The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-05-18

~ a'fahF" vessel was none other than
?. ih" GuorUrr". which had forced the
o boy from Maine into British service.
frd-rr at once gave orders 10 sail
j 30 pursuit and 10 ascertain what flag
the stranger Aew. Several hours
d passed ere the vessels came within
clos" range Of each other The sun
had set and darkness was falling
when Rodgers spraug into the rigging
5 and tried to dcciphcr with the aid OF
his glass the ensign borne by the oh.
j"ct Of the chase. But the shadow
. of night had rendered the colors IN
disiingutshable. and Rodgers. Selling
his speaking trumpet, shouted with
the fun strength OF his powerful
lungs. What ship is that"
7 There was no reply, and again
Rodgers repeated his hail. Then
fcsrons" came from the stranger in
the shape Of a sheet of flame and "a
round.shot which hurtlcd along the
upper deck of Tho President ana
/ buried Itself In the main mast BE.
lore Rodgers could give the command
to return fire. one OF his eager gun.
/ nora anticipated his LEADERS, instrnr.
tons, and the first shot fired by an
| American vessel in the war Of 1872
! Numbered forth defiance TO the foe
me commodore then gave the order
to engage" and the broadsides Of both
craft crashed in unison a pail Of
bIackncss had now descended on the .
deep, and the battle ragged nercoy on
hF III" dim rays OF the deck lanterns .
and red flashes from the cauuons' .
mouths. Suddenly the enemy ceased !
firing and Rodgers gave orders to
follow suit. believing that She had .
surrendered But the momoutary Inn |
was broken by another broadsidc
from the stranger, and the powder
h'grimed, cheering Americans re
Piled in kind Through tho darkness
OF the night they fought on steadily
until again their advcrsary's fire was
siIonccd. For tho third time Rodgers
Stentorian voice roared across the
waters.
What ship is that?"
The response came back family.
We are MS malc9ty's ship"
The wind was blowing strongly and
away from Tho President, and pre-
vented the conqueror from hearing
the name of the defeated craft The !
rigging of the enemy was badly cut {
up ana shattered and her decks were {
crimson shambles At daylight Com. 5
modore Rodgers ascertained the name {
Of tho battered hulk his guns had t
hammered so mcrcilcssly through the |
night to be the Little BELL. consort /
Of the dreaded Guerrero frigate. {
When The President reached home b
and the news of her exploit and vic. h
tory was made known, the heroes If n
me battle were everywhere received 3
with tremendous enthusiasm. For n I
snort while Commodore Rodgers was S
praised and li0nized on all sides but d
negotiations were opcnod "
between the Washington and British
'abincts, and change of scene took d.
'lace. The American diplomats saw &C
II to keep the heroes of the combat SO
rom public view, and tho people OF
'ero naturally bewlldered by their b
ctions. To climax matters n court IN
I inquiry was appointed by our gov. 70
rnment as a result OF claim put Is
orWard by A. H. Bingham, the Brit. Sc
IN commodore. in which he stated OF
hat The President had fired the first Il
hot and commenced sudden and In
warranted attack upon his shin. be
he unwinding of vast quantity Of ST
lplomatic red tape followed, and ha
oth governments were seemingly dc. an
rous OF hushing up the whole bust OF
PISS. But the American people at II
rye believed In Rodgers and his gal. RI
mt crew and made their protests
card in no gentle tones. A real and sci
IT visionary war cloud lowered nm Wi
e international horizon, and Rodg. 1t
3 himself, dlsregarding what were 1t
actically orders OF silence from the cor
lr department, made the following to
I'D declaration: cat
i may be censured, but was do the
rmined not TO be the aggressor. nor tee
'uld suffer the flag of my country lax
be insulted with impunlty And the
at is why | gave q general order to cor
g, and we have taught England a ora
son" Uni
TO the foregoing spirited announce. In
mt the American public-contrary sini
the wishes OF President Madison Bry
u MS peace'loving policy-gave sen
trty and unstinted applause II allo
inspired that the British vessel was ploi
riully damaged during the engage. S,
mt, besides sustaining n loss Of by
men killed and wounded. while fall
President escaped almost un. sion
thed. and had but one injured a sent
slightly wounded in the hand In tern
recent history Julian Hawthorne ton
otes less than page to this land
ial battle of the war of 1912. and affir
following sentence is worthy of VINO
ne quoted: wer,