Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-03

rock rang with hearty British cheers for
the victorious American.
"oh. yes. the fight with France.
fair imitation of a war"
Few people realize" remarked a lieu
tenant. how many wars big and little
the United States has waget. At An
napolis you can see the captured French
ensign of the Berceau. At Annapolis, or at
West Point. you can see captured British.
French. Mexican and Spanish banners. The
rea's picked corps. Is at Governors Island.
relic OF our little war With the heath
ems. and I suppose somewhere In this
country are captured Chinese and Filipino
nags. and possibly standards Of other races
taken in battle.
DO you know we had q war with Japan
oncef Well, we did. The mikado. father of
the present emperor. had just shaken on
fairs into his own hands. He had issued
an order for all foreigners to quit the
country and for the closing Of the ports.
to this our minister to Japan, Mr.. Pruyn,
sure Is an insult to my country and eQuiva-
lent to declaration of war.
The Wyoming In Japan.
War be IT, said the Prince Of Choshiu,
powerful vassal Of the mikado. and he
fortified the straits of Shimonoseki, con-
Meeting with the inland sea, and assembled
fleet Of three Acknowledgements built
vessels, armed with the latest guns-and
heavily manned by hardy Japanese sailors.
Ihen, one morning, came steaming into
the straits the old Wyoming. her guns
shotted and her crew at quarters. In the
fortiflcations on shore those two great vas
sails Of The crown of Dali Nippon. the
Princes of Choshiu and Satsuma, ranged
beneath their banners their Samurai
knights and their thousands of fighting
men clad in ancient war costumes of Japan.
At once the forts and the fleet opened upon
the advancing American. Ignoring the fire
OF the forts the Wyoming first turned her
attention to the gunboats and in short
and sharp engagement sunk one and so
disabled the other two that they were
obliged to retire from the fight
Then firing both broadsides as rapidly as
the guns could be loaded and discharged.
the gallant ship stood through the straits
practically smothering the fire Of the forts
by the rapidity and accuracy Of gunnery
After passing the straits the wyoming
turned and steamed back again to the open
sea, pouring broadside after broadside into
the defenses on either hand she went by.
Those two now celebrated statesmen Of
Japan, the Marquis Ito and the Count
Inoyue. fought that day under the banner
of their chief the Prince of Choshiu.
Nv lille this was going on Yokohama was
held under the guns Of the jamestown.
subsequently a combined American. Brit
lsh Dutch and French expedition reduced
the forts at Shimonoseki. and the mikado
called 1t Off and paid an indemnity. The
Wyoming lost four killed and seven wound
ed in her gallant fight and inflicted heavy
loss upon the Japs.
THE Mornings fight at Shimonoseki
was Japan's first armed contest with a
western power, and, dramatically enough,
1t was at Shimonoseki that the western
OF her war with China, and it was in these
same waters. almost within sight of Shin
onoseki, that Japan gained her great VIC
tory over the fleets Of Russia"
Na1 sol tI4
have drifted rapidly from racing men-of-
war to wars forgotten, which reminds me
that as late as 1923 carried on rather
extensive naval operations against the
pirates of the Spanish Main.
Battles With Pirates
Il remember my grandfather who saw
service there, telling me tales Of old Do
mingo. who was sort of an admiral of the
pirates and an old rufflan Once he CAP
tured an American ship and found on board
letters to the naval officers serving the
squadron operating against the pirate fleet
Domingo forwarded the letters to the COM
mander of the American fleet with the
message that he could not think of depriv-
ing such gallant officers of the pleasure OF
hearing from their friends.
The pirates were a power in those days.
stood In with the French and Spanish COL
onists, and were not on such bad terms
with the European governors. The other
nations of the world seemed to be inclined
to let them go. and If we had not stepped
In the pirates would soon have established
themselves in such force on land and sea
that the story Of the piratical Barbary
States would have been repeated over again
in the West Indies. We sent a powerful
fleet to fight the pirates. and it took three
years to exterminate them.
In that war Perry. the hero of Lake
Erie. died OF yellow fever, and Farragut
was actively employed. In his journal the
future hero Of Mobile bay had set down the
story OF how once when deep in the bush
with small landing party in search Of a
pirates lair. he heard noise in the rear as
Of large force advancing. Facing his men
about, Farragut made an imp assioned
speech to them. exhorting them to die, but
never surrender, and charged the enemy,
which turned out to be an army of thou
sands Of great land crabs making their way
through the jungle with huge clapping of
their leprous claws"