The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-12
CENTENNIAL OF. THE
 INVASION OF CHINA

One hundred years ago today, July 12, 1912, witnessed two important events that marked the real beginning of the War of 1872 between England the frigate Constitution sailed out of Boston harbor to begin her daring ca 'reer on the ocean, and on the same date Gen William Hull, Governor of Michigan, crossed the river at De- troit to begin the invasion of Cam ada
 War is full of surprises. and the re- suits of those two movements com menced 8, century ago today were far different from what was expected. England was the mistress of the seas, and not even the most enthusiastic of Americans hoped that the little Con- stitution and the score or so of other ships comprising the navy of the in fant republic would be able to hold the other hand, 1t was confidently ex- pected by the United States military leaders that Canada would fall an easy conquest to their invaring armies. In both instances the prophets were wrong
 had his headquarters at Detroit, then a village of 800, with a rude fort con- sisting of a square inclosure of two acres. On July 12 he crossed the Detroit, but his ill-advised and poor ly managed action only served to show Sir Isaac Brock, the civil and military commander of Upper Canada, where the first blow was to be struck. Brock was a man of action and en- ergy, and he at once sent to Amherst burg all the men available and ordered the capture of Mackinaw. Hull, meantime, was doing nothing. His ..invasion'' of Canada was a. miser-
 fe .a Ii | q later Gen. Brock was bombardifg De- troit. After a feeble attempt at de- fense, Hull sent up the flag of sur render. "Traitor'' and coward were the nnildest of the epithets heaped up- on Hull by the enraged people of the United States. With the fall of De- trcit and the massacre of the defend Indians, the last vestige of the au- thority of the United States on the lakes was temporarily lost.
 Sir Isaac Brock, whose military genius was largely responsible for the humbling of the United States was a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and had served with distinction in many lands. Tn 1910 he became civil and military Governor of Ontaria, with headquarters at York, now Toronto. After taking the craven Hull and his army prisoners, he proceeded to Mag ara and personally lea a charge In the battle of Queenston, on Oct. 13 of the same year. In that action he was shot in the breast and killed.
 Very different was the outcome of the sailing of the Constitution from Boston a century ago to-day. with Capt Hull in command. She had 450 green sailors on board, but they speed fly had opportunity to give good account of themselves. Four days after leaving Boston the Constitution -afterward called "Old Irensides'- fell in with five sail oftthe enemy, in- cluding the Guerriere. HulPs skillful handling of his vessel enabled him to escape the overpowering force un- scathed. Then on Aug. 19 came the famous naval battle off the Banks of Newfoundland between the Con- stitution and the Guerriere. Capt. Dacres, of the latter vessel, fought long and valiantly and was himself seriously wounded, but in the erd had to surrender That was the begin ming of a long list of victories for the Constitution that has given her a place in United States history similar to that of Nelson's flagship Victory in the annals of the naval glories of Eng land.