The Colorado statesman., 1912-01-27
Painting Which is at Head Of
East Senate StairWay,Por-
trays Black Seamen
as CoWardS.
THEIR BRAVERY RECALLED
REV. REvERDY C. RANSOM TELLS
OF PATRIOTISM AND coUR.
AGE OF BLACK SEAMEN
IN DAYS GONE BY.

Washington.-Since the mutilation
of Powells THE Battle of Lake Erie"
which is regarded as one of the most
valuable paintings at the head of the
east senate stairway in Washington,
many negroes have been heard to de-
clare that the painting has always
been an eyesore to intelligent me-
groes, and that 1t is looked upon by
them as a slander on the negro in
the United States navy. Among those
sharing such an opinion is the Rev.
Reverdy c. Ransom, pastor of Bethel
A. M. e. church, who speaks of the
painting as follows:
THE Battle of Lake Erie by w.
H. Powell, which was mutilated by
an act of vandalism in Washington
last week, calls attention to a fact
that has long been an offense to
many lovers of truth. This painting,
described as one of the largest and
most valuable paintings is on the
walls of the rotunda of the capitol at
Columbus, O., as we'll as in the east
senate stairway at Washington. 1t
has, for a generation, been an eyesore
to intelligent negroes. Whatever may
be its merits as a work of art, 1t is
a painted lie which mistakes the
facts of history. This painting repre-
sents the white man as standing up
in the boat in a bold and fearless at
titude while the negro seamen are
portrayed as covering in fear.
In the summer of 1913 Captain
IN
a letter to Commodore Chauncey, in
which he complained that an indiffer-
ent lot of men had been sent him.
Among other things, he said: The
men that came by Mr.. Champlin are
a motley set of blacks, soldiers and
boys. I cannot think you saw them
before they were selected Commo
dore Chauncey replied in part as fol-
lows: 4 regret that you are not
pleased with the men sent you by
Messrs. Champlain and Forrest, for,
to my knowledge, a part of them are
not surpassed by any seamen we
have in our fleet; and I have yet to
learn that the color of the skin, or
the cut and trimmings of the coat,
can affect mans qualification or use
fuiness. | have fifty blacks on board
of this ship and many of them are
among my best men,
Crime of Vandalism Not Excused.
''Perry's former prejudice did not
prevent him from speaking highly of
the bravery and good conduct of the
negroes who formed a considerable
part of his crew. They seemed to be
absolutely insensible to danger he
said
'Ntthan Shaler, commander of the
priyate-armed schooner Gov Tom
kins.' wrote to his agent in New York
a letter dated:
"'At Sea, January 1, 1918.
Before / could get our light sails
in, and almost before could turn
round, was under the guns, not of a
transport, but of a large frigate!
-. Her first broadside killed two
men and wounded six others. The
name of one of my poor fellows who
was killed ought to be registered in a
book of fame and remembered with
reverence as long as bravery is con-
sidered a virtue. He was a black
man by the name of John Johnson
A 24-pound shot struck him in the
hip and took away all the lower part
of his body. In this state the poor
brave fellow lay on deck and several
times exclaimed to his shipmates:
Fire away, boys; no haul color
down" The other was also black
man by the name of John Davis, and
was struck in much the same way.
He fell near me. and several times
requested to be thrown overheard.
saying he was only in the way of the
others
Nothing we have said must be
construed as excusing or palliating
the crime of vandalism. ! sincerely
hope that the vandal in question will
be apprehended and suitably pun
ished But the fact remains that
Powell's Battle of Lake Erie with
its terror-stricken negro tars. is an
offense to intelligent negroes. and a
slander upon the negro in the United
States navy"