Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-10-27
ODD BATTLE0F SONGS
ONE NOVEL INcIDENTe ee THE NAVAL
WAR or 1912.

WAR OF 1912.
How u Vocal Contest Between a
Batch of Yankee Prisoners and N
British Crew Ended-Soise of Roll
ing Shot as a Punishment.
81 have been in a number Of full
fiedged naval actions myself and in
many more scrimmages," said a ven
erable mnn-of-wars man the other
day, $50 1 am entitled to know some
thing about the subject, but am free
to confess that the strangest fight on
the high seas / ever heard about was
one in which my father took part when
he was a prisoner in the War of 1912.
My father when young man enlisted
on the American privateer Prince de
Neufchatel, which, as you may know,
was one of the most famous privateers
in our second war against Great Brit
ain and which was finally run down
and captured by three of the biggest Of
the British war frigates.
The crew of the Prince de Neuf-
chatel was divided into three patches,
my father being in the one that was
placed aboard the Leander. Sir Georges
flagship. After being relieved Of all
their baggage the prisoners were stow
ed away in the stuffy cable tier. As
the squadron was several weeks from
its destination and the prisoners were
allowed to come up on deck only for
a few hours each day, the problem of
some Of it was killed my fathers
own words. as set down In his diary as
follows, will tell:
Many of the first hours each night
were spent In story telling, singing or
rigging" one another, all joining in to
help pass the burdensome hours. The
singing was made up of such songs as
seamen generally learn by heart, but
in our case most Of the songs were
commemorative Of our recent naval
victories over the English.
lone night 1t was understood that
our naval songs were not relished by
the officers In the British frigate. This
only brought about others with a loud
er chorus and an extra hurrah for Yam
kee thunder. In order to stop the an
noyance the English picked out half
dozen of their best singers on board
the Leander, who were backed by sew
eral dozen shipmates to Join In the
choruses. They stationed themselves
around the open hatchway over our
heads and began singing patriotic Eng
lish naval songs.
1--we allowed them to finish their
songs, when we struck up with one In
opposition extolling the glories Of the
Yankee navy, each one OF us striving
to outdo his shipmate, especially I'm the
chorus. Knowing that the character of
our country was at stake and that IL
depended much upon our management
and zeal whether II should be upheld
In the face of our enemies, we strove
accordingly to do our best as its repre-
sentatives. The contest was kept up
for some time, evidently to our advan-
tage not only in the quality of the sing
Ing. for In this our opponents could
not hold their own for a moment, but
as to the number and variety of the
songs, they having run out OF their vic
tories over the Yankees before our par
ty was fairly warmed up to the fight.
"Thnt they might not dag in the
contest they took up the songs, "The
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 dodging
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 our fire became so warm
that they were compelled to back out
Of the contest, chopfallen. And they
had the satisfaction OF having their
defeat announced to all on board by
three times three cheers, accompanied
by handclapping and such other noises
az each one Of us could invent. Word
now came from the deck that such
noises could not be tolerated and that
we must be quiet. This only aroused
the prisoners to greater exertlons, max
Ing what was singing before yelling
now, as discordant as sixty loud
throats could make them, each tuned
upon key peculiarly his own.
ain a few minutes the officer OF the
deck came down and with must blus-
tering and many threats declared that
II order was not maintained resort
would be had to unpleasant means. II
the most savage tribe OF Indians had
mt once broken loose In q terrific war
whoop IL could not have been louder
than the yells Of defiance that came
from the prisoners on the conclusion
OF this officers speech. He then tried
to reason on the absurdity OF prisoners
persisting In the unequal contest, say
Ing that "the order OF the ship must
pnd shall be maintained. III by no
other means. will order the marines
TO fire into the hold, and when too late
you win learn your follyr'
"'Had this advice been rendered pre-.
viously TO the threatenlngs II might
have had the desired effect. But It
was now too late. Advice and threats
were alike thrown back with tho ut
most scorn and contempt. One big,
brawny Yankee who was standing
near the opening on the termination OF
the officers last threat yelled out:
"'"Crnck AWAY. my Johnny. You
con mike killing no murder. but you
can't NO easily mend the shot holes In |
your cablesw
"'It will be remembered that we
were In the cable tier. the great coils |
Of rope being slowed In the bottom OF |
the compartment. leaving only little
room for the prisoners. II the marines
Cred many OF the cables would be ru- |
Ined. and the officers would be obliged |
TO explain matters 10 the admiralty.
"'''If he mcnds his manners he'll |
have task enough without troubling |
.Imself about cables" said another |
prisoner
Al