Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-17
A GALLANT MAJOR.
Another Echo of the War With the
Spaniards.

Another Echo of the War With the
| Spaniards.
| Scarcely had land faded from
view," writes James F. Smith, former
| ly governor r-general Of the Philippines,
describing the first expedition to the
islands following the victory of Ma
nilla bay. when Capt Glass opened
4 his scaled orders. and with fine irony.
enjoining secrecy. published the well
come information that the expedition
was to stop by on the way and cap
ture Guam. Whether Guam was a
city island or man Of war was sub
ject Of much debate. All were agreed.
however, that the intention to benev-
olently assimilate It was a good thing
which should be withheld from the
press and regarded as strictly conf
Dental. A dot upon the charts sup
ported by the ipse dixit Of a quartette
Of master marines, finally convinced
the doubling that Guam was a bit OF
land entirely surrounded by water.
And so on June 90. at daybreak,
cruiser and transports. by virtue Of
a sacred compact and lack Of wire
less. steal upon II unheralded and un-
announced. With rigging and every
vantage point crowded with men
whose pulse beat time to their excite
ment, the transports take their place
five or six miles off shore and await
the coming conflict In plain view.
the Charleston Is creeping along the
outer line of reefs, and there. from
hidden cove, with a bone In her
teeth. a great Spanish cruiser. ghostly
in the haze, comes out to meet her.
And then just when everybody is on
the tiptoe Of expectation the haze lifts
degree meits into poor little Japa-
nese fishing schooner gently bobbing
to her anchor.
Surely there will be something do
ing when the Charleston seeks to en-
ter there. And now the cruiser. dull
as a misty morning in her clothes Of
sombre gray, swings to port and slips
into the narrow channel directly un-
der where the bold faced type has
said the fort Is sure to be-and-not
shot is fired! The garrison must be
asleep, or maybe 1t Is permitting the
entrance of the vessel to make her
destruction certain, or maybe this or
maybe that-anything to keep alive
the hope that the colosseum OF half
/ nf la1 70
the nerve tingling spectacle Of bat
tling men. Bang! Bang! Nine times
bang go the guns Of the Charleston.
A hush of expectation and then a
great stiffness.
What has happened? Why, moth
| ing, except that a dinky little rowboat
has put off from the shore with the
Spanish colors gayly flying from the
stern. Not bit Of white Is fiuttering
from 1t anywhere and every gunner
Is eager to potshot 1t as 1t meanders
through the coral reefs. Capt. Glass
won't have 1t that way, however, and
permits the flagship of Guam to come
alongside without objection.
With great deliberation a boy In
size but a man in dignity and years,
glittering with the gold lace OF a
Spanish major, mounts the ladder
lowered for his reception, gravely
touches his cap to the commanding
officer. and then, through an interpre-
ter, presents his thanks for the salute
just rendered and expresses regret
that he couldn't return it--for lack
of powder. Now. what do you think
of that? A silly grin broadens the
faces of the circumjacent sailor men.
This Is too much for the big, kind
heart of Capt. Glass, who takes the
fn hn
quarters and there very gently ex-
plains that Spain and the United
States have been at war for more
than sixty days. The major, who
receives his daily paper as often as
twice a year. Is properly sorry that
/ such a thing should be and, rising,
solemnly announces that under the
circumstances he must retire and pre-
pare him for the fray.
why, my dear man." says the
| ca aptain. you can't do that. Don't you
see you are my prisoner, and that L
must ask you to surrender at once
the island and all your forces?"
The major argues earnestly that
he is victim of deceit, and that he
has been induced to come on board
by false pretenses. OF course, the
deceit and false pretenses have not
been planned, prepared and perpe-
trated by an abandoned and malignant
heart with malice aforethought, but
none the less deceived and fooled he
has been, and OF that fact no cabal-
lero-that is, no worthy caballero.
such as was the captain-might, coulde
would or should advantage take.
That word "caballero" did the bust
ness. The major was permitted to
depart with warning that surrender
must be made by o'clock Of that
day or the island would be surround
ed by one of the transports, besieged.
bombarded, undermined, sunk, car
ried by assault and otherwise wasted.
demolished and destroyed, with all
that was in, around, over or under 1t.
Would you believe it-that little
old major said he'd think 1t over, and
left the ship with the full intention
of putting up a fight? And from
that intention not bulge did he
bulge until the pleadings Of his doc
tor that he give a chance for life to
a very ailing woman touched his
tough old Spanish heart and per-
suaded him that he might yield with
honor to a force which, excluding
the cruiser, was more than forty
times his own. So at 5 o'clock, just
as the boats were putting off from
the transports to make landing, the
major, as governor Of the Marianas,
representative at Guam Of her majesty
the queen regent, commander-in-chief
Of all the forces, captain Of the port.
collector of customs and sundry other
things. surrendered at discretion and
reported on board the Charleston with
an army corps of sixty men. Guam
was captured, and when the circum-
stances Of its taking became known,
all the world, except the poor major.
laughed long and loud. To him what
had occurred was a serious matter,
which was not at all provocative Of
mirth. Contrary to the military ira
ditions of Spain and the rules, regu-
lations and ordinances prescribed, he
had surrendered without resistance,
and awaiting his action in that behalf
was a court-martial with consequent
dismissal from the service and possi-
bly, something more. To him the sit
uation was devoid of humor. and in
deed well might II cease to be funny
to all who have come to know that
the taking Of Gum ruined the ca
reer of valiant Spaniard who died
an exile rather than face the disgrace
Of condemnation In his natiya land -