Mabel Borton Beebe

“ Though but twenty-three years of age, the young lieutenant won the admiration of both officers and men.
When the fleet passed the forts below New Orleans, the Mississippi was the third in the line. All through that terrible fight, Lieutenant Dewey stood on the bridge, amid the storm of shot and shell. Whenever the guns flashed out in the darkness, the sailors could see him holding firmly to the rail, [Pg 213] giving orders as calmly as though a battle were an everyday affair. ”

“ Admiral Farragut, himself, made all his arrangements for the worst, though hoping for the best. He wrote to his wife, "I am going into Mobile in the morning, if God is my leader, as I hope He is, and in Him I place my trust. If He thinks it is the place for me to die, I am ready to submit to His will. God bless and preserve you, if anything should happen to me."
At sunrise the fleet moved steadily toward Fort Morgan, the stars and stripes flying from every masthead.
The four ironclads were sent ahead, close to the forts. The wooden war vessels followed, lashed together in pairs. ”

“ The marines on a ship-of-war are men about whom most people know nothing. A marine is not a sailor. He is a soldier who does duty on a warship. He is a kind of policeman, and sees that Jacky behaves himself. He wears a soldier's uniform and has soldier's drills.
The marines have their own mess and their own sleeping space, forming a community of their own.
Perhaps some boys and girls may think that the captain and his officers have a much easier time than Jacky or the marines. ”

“ The harbor and river were filled with pleasure [Pg 241] boats adorned with flags and streamers, while cannon on the shore thundered salutes.
In all history there is not an instance of such great victories with so small a loss of men and ships as in this war with Spain. In less than three months the United States had driven the Spanish power from the western hemisphere. It had added new possessions in both hemispheres and had shown that it was entitled to rank with the most powerful nations of the earth. ”

“ On the morning of May 1, 1898, in the harbor of Manila, one of the most remarkable naval victories in the history of the world was won by the United States. The Spanish fleet, though superior in both men and guns, was entirely destroyed, and hundreds of officers and men were made prisoners. All this was accomplished by an American squadron under Commodore George Dewey, without the loss of a ship or a man. ”

“ Ever since the island of Cuba was discovered by Columbus in 1492, the one thought of the Spaniards has been to gain wealth from the island without giving anything in return.
For many years, most of the Cubans have been little better off than slaves. They have always been very poor and have had to do the hard work on the plantations and in the cities. At best, they have never been able to make much more than enough to pay the taxes imposed upon them by the Spanish government.
The island has been ruled by governors sent out from Spain. ”

“ This navy should be in keeping with the position that the United States has won among the nations of the world, and worthy of the brave officers and sailors who spend their lives in its service.
X.—Life on an American Man-of-War.
When a battleship is hurling shot and shell at an enemy, the brave deeds of the officers and men on board are told from one end of the land to the other; but how many people know how these men live from day to day, when the great ship is lying in the harbor, or cruising peacefully about the seas? ”

“ Spain was to give up all claim to Cuba, recall her officials and soldiers, and permit the people of the island to choose their own government. Porto Rico and all the Spanish islands in the West Indies were to be given to the United States. Spain was also to allow the Americans to hold the city of Manila until it should be decided, by a regular treaty, what should be done with the Philippine Islands. Five men from each [Pg 239] country should be appointed to draw up the treaty, and in the meantime, as soon as Spain and the United States should sign the protocol, all fighting should cease. ”

“ The ships that have been built since that time are entirely unlike those with which Paul Jones and Commodore Perry and Admiral Farragut won their great victories. The largest and most formidable of the new vessels are known as battleships, and may be briefly described as floating forts, built of steel and armed with powerful guns. These are named after the states, as the Oregon, the Texas, and the Iowa. Next to them in importance are the great monitors, such as the Monadnock and the Monterey. These are slow sailers but terrible fighters, and are intended chiefly for harbor defense. ”

“ As the Essex approached one of these islands, she was met by a canoe filled with natives. The bodies of these people were tattooed, and they were gayly ornamented with feathers. They invited the sailors on shore, and promised to give them fruit and provisions.
During the six weeks that were occupied in refitting the ship, the sailors rested on the island. David and the other boys of the crew were given lessons by the ship's chaplain each day, and when school hours were over, they were allowed to visit the islanders.
The young natives taught the American boys many things. ”

“ On the 17th of February, 1776, the first American squadron sailed for the Bahama Islands.
On the way, two British sloops were captured. The English sailors told the Americans that on the [Pg 31] island of New Providence were forts, which contained a large amount of military supplies. They said that these forts could easily be taken.
The soldiers on a vessel are called marines. A plan was made to hide the American marines in the British sloops. In that way it was thought they could go safely into the harbor of New Providence. Then they could land and take possession of the forts. ”

“ On the other hand, every man in the American fleet had been thoroughly trained for the work that he had to do, and was fighting for a country which he loved better than life itself. He felt that it was an honor to serve in the navy, and knew that many of his countrymen would be glad to be in his place.
Now let us see what has become of Lieutenant Hobson and his men. During all this time they had been held as prisoners in Santiago. Three days after the destruction of the Spanish fleet, arrangements were made to exchange them for some Spanish prisoners. ”

“ Not far from Plymouth was the colony of Rhode Island, which had been founded by Roger Williams. Roger Williams declared that a man is responsible for his opinions only to God and his own conscience, and that no one has any right to punish him for his belief.
The people in the Rhode Island colony did not quarrel with one another about religion, but lived together in peace.
Edmund Perry thought that this was the place where he could make a home for himself and his family. He therefore purchased a large tract of land on the shores of Narragansett Bay, near what is now the site of South Kingston. ”

“ The people of America were still rejoicing over the victory at Manila, when the news came that the Spanish admiral, Cervera, with four of the finest cruisers in the world, and three of the latest kind of torpedo boat destroyers, had sailed from the Canary Islands for the United States. This caused some alarm, and wild reports were spread as to what these vessels might do. Admiral Sampson, with his fleet, was guarding the West Indian waters, and Commodore Schley, with his Flying Squadron, was waiting at Hampton Roads in case Admiral Cervera should sail north. ”

“ Lieutenant Wainwright, with his little ship the Gloucester, sailed boldly into the harbor and drove the Spaniards from the shore. The Americans were then landed without the loss of a single man.
The army was divided into three divisions, and all set out for the city of San Juan upon the northern coast. They drove the Spaniards before them, taking possession of the towns and cities as they advanced. [Pg 238]
General Miles and his soldiers were everywhere welcomed gladly, for the people of this island did not like the Spanish soldiers any better than did the Cubans. ”

“ The next two years were spent with the Porter family at Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1822, he sailed for a short time on a sloop of war, that was cruising about the Gulf of Mexico. On his return to America, he learned that Captain Porter was fitting out a fleet to cruise against the pirates of the West Indies.
These robbers had small, fast-sailing ships. They would attack unarmed merchant vessels, seize all the valuables they could carry away, and destroy the remainder. Sometimes they killed the crew; at other times they put them ashore on some desert island. ”

“ But the Americans had to endure still further injuries from the English. British war vessels claimed the right to stop American ships on the sea, search them, and carry off American sailors, claiming them as deserters from the English navy.
The French could not do this; for no American sailor could be accused of being a runaway Frenchman.
In 1807, an event took place which nearly led to war.
The British frigate Leopard, cruising along the coast, hailed the American frigate Chesapeake, and demanded permission to search the ship. ”

“ About this time, England and France were at war with Russia. Farragut applied to Congress for permission to visit the English and French fleets engaged in this war. He wished to see whether he could learn of any improvements that could be made in the American navy.
But Congress had other work for him to do. There was to be a new navy yard built on the Pacific coast, at San Francisco. This would be a difficult task, and one requiring the services of a man having great knowledge and experience. ”

“ For some time Russia had been at war with Turkey, and the Russian navy had lately met with several disasters on the Black Sea.
The Russian minister in Paris had heard a great deal about the hero, Paul Jones. So he sent word to the Empress Catherine, who was then the ruler of Russia, that if she would give Paul Jones the command of the Russian fleet, "all Constantinople would tremble in less than a year." ”

“ David Farragut made a speech to his men. He urged them to stand their ground and fight [Pg 154] bravely. Imagine their surprise and amusement at finding their foes to be thousands of land crabs, making their way through the briars!
This was only one of many encounters that the Mosquito Fleet had with the pirates. Through all the time, the American sailors suffered much from yellow fever and exposure. David Farragut afterward said: "I never owned a bed during my cruise in the West Indies, but lay down to rest wherever I found the most comfortable berth." ”

“ George Spalding became a minister, and when the news of Admiral Dewey's victory at Manila reached the United States, he preached a sermon about it in his church at Syracuse, New York.
The boy who goes to the Naval School at Annapolis must be ready to work hard with both his hands and his brain. The discipline is rigid and no favors are shown or allowances made. ”

“ He had a brother whom the Indians called the Prophet, because he was a medicine man and could do wonderful things.
TECUMSEH.
These two Indians wished to form a union of all the tribes from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. They hoped that in this way they might prevent the white settlers from taking their hunting grounds.
"The white men are continually driving the red [Pg 103] people toward the west; by and by we shall be driven into the Great Water," they said.
The governor-general of Canada made the Indians many promises, and tried to incite them against the United States. ”