Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-05-18
he true story OF
the opening battle
to1df0r the first time
.By prof. B.d!Gi8rdnd.
COPYRIGHT 1911 BY VI G.. CHAPMAN.

On the evening of May 16 Comma
dore Rodgers, in command OF The
President, sighted sail on the east
ern horizon, and concluded that the
strange vessel was none other than
the Guerriere, which had forced the
boy from Maine into British service.
Rodgers at once gave orders to sail
in pursuit and to ascertain what flag
the stranger flew. Several hours
passed ere the vessels came within
close range of each other The sun
had set and darkness was falling
when Rodgers sprang into the rigging
and tried to decipher with the aid Of
his glass the ensign borne by the OBJ
ject of the chase. But the shadows
of night had rendered the colors UNI
distinguishable, and Rodgers, Selling
his speaking trumpet, shouted with
the full strength of his powerful
lungs. What ship is that?"
There was no reply, and again
Rodgers repeated his hail. Then
response came from the stranger in
the shape of a sheet of flame and a
round-shot which hurtled along the
upper deck of The President and
buried itself In the main mast. Be-
fore Rodgers could give the command
to return fire" one Of his eager gun
ners anticipated his leaders instruc-
tions, and the first shot fired by an
American vessel in the war of 1872
Numbered forth defiance to the foe.
The commodore then gave the order
to engage, and the broadsides of both
craft crashed in unison. A pail OF
blackness had now descended on the
deep, and the battle ragged fiercely on
by the dim rays of the deck lanterns
and red flashes from the cannons
mouths. Suddenly the enemy ceased
firing. and Rodgers gave orders to
follow suit, believing that she had
surrendered. But the momentary lull
was broken by another broadside
from the stranger, and the powder.
begrimed, cheering Americans re
piled In kind. Through the darkness
Of the night they fought on steadily,
until again their adversary's fire was
silenced. For the third time Rodgers
stentorian voice roared across the
waters:
what ship is that?"
The response came back family:
'We are his majesty's ship"
The wind was blowing strongly and
away from The President, and pre-
vented the conqueror from hearing
the name Of the defeated craft. The
rigging of the enemy was badly cut
up and shattered and her decks were
crimson shambles. At daylight Com
modore Rodgers ascertained the name
of the battered hulk his guns had
hammered so mercilessly through the
night to be the Little Bell. consort
of the dreaded Guerrero frigate.
When The President reached home
and the news Of her exploit and vic
tory was made known, the heroes Of
the battle were everywhere received
with tremendous enthusiasm. For
short while Commodore Rodgers was
praised and lionized on all sides, but
suddenly negotiations were opened
between the Washington and British
cabinets, and a change of scene took
place. The American diplomats saw
fit to keep the heroes of the combat
from public view. and the people
were naturally bewildered by their
actions. To climax matters a court
Of inquiry was appointed by our gov
eminent as a result of claim put
forward by A. B. Bingham. the Brit
ish commodore. In which he stated
that The President had fred the first
shot and commenced a sudden and
unwarranted attack upon his ship.
The unwinding of vast quantity of
diplomatic red tape followed. and
both governments were seemingly de-
sirous of hushing up the whole busi-
ness. But the American people at
large believed In Rodgers and his gal
liant crew and made their protests
heard In no gentle tones. A real and
not visionary wer cloud lowered on
the international horizon, and Rodg-
ers himself. disregarding what were
practically orders of silence from the
war department, made the following
bold declaration:
II may be censured, but l was de-
termined not to be the aggressor. nor
would / suffer the flag of my country
to be insulted with impunity. And
that is why I gave general order to
FIRE. and we have taught England a
lesson"
To the foregoing spirited announce
ment the American public-contrary
to the wishes Of President Madison
and his peace-loving policy-gave
hearty and unstinted applause. II
transpired that the British vessel was
fearfully damaged during the engage
ment. besides sustaining a loss Of
81 men killed and wounded, while
The President escaped almost un-
scathed. and had but one Injured,
boy slightly wounded in the hand. In
his recent history Julian Hawthorne
devotes less than a page to this
initial battle Of the war of 1912, and
the following sentehce is worthy of
being quoted: