Evening star., 1939-11-05

and sturdy Marines were landed
from the gunboats to suppress the
Redmen.
There followed more disturbances
in China. the Fiji Islands. Africa,
Colombia, and the "plug-ugly" riots
in Washington. There was also the
incident at Harpers Ferry in the fall
Of 1859, when an Army officer by the
name Of Robert E. Lee hurriedly
took charge of platoon of Marines
and, after q brief skirmish, captured
John Brown. These affairs kept the
Marines on the jump right up to the
fall of Fort Sumter.
During the long struggle that
nearly tore this Nation assunder,
Marines served both af1oat and
ashore. At the outbreak. officers
from the South we're permitted to
resign. Only six took advantage Of
this privilege. However, IA more at
tempted to resign subsequent to
May l, 1861. and were dismissed.
Thus, of the entire commissioned
personnel, only a scant 20 decided
to cast their lot with the Confed-
eracy. And from Sumter to Apo
mattox so outstanding was the serv-
ice of the Marines that the South,
In admiration. patterned their own
Confederate Marine Corps after its
Northern contemporary.
Assisted at Blaze.
With another war tucked under
the belt, the Marines anticipated a
period Of relaxation. but it was not
to be. On Independence Day, 1866,
a great fire consumed most of Port
land, Me-, and Marines spent week
garrisoning the city against looters.
Then there were riots In Philadel-
phia to be suppressed; a pirate
stronghold in Mexico to be cap
tured; more riots in Brooklyn; q
punitive expedition to Korea; land
ing parties to be sent ashore in
Columbia, Hawaii, Panama and a
few smaller places. In 1877, a labor
riot assumed the proportions of a
good-sized war, paralyzed commerce
In nine States and required muster
ing Of all available Marines to re-
store order.
In 1882, Marines were sent ashore
at Alexandria, Egypt, to assist ir
quelling an ugly uprising, and three
years later periodic insurrection
called them hurriedly to Panama
once more. In 1889, trouble at
Samoa found the Americans and
the British lined up against the
Germans. War was imminent, with
the gunboats Of all three nations
ready for action. Then q terrific
tropical storm surged up suddenly
wrecking all but one Of the bel
ngerent ships. The war was for
gotten, and the survivors mourned
together in q common bond Of sor.
row. Some 400 lives were lost, in.
cluding many Marines.
In 1898 the U. 8. 8. Maine blew ul
In Havana Harbor. It was Pvt. VIII
liam Anthony Of the Marines who
established an all-time record fol
understatement when he calmly sa.
luted Capt. sigsbee and said quietly
almost apologetically: "The Maine
has been blown up, sir, and we art
sinking"
Landed in Cuba.
In the war that followed, Ma.
rines under Col. Huntington wert
the first Americans landed In Cuba
They were put ashore on June 10
1898, and after q series Of conflict!
lasting several days, finally drovl
the Spanish out Of position. Afloat
Marines distinguished themselve.
in the battles Of Santiago and Ma
nila Bay.
The turn of the Goth centur.
proved q busy period for the ma
rines.. In 1899 they had suppresse,
Q violent rebellion In Samoa ant
were preparing to furnish a gar
rison for the naval stasinn at Cavite
near Manila. ThS hslirrection o
the Filipinos developed serious con
sequences, and Marines were scat
tered over the mani islands Of tn
Philippines. At Samar, always to b
remembered as Bloody ,Samar," al
entire column Of Marines was los
for q month, and the survivors wer
little more than tattered skeleton
when they were eventually rescued
Then in China q society that wa
to gain infamy under the name Q