| Show ai 4 t K V 4 i of ati I 1 ya iak I 1 lt J XI WV 7 r N 05 x N RE sam hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the united states marine corps the united states marine corps was nai born bom years bears ago and on no ember 10 marines in all p pirt of the neild have celebrated celebia ted the anmer sar on the site of the old fun in an philadelphia a tablet will nill lie be unveiled to mark the spot in 1775 the first ni minnes brines trines enrolled for the war nar to free the colonies chere are none who ho can recall those days dabs and the authentic records record are bare of details let ills but it is certain that the little tavern on the philadelphia v waterfront ater vater front was a gathering place for ship masters matera anil and for the merchants vessels poked their jib booms boom across the stones of water street there can be no doubt that these men spent many man hours hour discussing discus ging the for mation of the first fleet that was a to sail down doun the delaware flying the flag of american independence british rilen men of war were nere ra ragging aging the southern coasts of colon colonial tat america and driving natie shipping from the seas along the w waterfront ater Nater front of aery city cit seafaring men were talking of armed revolt the tun was one of the moat popular geeting rne eting grounds foi these earl eark patriots ariot triot and when hen the continental congress authorized the formation of a fleet to challenge british supremacy in american waters this was as the place selected for the enrollment of marme marines to act is as riflemen aboard the continental vessels it was on november No ember 10 1775 thit congress which alch had bad already di dissolved soled the compact bel between Neen the crown and the people of massachusetts ett baa passed a resolution to the effect that two battalions of marines marine be raised to sene for and during the present pre ent war v ith great britain and that particular care be taken that no persons to be appointed officers or enlisted into said battalions but such as are good seamen or so acquainted with timp affairs affair as to be able to serve with nith advantage by ea when uben required thus thu the marine corps was born bom eight months month before tile the signing of the declaration of independence there to is nothing now noan to remind the visitors to philadelphia of the old where in those stirring days dabs benjamin franklin attended masonic meetings meeting in an upper room and mrs airs mullen broiled liroi leil thick steaks and drew fine ale to sustain the hearts and of good patriots today a arel lolaw stands stan Is on the spot lot hot blooded rebels re bils dc fied their king and risked their necks neck by signing their imes nimes n or ci clo geb on the first roster of marines the oni physical reminder that we e haie bane of tile the cwern is it its diar dian which now reposes on the es pennsylvania historical ociea society tin dingy oll old book is one of the quainter quaintest quain test t relics of the vc period in it the widow mullen proprietress of the kept her accounts account and a few pages further on tile hie brand new nen commandant of Ala marines rines deigned up his men and penned the records record of courts martial for een the parl patriots lapped from prace grace and it is set get forth that at least one of them ree pied ten lache well ell laid on for neglecting his dut while on guard no one toda knows just wh nh this book should hae bae been used for two tun such dissimilar purposes e in 1775 books cven blank books were expensive pen ive then it as no now econom must have hae been the viat watchword chord of the service little is known of the training i period of the tie new battalions battalion thoy they are next heard beard from when nhen the em barl bark aboard tile the squad quadi ion of commodore esek hopkins anil and on feb cuir 17 sail oil southard sou thaid biorn the to challenge the betish men of war ar which aich ere making trouble rouble t alone the coast of virginia the chev dal it not encounter the enema and e eventually reached abaco in the bahamas here commodore hopkins II d decided upon in an operation that was a in leahti the first of 0 f toe long series of which hive h ve enlivened the pages of airine T irine corps histora for tears three hundred marines under corn com mind of capt amuel simuel S nicholas senor senior seni geni I 1 officer of the new corps embarked on 0 n ten sloops for a raid on deiv ne pro i dence here the british were nere understood to haie hae stored a quantity of munitions chich aich the little squadron sorely orely needed captain nicholas captured the forts b bi assault and obtained complete command of the place he gathered in a hundred british cannon and a mass of other stores ahe british governor e escaped capture b fleeing from the ton the action lasted oni a da daa afeei ellich the ships sailed gaited home A As the american ric fiedt ei gre grew marines marine were ere placed aboard all ships and took part in eer cei 3 action of the il war the marine corps league an organization g of men and women who 0 hae served in the corps lias has pledged itself to see le that the history of this branch of the service is not forgotten the un unveiling of the tablet on the site of the old tun tavern on november Noe niber 10 vas the principal event of the annual conen convention tion of the league which now noi lias haq posts in all parts of the country among the distingue distinguished h guests was a major gen john k lejeune commandant of the marine corps |
