east. In the hurry and
| scurry of getting their bearings, many
| of the prayers of those Musselrnen
| went in the wrong direction.
Commodore Bainbridge's next duty
was as captain of the frigate Essex,
of Commodore Dale's squadron, con-
sisting Of that vessel and the frigates
| President and Philadelphia. 1t was
another expedition TO the Mediterran-