The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-12

Inc chesapeake returned to HamD- |
ton Roads, and the news of the attack |
upon her spread like wild fire over the |
country, and the cry was for war. |
There was, however, such a strong OPP |
position in New England and some of |
tne Northern states to a war with |
Great Britain. that the government |
continued to submit to these insults |
until 1912.
Edward Wis great-grandfather, |
George III, when he agreed to the |
treaty of peace that recognized the in
dependence of the American colonies, |
doubtless made a mental reservation |
that he would reconsider his action as
soon as the times were more propitious.
The British army and navy officers ap-
peared to understand the position of
tfeir King and treated Americans as
Interiors, they ridiculed the idea that
an American had any rights a BritoR
need respect. Hull, Perry, cambridge,
Decatur and other sailors on sea, and
jackson, Dearborn. Pinckney. Wilkin-
son, Scott and other soldiers on land
taught them better a few years later.
Commodore Barron in striking his
flag doubtless did what he thought was
best under the circumstances. The
Chesapeake was almost helpless, and
doubtless had Decatur or cambridge
been in command of the American frig-
ate she would have gone to sea pre-
pared for battle, and to the bottom of
1t lighting and with her flag flying be-
fore he would have surrendered.
1t appears that Commodore Decatur
criticised Commodore Barrons con-
QUOT, and what he said ranked in
Barron'S breast for years and years.
demanded NJ fIHV-
which Decatur refused to give but did
everything else to pacify his brother
Ctf1cer. Barron, however, would not be
satisfied except with a positive re-
traction, or a fight. These brave men
met on the field of honor" at Bla-
censburg, Nd, on March 22nd, 1920, and
both were severely wounded. Barron
| eventually recovered, but the gallant
Decatur died the night after the duel
When 1 was a small boy my mother
told me that her father often spoke of
the excitement that prevailed in Char
lesion when the news of the outrage on
the frigate Chesapeake reached that
city. My grandfather had q memo.a-
! BILE experience on that occasion.
Business was suspended the town
draped in mourning, and the people
/ went about with Grape on their hats
J in token.~of the humiliation they felt
because of the insult to their coun-
try. neighbor and acquaintance of
my grandfather, Scotchman-they
are more loyal, when they are loyal,
than Englishmen-was very exultant
over the affair, and, as an expression
of his contempt for Americans, nut
Grape on goat and turned it into the
streets. The animal unfortunately
strayed in front of my grandfather's
house, which stood on Meeting street
where Westminster Presbyterian
Church now stands. Passersby seeing
the funereal decorations on the animal,
looked around for some one upon whom
to wreak vengeance for the insult, and
as is usually the case struck the wrong
trail. The goat was in front of my
Srandfather's house and that was suffi-
cient evidence to the crowd that he
was the guilty party. Fortuna iely,
just as matters were becoming oan-
gerous, the real culprit was discovered,
and the loyal Scotchman, who Thought
he would vent his dislike for Ameri-
cans and Mt the same time have a 1T
tie sly fun with his goat, had to flee
for his life.
The life of Commodore William Eain-
bridge is a story that should be read
by every American boy. Born in New
Jersey of well-to-do parents, and rear
ed and educated by his grandfather, a
gentleman Of wealth and culture, he
selected the life of a sailor, as his avo-
cation, and when fifteen years Os age,
shipped before the mast on merchant
vessel. He was made a mate At lS,
and a fu1l-f1edged captain at 10. 1t
seems that he was born to encounter
and overcome difficulties and dangers,
and in those days when the whole of
Europe was involved in war, AMI the
seas teeming with hostile craft, it re-
quired more than a navigator to be a
successful master of a merchantmen.
All merchant vessels were armed, and
young cambridge was not afraid to
use his cannon and muskets when nee
essary to save his vessel from capture
and his country from insult.
On one occasion, by the accurate fire
of his cannon, Bainbridge's weli-di
rected shots cut the masts out of
British vessel that fired into hin. His
opponent turned out to be his British
majesty's schooner Linnet, Capt.
Sir Phillip Towns, trying to exer-
else the right to search Amer
lean vessels. The captain of the Lin
net wanted to surrender, but Great
Britain and the United States were not
at war. and Capt. cambridge, after as
certaining that the British vessel was
not in danger of sinking, and within
sight of port, stood off on his course
and reached his home port in due time.
During those trying times the young
captain had many other stirring ad-
ventures British war vessel having
taken an American sailor off of Capt.
Bainbridge's ship, he in retaliation
took a sailor from aboard the flrst
British merchantmen he met.
At the island of st. Bartholomew, w.
l., to which he made a voyage, he met
the young lady who was to be his wife.
1t was a case of love at first slgnt. he-
turning to the island soon after, he
proposed and they were married With
out delay. She returned to the States
with him, and captured his mother and
father and his grandfather by her
charming manners.
The United States were now threat
ened with a war with France. the
British Orders in Council and Ma
poleon's Berlin decree, made every
neutral vessel liable to seizure. Great
Britain had proclaimed the entire
French coast in a state of blockade,
and Napoleon after his victory over the
Prussians at Jena detected blockade
of all English ports.
There was, therefore, no country
with which Americans could trade
without the risk Of capture. French
privateers made prizes of American
vessels. and the United States re-or-
ganized its navy TO meet the emer-
gency. Capt. Bainbridge's reputation