Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-14


of Annapolis. This does not seem to
me to be right, and | think that the
best thing that could possibly happen
for the navy would be thorough in
vestigation by the public.
Something Wrong.
1T stands to reason that all the able
men do not get appointments at An
napolis, and it would seem that if the
government is DESTROYS of keeping
able, ambitious young men in it's SER
vice the laws would be changed so as
to allow an enlisted man, if he can
pass the required examination as to
naval knowledge, physical ability and
moral eligibility, should be allowed to
receive commission But these An
napolis officers conduct the examina-
tions and they are able to see that
none but Annapolis graduates are
awarded commissions While this
system is in force man may reach
certain height on the naval ladder
of promotion but above that he can
not go without a diploma from the
naval academy, which is seldom secur-
ed without a political pull
Not a Kicker.
Il am not a kicker in fact | was
treated eXcellently while / was in the
service and have no complaint to
make. However, l will say that this
fact is not due to any pull l had or
to anything but pure luck. I was for
i tunate enough to be treated WELL but
in order that the public may know the
condition in which some Of the en-
listed men are placed 1 make this
statement"
Was in the Cavalry.
Mr.. Swift left Bloomfield about four
years ago and Joined the First Ohio
| Volunteer cavalry. This regiment did
not get nearer to the seat of war than
the camps in the southern states, and
Ethis did not satisfy the Davis county
| volunteer, who had enlisted because
he wanted to see service. After be-
ing discharged from the cavalry, Mr..
Swift enlisted in the navy as a lands
man, the lowest rating in the service.
He requested to be sent to the Philip
pines and the request was granted.
The trip to the far east was made
via the Suez canal route, and when
Mr.. Swift arrived in Asiatic water he
was assigned to the Bennington as cap
tain's writer. About this time Presi-
dent Sherman of Cornell university
chairman of the peace commission,
made visit to the Philippines for
the purpose of investigating condi-
lions there. The Bennington was de-
tailed to take President Sherman on
his tour of the islands, and on this
trip Mr.. Swift visited all the import
| ant Philippine ports and obtained a
| splendid insight into the affairs of the
/ Filipinos.
On the Bennington.
During his service on the Benning-
ton, Yeoman Swift was afforded some
exciting experiences during engage
ments with the Filipinos. The Ben
nington was regularly used as cruis-
er, with instructions to watch for con-
traband of war. Daily it hailed and
stopped Filipino boats, some of which
showed fight, and some refused to
stop. These were sunk. The Ben
nington also took part in the bonn
bardment of San Jose on the island of
4 Negres and near t. Albay, on the is
land of Lhzon the cruizer conducted
another, successful bombardment in
which a number of Filipinos were Civ
en- good understanding of the ability
y.
i The seige of Pekine.
/ Just before the seige of Picking Yeo-
man Swift who had meanwhile been
promoted in turn to the positions of
third, second and first class yeoman,
was made chief yeoman and transfer
red to the Brooklyn, Admiral Remey's
| flagship. He was on the ship off Taku,
China, the naval base during these ex-
citing times, from July till October
IL, 1900. Here messages from Minis,
ter Conger and others who were in
the besieged capital city at the time
We're received, having been carried
through the native lines by faithful
Chinese who managed to make their
way without being killed.
Word From Conger.
Six or seven copies of each message
were entrusted to as many faithful
| Chinese at Picking and these heroic
men would make dash through the
/ lines for the coast. One or two OF
each group would get through while
their comrades would be killed in the
attempt. The messages were receiv-
ed on board the vessels of the allied
powers in the bay at Taku, the ones
from the Americans going to the
Brooklyn, where it was Woman Swift S
duty to transcribe them into cipher
and make them ready for the cable
operators at Chefu, where the China
end of the trans-Pacific cable was To-
Gated. This was the work which was
done by the Davis county man during
the months at Taku, in addition to
other official and confidential work for
Admiral Remey.
Wrote Celebrated order.
Mr.. Swift wrote the order which sent
the Vicksburg on her voyage to the
Philippines to support General Funs-
ton when that famous Kansan captur-
ed Aguinaldo, and the admirals chief
yeoman handled much other official
business of Importance and national
moment. So satisfactory was his
work that on leaving the service in