James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902.
May 1Manila Bay
By H. E. W., Jr.
T
And who is the victor,—say,—
Is there aught of the lesson now left untaught
By the fight of Manila Bay?
Formed in their battle line;
Their flags at the taffrail, peak and fore,
And batt’ries ready upon the shore,
Silently biding their time.
The harbor was fully mined,—
With shotted guns and open ports
Up to their ships,—ay,—up to their forts;
For Dewey is danger-blind.
And the guns belched forth their death.
“At closer range,” was the order shown;
Then each ship sprang to claim her own,
And to lick her fiery breath.
With gunners stripped to the waist,
And the blinding, swirling, sulph’rous smoke
Enveloped the ships, as each gun spoke,
In its furious, fearful haste.
Hulled by our heavy shot,
For the Yankee spirit is just the same,
And the Yankee grit and the Yankee aim,
And their courage which faileth not.
And who is victor,—say,—
Is there aught of the lesson now left untaught
By the fight of Manila Bay?