The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-23
\. ,:l.MOEAnLE CISTE% AIRY

Generally speaking. 1T Win HAY"
been "~."rl""k"l ~ :Il, "rvat m.j"rity
that August T., 80: the IN" hun
dr"dth nmlEersarT II ON al tn" most
thrilling episodes 10 III, history of III"
tnitci States tn" }~i"tnry Of the
American friGat" CONSTITUTION over tho
British frisat" Gl"rrj,rr. %hieh mark
cd the %l"@jnnln" II 81 chapter of sea
victories which placed A,'ov with
British commerce
War with Gr""t Hr:t,.a hid tcen
declared Jun, IS ol u""suM IF out
RACES an,! insults. particularly th..
searching OF .\ln"r.,a, ships on til"
suht":iug" that l:"l'.sh sailors were
h"rh"re,l in thu1I. Tho Constitution
was in Chesupclk" bay. outside was
II l}ritiSh fleet al War N">S~lS. JWlv -
sh" broke for lii" open ocean. u hpr
commander. Captain Hull. refused To-
be bottled mp and rendered useless. II
was NJ" of thu most daring exploits
of amy marine war. The Constitution.
~spicndiG,ly manned. sailed through the
British fleet. outmaneuvered all attack
n pursuit. mad" the harbor of I3os-
ton unsoathed, and then, without or
ders and expecting to be suspended.
sailed forth tn find a British ship and
to av"nge defeats that had been suf-
fer"d by other American vessels.
Sailing from Boston. the Constitu-
1ion cruised about for days, and final
ly. August -. carme up with tho Guer-
riere about 500 miles east. N]anauyer-
ing into close quarters. Captain Hull
gave no order to fire. though his YES
sci was being raked from the Guer-
rlere, unit! h" was in position TO de-
liver a staggering ~hroadSide: and al
most with the first speaking of the
guns the Guerrero was dis blcd
masts and sails literally splintered and
torn TO rags. The vessel began TO
sink. and her commander hoistcd the
signal of surrender at abou, 6 O'Clock
on the evening of August 10, one hun
dred years ago.
From that time victory after vic
tory was won by American vessels,
privateers scattered everywhere on
the Atlantic and even in tn. several
British channels. and SO preyed upon
British that it was com
pletely disorganized, so completely
that it was said that British merchant
ships feared TO sail ever between Eng
land and Ireland.
Meantime, America had been suf-
fering defeat and humiliation on land.
Detroit had been taken by a British
force invading from Canada, the
American commander being General
Hull. an uncle of the Captain Hull Of
the Constitution. Later the British,
sn?arting under the humiliation of dis
asters at sea. landed a military force
at the mouth of the Patuxent, in low
er Chesapeake bay marched upon
~Eiadensburg, chased d force of raw
militia from that town. which inspired
Il. sarcastic poem entitled THE
B~ladeAsburg Races; marched upon
Washington. partially burned the cap
itol. white house and other buildings,
and then itself turned tail and march,
ed with all haste back to the shelter
of the vessels which had brought 1t
hither.
Notwithstanding the mismanage-
ment on land in the war Of 1924,
the victories of the Constitution, be-
gun August 10, 1912, with those Of
other vessels, were such an inspira-
ton to Americans on sea and land
that the British were ready to give up,
especially after the successful defense
of Baltimore and Fort McHenry,
where General Ross, commander of
the British forces. was killed. 1t was
at this battle of Fort McHenry that
inspired the writing OF The Star