Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-02
When Uncle Sam Licked japan,


archives of the navy department and
discovers that this country once had a
war with Japan. 1t was a little war,
to be sure, and limited to single en-
gagement, but it was a bloody affair
while it lasted and the incident was
one in which Americans are justified
in taking no small degree of pride. 1t
all happened in 1863 and so was pretty
we'll lost to the world in the roar of the
great Civil War at home, and to most
of US it is matter of news that it ever
occurred at all. 1t is given small place
on the pages of history and yet no less
an authority than President Roosevelt
in his History of the American Navy,
said: Had that action taken place at
any other time than during the Civil
War it's fame would have echoed all
the author of various books on the
Orient, prefaces his account of the
nails of the American navy no achieve
ment Of single commander in
single ship surpasses that of David
McDougal at Shimonoseki."
After Commodore Perry's visit in
1854 which opened Japan to the
civilized world, the influx of foreign
ers and the question of foreign inter-
course started up no end of trouble in
the Mikado's kingdom. Within a few
years the japanese began to resent the
intrusion of the foreigners and in the
early SOS there were riots which re-
suited in the killing of Europeans and
Americans and the burning of lega-
lions by mobs. In July, 1868, Captain
McDougal with the American warship
Wyoming was at Yokohama where his
ship was a refuge for the American
him that an American merchant vessel
had been fired upon by the Japanese
warships and batteries at the Strait
Of Shmonoseki. This japanese fleet,
curiously enough, consisted of three
vessels which Japan had purchased in
America, named respectively the
Daniel Webster, the Lanrick and the
Lancefield. These were armed with
American guns, and in the shore
batteries were several fine eight-inch
Dahgrens which had been presented
by the United States to Japan with
little thought of their future use
1t was against these three warships
and these shore batteries that Captain
McDougal promptly steamed the
Wyoming. He had to guess as to the
channel and the Japanese ships had
very advantageous position, but the
Wyoming went ahead full steam. The
battle was hot one and lasted about
an hour, but when it was over the
Wyoming had sunk all three of the
Japanese vessels and shattered the
shore batteries. The Japanese loss
was over 100 men killed while on the
Wyoming five men had been killed and
seven wounded. The Wyoming was
hit in her hull 10 times, her rigging
was badly cut and her smoke stack
was perforated but she was still ready
for business and in absolute control of
tho situation
The battle was won against APP
parently great odds by the GOODNESS
and nerve of the American COM
mander and although the crew of the
Wyoming had never before been under
fire they handled their guns like veter-
ans. So much for the little war
which America once had with Japan.
The war cloud which some people pre-
tended to see on the horizon not long
ago has wholly disappeared and the
visit of our great fleet to the ports of
the new Japan will be wholly friendly,
but it can do no harm at this time to
recall this half-forgotten story of an
earlier generation and pay word of
tribute to the valor of American
sailors in Japanese waters.