The Wasp, 1913 · page 358 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 358: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *The Wasp* contains no cartoon—it's a historical narrative text about a naval engagement with the French. The piece describes an admiral's final days after amputation from combat wounds, occurring seventy-two days post-injury. The text documents naval justice: two captains executed, one imprisoned, one suspended for apparent cowardice during battle. Notably, Captain Walton receives promotion for conduct during the *Ruby*'s engagement. The page concludes with the admiral's deathbed letter to Sir Walter Burnham, praising a crew member named James Fitzwalter for exceptional courage as a volunteer master gunner at Port Royal. The text appears to be commemorating military valor and accountability, typical of *The Wasp*'s occasional serious editorial content alongside its satirical cartoons.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 351 The Breda and the Ruby reached Kingston Har- bor at last, and the admiral-was carried ashore. His leg was amputated, but on the 4th of Novem- ber, seventy-two days after receiving the wound, he died of it. Before his death two of his craven captains were shot at Plymouth, one was thrown into prison, and -one was suspended. Another died before the court martial—’tis hoped by his own hand. Captain - Walton, of the Ruby, was promoted. Also, before his death, the admiral wrote the fol- lowing letter to Sir Walter Burnham, of Burnham, & Berkshire, baronet. Ze OIR: “T feel it my duty to inform you that, during my last engagement with the French, in which engage- ment I received the injury of which I am now _ dying, I was particularly attracted by the splendid energy and courage of a member of my~ship’s company who called himself James Fitzwalter. “He had joined me in Port Royal, not long be- fore this time, as a volunteer master gunner. Be- Comichooks.com