Arizona republican., 1905-06-09

mighty events of our civil war were
 attracting attention at home to the ex-
 clusion of everything else; otherwise
 the spirited battle With the Japanese would have aroused the country and would have made a hero of Captain
 McDougal As President Roosevelt
 remarked of McDougars feat some 1 time ago, Had that action occurred at
 any other time than during the civil
 war it's fame would have been echoed | all over the world"
 The battle occurred as the result of
 Japan's efforts to exclude foreigners
 In 1863 the mikado issued a decree ex- polling all foreigners from his country. ! Immediately following the edict the straits of Shimonosel1i were carefully fortified with powerful batteries. The straits are three miles long and mile and half wide. and edged with high bluffs. On these bluffs there were batteries of 32. A and 12 pounder guns, which completely commanded the water. In addition to these defenses there was the Japanese navy of three ships-the iron steamer Lancefield, the brig Lanrick, and with the irony of fate. the Daniel Webster!'
 The American steamer Pembroke was the first to learn that the Japa- nese hostility to foreigners had taken the form of open warfare. On June 25, 1863, she entered the straits, bound for Nagasaki. She followed the GUS tom of dropping anchor and waiting for slack water With no thought of foul play, her commander felt as se- cure as if at home. but he was sud- denly assailed by the Japanese vessels. which opened a fierce fire. By rapid maneuvering the Pembroke escaped to the sea with little damage. A few days after the ships of other nations were attacked in the straits. and two French gunboats and a Dutch cruiser were defeated and practically de- stroyed.
 That was before the days of cable and American com abroad had to act on their
 
 from Washington. Captain McDougal was cruising in Japanese waters, and the Wyoming was upon the point of starting for home when he heard of the attack upon the Penn broke he sailed directly for the Shi- monoseh straits. Maclay thus de- scribes what followed:
 Making directly for the Japanese 1 vessels, McDOugal shook out his colors, | but reserved his fire. intending to at tack the vessels first and give his at | tention to the batteries afterward. The | sight of the American flags seemed to | have acted like oil on the fire. for now the Japanese opened from other bat teries with savage ferocity. Me DougaIs shift from the main channel i somewhat disconcerted their plans. as seen by the fact that most of their sot took effect on the Wyoming's rig slng- Observing a good opportunity to deliver a few blows, McDougal opened with his pivots and starboard guns, and with such effect that one battery was torn to pieces and silenced It the first broadside.
 Keeping steadily on for the ships. he Wyoming. when nearly abreast of ne squadron, was fired upon by the Daniel Webster, by which two men. William Clark and George Watson. were killed, the latter by a chain shot. About the same time a shot from one 'f the batteries killed q marine The Americans were now firing from every gun in the ship, and with splendid ef- ect, as was shown by the clouds of arth and broken gun mountings that f were hurled into the air
 Aided by the strong tide, the