The Minneapolis journal., 1903-01-08

It is a bad plan to commence a sermon
with the making of which I am meas
ureably familiar-with an apology, and the
rule holds good Of a book We have ar
rived at the conclusion of this tale, and, |
like most prefaces, this is written after
the book was completed; but will extend
the rule and refrain from apologizing even
at the end-then it is to late, anyway. !
This is merely statement, therefore,
that instead Of Philip Grafton, 1t was the
celebrated Jervis afterward Earl st. Vim
cent who received the locket and Wolfe's
condolences in the cabin of the Sutherland;
that it was Keppe subsequently the great
| antagonist Of d'Orvilliers, who commanded
the Bobay at .Quiberon, and it was the
Resolution and not the Torbay that was
wrecked in that titanic struggle. Nor did
| the war begin In 1854. There was an oS-
tensible peace between France and Eng
! land then. in spite of the sharp fighting
during Washington's and Braddocks cam
| paigns in the valley of the Ohio In that
| and the following year, and the war was
| not formally declared until 1855. .-
| The two great historical events around
which the action Of the story centers were
| of vital Importance to the future of Amer
lea and England. Failing the victory at
| Quebec, which virtually terminated the
war on this continent. in which the Amer
| leans received such valuable lessons the
| United States would probably never have
won its independence. There would have
been another outlet for the growing en-
ergies Of the colonies in that event-name-
ly. fighting with Canada instead Of with
England. Without the victory at Quiber-
was annihilated, England might not have
been able. to, hold New France
and the British empire certainly,
would not at that time have be-
gun to be. The story Of Wolfe on
the Plains of Abraham is a familiar
Th1F C..
Hawke in the storm off Quiberon is
practically unknown Yet he was one of
the most splendid seamen--as we'll as one
of the most brilliant and dashing fighters
in the long, glorious line Of English adj
mirals. Well does Burke style him .sThe
Great Lord Hawke His crushing Of the
French fleet sealed the conquest Of Can
; ada. and, as said before. determined the
beginning Of one Of the grea test achieve
ments in state building the world has ever
seen-the British empire. The year 1859,
marked by the battles of Quebec and Qri-
:. beron, fifty may be called the annus mir
; abills of William Pitt and of England
The battle of Quiberon is. told as it
happened. Although there; are many al
lusions to IT, and q number of anecdotes
! concerning it to be found, there is in ex-
. iStence no coherent. clear, detailed ac-
.. count of that tremendous action-unless
, | in Mahan-no map or plan of it; nor have
, ever seen any picture or sketch of it.
) have ransa cked the various histories
and examined all the accounts to which j
. could get access, including some unpub-
: lished manuscript recently brought tc
!. light for the first time, and have so built
, up the story. The archives of France and
: England have been searched for confirm
], ! ing details and believe, with the ex-
lceptions noted above, that the description
is accurate, and the things set down reall,
: happened. Notably is this true Of the
smashing Of LIE Superbe and the found
! ering Of LIE Thesee., The account Of The
! scene on LIE Formidable, after the bat
: tie, is taken from the rare journal Of ar
q English naval surgeon who was there
: have not ventured to quote the full
i details of his horrible recital Of what hi
!, saw on that ship. Many Of the converse
+ tions in which Hawke takes part are OF
/ record as we'll. q
o To turn to lighter themes: the cradle
song, for the English version of which
4 I am indebted to a gifted young friend
& is still sung by the mothers to their chill
dren in ancient Brittany. And with thi
note concerning the peaceful little lullab,
S / leave my ders-with a regret on m!
y part in which I fondly hope they share.
(, Cyrus Townsend Brady.
E Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pa. April 5. '01
ld The End.) a3
~ ~ ssee my book Colonial Fights and Fighters
III for detailed account Of these celebrated cam