of the frigate "Constellation," fell in with and captured the famous French frigate "L'Insurgente," of forty-four guns and 409 men, off the island of Nevis, in the West Indies. For this victory Truxton not only received the praises of his own countrymen, but the English press teemed with eulogies of him. Many congratulatory addresses were sent to him, and the merchants of London gave him a service of silver plate worth more than $3,000, on which was engraved a picture of the battle. In the beginning of February, 1800, Truxton and the "Constellation" gained a victory over the French frigate "La Vengeance," of fifty-four guns and 500 men. In consequence of the falling of the mainmast of the "Constellation" the "Vengeance" escaped, but this did not detract from the glory of Truxton's victory, and Congress awarded him a gold medal for his exploits. Again the city of New York came to the front and presented the gallant commander the freedom of the city in a gold box. Paul Jones. No American naval commander ever received more splendid honors from the hands of his fellow citizens or more richly deserved them than John Paul Jones, who sailed as first lieutenant with Esek Hopkins, first commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy. Homage for John Jones was always successful, and became a terror to the English mind, so much so that historians of that day speak of him as "pirate" and "corsair." In the middle of August, 1779, the French monarch and the American commissioners joined in sending Paul Jones with five vessels to the coast of Scotland. His flagship was the "BonHomme Richard." Late in September, while the squadron lay a few leagues north of the mouth of the Humber, he discovered the Baltic fleet, convoyed by three battleships, stretching seaward from behind Flamborough Head. At seven o'clock Jones was within musket shot of the "Serapis," the flagship of the British fleet, when one of the most desperate naval fights ever recorded began. There was little wind, and the vessels drifted together so that their spars and rigging became entangled. Jones at the head of his men attempted to board the "Serapis," but after a short fight with pike, pistol and cutlass he was obliged to retreat. Captain Pearson, of the "Serapis," who could not see the American ensign through the smoke, called out, "Has your flag been struck?" Jones shouted back, "I have not begun to fight yet!" Then the vessels separated and the wind brought them broadside to broadside, the muzzles of the guns touching each other. Jones lashed them together, and in that close embrace they poured volleys into each other with dreadful effect, while from deck to deck fighting hosts rushed madly over each other. Presently the "Richard" began to sink. Her ten greater guns were silenced and only three 9-pounders kept up the firing. The marines in the round-top of the "Richard," however, kept up a steady fire upon the Englishman below, while ignited combustibles were scattered over the British ship. Presently both ships caught fire and the scene was both appalling and magnificent, for it was a beautiful sight, with a full moon an hour high. In the midst of smoke and flame men fought like demons in a hand-to-hand conflict for the mastery. Some one on board the "Richard" cried, "The ship is sinking!" A frightened gunner who ran to pull down the flag was silenced by a blow from a discharged pistol which Jones hurled at his head. After raging for three hours, the battle ceased, because fire was consuming both ships. The "Richard" sank and her crew were transferred to the "Serapis." Honored by Other By this achievement Jones' fame spread throughout the civilized world. The French monarch gave him an elegant gold-mounted sword, bearing on its blade the words, "Louis XVI., Rewarder of the Valiant Asserter of the Freedom of the Sea," and also the Grand Cross of the order of Military Merit, never before given to a foreigner. From Denmark he received marks of distinction and attention. His own country was slowest in coming to the front, and it was not until eight years afterward that Congress voted him a gold medal. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was the recipient of extraordinary honors at the hands of his fellow citizens, in recognition of his brilliant victory over the British fleet in Lake Erie on 1813. Perry had nine vessels in his squadron, and the British commander, Barclay, had six. At the masthead of his flagship, the "Lawrence," Perry displayed a blue banner, upon which was emblazoned in white letters the last words of Captain Lawrence, "Don't give up the ship." For two hours the "Lawrence" bore the brunt of the battle that followed, until she was almost a total wreck. Her rigging was shot away, her sails were cut into shreds and her spars were battered into splinters. One mast remained, and from it floated the Stars and Stripes. Finally Perry left the flagship, boarded the "Niagara," and renewed the fight. In his trip from the "Lawrence" to the "Niagara" he was a mark for the fire of the whole British fleet, but he reached the ship in safety, and after that victory was no longer in doubt. It was then that Commodore Perry sat down, and, resting his naval cap on his knee, wrote with a lead pencil on the back of a letter this famous dispatch to General Harrison : We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop. How Perry: Was Honored. All the States and cities in the Union joined in doing Perry honor. The Legislature of Pennslvania voted him thanks and a gold medal. Congress did the same. New York, not to be behindhand, voted the conqueror the freedom of the city, and tendered him a public banquet, at which the principal men of the city delivered eulogistic addresses, while the fashion and beauty of the town joined in doing honor to the greatest hero of American naval history. "Old Ironsides" Stewart, who commanded the frigate "Constitution" during the last years of the war of 1812, performed a brilliant feat on the evening of February 20, 1815, by the capture, after a severe fight, of the British ships "Cyane" and "Levant." In this engagement the "Constitution" was so little damaged that three hours after the battle she was ready for another. Stewart crossed the Atlantic, landed many of his prisoners on the coast of Brazil, and at Porto Rico he first heard that peace had been proclaimed. He arrived in New York in the middle of May, 1815, and gave the first intelligence of the capture of the "Cyane" and "Levant." Honors were showered upon him. Congress voted him thanks and a gold medal. The common council of the city of New York presented him with the freedom of the city in a gold box and honored him with a public banquet, which was participated in by the first men of the land. The legislature of Pennsylvania presented him, in the name of the State, with a gold-hilted sword. The "Constitution" was ever known afterward as "Old Ironsides," and Stewart bore the same title until his death in November, 1869, when he was ninety-two years old. Extraordinary honors were accorded by the city of New York to Captain Stephen Decatur, whose frigate, the "United States," Extraordinary captured the British frigate "Macedonian," thirty-eight Honors for Decatur. guns, Captain Carden, after a severe figlit of about two hours westward of the Canary Islands, in the winter of 1812. The "United States " displayed splendid gunnery and shot the "Macedonian" to pieces. In all the "Macedonian" received one hundred rounds of shot in her hull. Realizing the hopelessly crippled condition of his ship, Captain Carden surrendered her. Rigging her as a bark, and putting a prize crew on board, Decatur sailed with his own ship and her captive for American waters, and on the first day of January, 1813, the "Macedonian " was anchored in the harbor of New York, where she was greeted with joy as a "New Year's gift." "She comes with the compliments of the season from Old Neptune," said one of the prints of that day. Only three days previous to the arrival of the "Macedonian " a public banquet had been given to Hull, Jones and Decatur by the corporation and citizens of New York. Decatur received, if anything, greater honors than those bestowed upon his brother victors, and during the whole of his stay in New York he was the object of an unending ovation. There were banquets, receptions and entertainments in his honor; military spectacles, civic parades, presentations of addresses and gifts innumerable. Captain Decatur was not allowed to rest upon his laurels by the good citizens of New York, who made New Year's week one continuous holiday by enthusiastic manifestation of their appreciation of his valiant conduct. Congress also ordered him a vote of thanks and presented him with a gold medal. THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE BEFORE SANTIAGO. A Picturesque, Circumstantial Description of the Destruction of Cervera's Fleet. T BY JOHN R. SPEAR, (The historian, who, from the deck of Sampson's flagship, viewed the fight.) HE story of the desperate flight of the Spanish squadron from the harbor of Santiago is unique in the history of naval warfare. Never before did such a powerful aggregation of ships seek safety by flight alone. Never was such a fleet wholly annihilated in a single battle. Never was so great a victory won in so short a time. Never did a triumphant force conquer such an enemy with losses so small. Never was there such a dramatic scene at sea as that mighty race for life for fifty miles down the Cuban coast. On Sunday morning, July 3, the battleships "Texas," "Iowa" and "Oregon" and the big armored cruiser "Brooklyn" were drifting with the tide off the mouth of the harbor of Santiago de Cuba. Near by were the converted yachts "Gloucester" and "Hist," while off to the east lay the battleship "Indiana," and away on the coast, but still just visible, was the flagship "New York," where she had gone to give Admiral Sampson a chance for a conference with General Shafter. An armistice had been declared between the fighting forces on shore pending the removal of non-combatants from the beleagured city. The white-starred nicked-out blue flag of Commodore Schley floating from the masthead of the "Brooklyn" proclaimed him senior officer for the time. So far as any one afloat could see, there was no life about the oft-battered Morro, the Socapa or the other fortifications save as the blood and gold ensign of Spain waved in the gentle breeze. It was to be a day of ease for the sailors and soldiers so far as any one could foresee. On the ships, at any rate, after Jack had his breakfast and had dressed for and endured the regular Sunday morning inspection, very little was to be done, and a majority of each crew was free to stretch out for a snooze or rig a mess table and get out paper and ink for a letter home. As a matter of fact, not a few were doing just those things on all the ships after the 'bo's'ns' mates had piped down from inspection, when, at 9.30 o'clock precisely, Lieutenant Mark L. The Ships Appear. Bristol, watch officer of the "Texas," and the lookout on the "Iowa " saw a black curl of coal smoke rising from behind the cape on the westerly side of the harbor entrance, Socapa. There was no mistaking the meaning of that smoke, and while the lookout on the "Iowa " bawled to Lieutenant Louis S. Van Duser announcing the smoke, Lieutenant Bristol, of the "Texas," sprang to the signal board on the bridge of his ship and set the clattering electric gongs calling all hands to clear ship for action. With equal promptness the crew of the "Iowa" heard the same call, while her signal officers hurriedly sent a fluttering string of colored flags to the yard-arm, announcing to all the squadron that a Spanish ship was coming out of the harbor. But while the gongs were yet ringing the Spanish ship herself came plowing around Socapa Point, turning the sluggish water into a splashing roll on either bow, and then headed along shore toward the west, so that every officer on the decks of the Yankee ships recognized her as the powerful "Almirante Oquendo," while those with good glasses saw the tiny signal at the masthead which told that Admiral Cervera was on board. Another big cruiser was following her close, the "Cristobal Colon," while no more than a cable's length apart astern appeared in swift succession the "Vizcaya" and the "Infanta Maria Teresa." All Hands to The signal flags had by this time reached the yard-arm of the "Iowas" mast, but they were no longer needed, for the decks of the whole Yankee squadron were vibrating to the tread of men running to quarters, man shouting to man that "the Spaniards are coming at last." The click of opening breech-locks, and the whir of electric elevators hoisting armor-piercing projectiles to the big guns, followed hard on the shouts of the hurrying crews. |