The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-12-02
GOD BATTLE OF SONGS
CINE NOVEL INCIDENT OF THE NAVAL
WAR OF 1912

low a Vocal Contest Between
Batch of Yankee Prisoners and a
British Crew Ended-Noi>c nj Koli-
Ing Shot aS "a Punishment.
Il have been in Il number of full
tlrd.eu naval actions myself and i'll
many more Scrimmages," said ven
cradle man-of-war's man tie othe.
day. so | am entitled to know some
thing about the subject. but | am free
III confess that the strangeSt fight Oil
lie high seas | ever heard about WAS
aye III which my father look part w..en
1t. WIS :, prisoner in the War cf III
Ms father when 4 young man enlisted
on tie American privatcer Prince de
Ncuirllatrl which. as you may know.
Wass o:.r OF he most flnouS TrivatcvrS
il. our second war against Great li;..t
Aiu and which was finally run down
si,m captured by three Of the big=cs, -
tie British war frigates.
The crcw Of the Prince de Ncur.
rhatcl WIS divided into three patches.
My father being in the one that WIS
placed aboard lie l.rander, Sir Ge,r=e'S
flagship. After Icing relieved of IL
their baggage the prisoners were stow
cI AWAY III The Stulfy cable ricr. ~
:he squadron WIS several weeks fra.
lis destination and Tie prisoners were
allowed II come up on deck only f.:
:, few hours each day. the problem oi
Killing time was Il serious one. ii NV
7sunIc Of it WAS killed MY fathers
OWN words. IS set down in his uary rs
i, How. will tell:
Many of the first hour: c,lch nigh:
were spent il story telling. singing VI
''ciG@in@" one another. all joining in ~
lVlp pass; tho burd"n%3lIr hours. The
-.ia:cn" was made llp OF such SONGS rs
#Sn;tu:ru GENERALLY learn by heart. but
Il or ease most OF the srn@S wer"
commemorative of OGr recent na.'al
Victories over tie English.
''f:iir might il WAS understood that
OFT naval songs were not reiiS!icd by
tlt" officers III Ike British fri>;atr. This
only IrUu.ht UhUi.t others with Il ioui
~ chorus and IN extra hulrah for Yam
Lee Thunder. IN order to stop the an
nny;ln;'" The English picked our half Il
sloZen of their hest singers on board
abe ICanGcr. who were backed by sew
dral dozen S.ipillatc$ TO join ii the
.ilDru&"<. They stationed themselves
around the, open hatrhway over or
heads ana began singing patriotic Eng
lisli naval SONGS.
1--WE allowed them to finish their
songs. when w SrCck up with one in
DrlN iiiom eEtullin" the glOrieS OF the
Yankee navy. each oEr of Us striving
IT, Quito his Shipmatc. especially in the
chorus Knowing that the character Of
our country WAS 1T stake and that it
t!..1,rnGtu ,lu"h iIppn our uagrment
And :."aI whether 1t should be upheld
in the face OF or enemies. we Strove
2cC9r,.ir@l;' II do or best ~ il; repre-
$"nta;Iy"S The contest was kept ND
fNr so, = :i,V". evidently II n,ii. aivan-
1H%e not only III tn" quality OF the sing
ing. frr ii this orr opponents could
not hold their own for a moment. but
rs 10 the number AMI variety Of Tho
songs. ftiey having run ont Of their vic
tories over The Yankee; before or par
~ was fairly warmed mp to the fight
"'That they might not flag in the
contest they took up the songs. Tho
First Of June" Battle Of the Nile
besides many others in which we felt
not the least national interest, and we
did not fail giving them the hint in
plain English that they were lodging
the issue as first agreed upon. This
they cared far less for than they did
for the home thrust victory over them
from the Yankees to each one of theirs
over the French and Spanish.
"'.At last orr fire became so warm
that they wcre compelled to back out
Of the contest chepfallen. And they
had Tie satisfaction Of having their
defeat announced 10 MI on board by
5l!.e" Times ihrrr cheers. accompanied
i.y JEtLt!vlapDing and such other noises
as eac!i onr of tx could invent. Word
UaW ..;iinn from The deck that such
noises rJ;lld not be tolerated and that
we must hr quiet This only aroused
iiln prisoners 10 greater eNertions max
sy:: What was singing before yelling
gEHN. IL U!StDTIlint us slAlA Iotih
throit; could make them. each tuned
aIpor :, key peculiarly his own.
".Iia Z. few minutes the officer OF til"
declk r:lluc dowa and with must bluS-
trrins and II.ny threats declared that
81 ou!rr WIS not maintained resort
would iyr had to unpleasant means. If
qhr most savage tribe OF IDdians had
at once bro.:ea loose in terrific war
yvhaop it could not have been louder
Shan iie y@lis Of defiance that came
1roL4 the prisoners on the conclusion
Of thi:; officers speech He then tried
10 reason on tEe abSHrtlity of prisoners
perSiSiing i'll tie ulru3al contest. say
ing that the order of the ship must
and shall ur maintained. If ly no
ether means will order tie marines
10 fire into Tie hold. and when too late
you will learn your foily.'
st,IJo,l thiS .1yirr lppI trDDprpl NE.