Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-09-18

crew carried the scars of British laShes on their
backs. Many were the descendants of American
sailors who had suffered martyrdom in the British
prison ships during the Revolution. Captain Hull's
father Joseph Hull, had died in the pest ship Jer-
Sey from cruel treatment.
Hull gave orders to firing and ran his
ship closer and closer to the Brtisher, his men
training their guns and waiting for the word to
fire. Two were killed and several wounded. Three
times Lieutenant Morris asked permission to fire.
Three times Captain Hull replied, mot yet, sill"
Finally the Constitution gained position about
40 yards off the Guerriere's port quarter.
Snow, boys, pour II into her" roared Hull
squatting to the deck and springing high into the
air with such vgOr that he split his dress breaches
from belt to buckle.
sBy Cd that ships ours" was IulTs exutant
below. And she was his In forty minutes by
the watch the Guerrero was dismasted and sink
ing wreck wallowing in the sea, with Is dead and
CD wounded The Constitution with Z dead and
Z wounded, made repairs 70 her rigging and was
ready to fight again.
Dacres, who had promised his men an extra
ration of brandy if they took the Constitution in
twenty minutes, too dazed by the suddenness
and completeness of his defeat to answer intelli-
gently to the first summons to surrender. Later
when he went aboard the Constitution and offered
his sword, Hull said:
mo; keep your sword. But I'll trouble you for
that hat"
When the Constitution, bedecked with flags and
with guns booming appeared off Boston light
house August &c. there gloom and despond-
ency ashore Gen. William Hull had surrendered
Detroit. Fort Dearborn (Chicago) had been sur
rendered and its garrison massacred by the In
dians Disaster and defeat everywhere on land :.
But the Constitutions tale Of victory changed
dependency to delirious joy, not only IN Boston
but all through the nation 1t neryed the people
to renewed efforts 1t a decisive battle in
more senses than one If you want to see the col
ors Of the Guerrero, go to the Naval academy at
Annapolis. They are there to this day.
The Guerrero frigate bold, on the foaming ocean
Commanded by proud Dacres, all the grandee, OH
With as choice British crew as rammer ever
They could fog French, two to one. handy. OH
Then Dacres loudly cries: Make the Yankee ship
You can in thirty minutes neat and handy, Oh!
Thirty-fve's enough, I'm sure and, if you'll do it
in score
I'll treat you to double share of brandy, OH"
So goes an old song, "The Constitution and the
Guerrero" written at the time and long popular
Next the Constitution, with Capt. William Balm
bridge in command, engaged the Java, in 1914.
When the action was over the British frigate was
wreck not worth saving and her deck was a
shambIes, with 60 killed and 1O1 wounded. The
Constitutions rigging was damaged and her wheel
was shot away. Her loss was killed and %
wounded.
Finally the Constitution, under Capt Charles
Stewart chased down the frigate Cysne and the
sloop-of-war Levant-the two carrying 90 guns
and captured them BOTH Here she was so clever
ly Unanswered that she made new naval record
fought two vessels at once and avoided being
raked.
The War of 1872 was most certainly won on the
sea- More than 1,500 vessels were taken from the
British and more than 10000 seamen captured.
And Old Ironsdes won the first and last battles
of the war, outsaed, outmaneuvered and out
fought the best of the British fleet and put the
American navy the Her name and
fame shall last as long as Old Glory floats the
Seven Seas-whether ''her shattered hulk is CIV
en- new life goes to "the harpies of the shore"