CH. IX.]

with small arms and great guns;-a point of vital importance in naval warfare, but one which had hitherto been in an unaccountable manner neglected, with a very few exceptions, in all the departments in the British navy."

The result of these efforts was soon after displayed. Captain Broke, an able officer, commanded the Shannon, a frigate pierced for thirty-eight guns, 1813. but really mounting fifty-two; and, contrary to the general practice in the British navy, he had for many years trained the crew, whom, by admirable | management, he had brought to the highest state of discipline and subordination, to the practice of ball firing with great guns. In the case of the Chesapeake, however, she was not in a fair condition to meet the Shannon on any thing like equal terms. Her crew were dissatisfied on account of unpaid prize money. She had also an unusual number of landsmen and mercenaries on board; several of her officers were inexperienced, or on the sick list; and altogether, she labored under serious disadvantages in the way of fitness for fighting the Shannon. In the number of guns, the vessels were as nearly equal as was possible. Captain Broke, hearing that the Chesapeake was ready for sea, stood in to the mouth of the harbor, and dispatched to Captain Lawrence a courteous invitation to single combat, "to try the fortunes of their respective flags." But before this cartel could be received, the American captain, seeing the British vessel lying close in to the lighthouse, with colors flying, determined to chastise its commander for so daring a defiance, and weighing

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anchor, on the 1st of June, went gallantly down, with three flags flying, on one of which was inscribed, "Free trade and sailor's right." Numerous barges and pleasure boats, amidst loud cheers, accompanied her some way out, to what they deemed a certain victory.

It was twelve, meridian, when the Chesapeake weighed; and Broke, deeming his challenge accepted, at once stood out to sea. When about thirty miles from the light, at about five, P. M., the Chesapeake signalled the Shannon to heave to, and with three cheers, ran up alongside her, at the distance of about two hundred yards. As she passed not more than a stone's throw off, the Shannon's guns, beginning with her cabin guns, were fired in succession, from aft forward; and as they were heavily loaded, with two round shot, and a hundred and fifty musket balls, or one round and one double-headed shot, in each, they did fearful execution. The Chesapeake did not fire till all her guns bore, when she delivered a very destructive broadside. Two or three broadsides were then exchanged; and so far as the general effect of the fire was concerned, the Chesapeake had the best of it; but some of her rigging had been shot away, and in attempting to haul her foresail up, she fell on board the Shannon, whose starboard bower anchor locked with her mizzen channels; and she lay exposed to a raking fire from the enemy, who swept her decks with the contents of two thirty-two pounder carronades, beat in her sternposts, and drove the men from their quarters. The boatswain of the Shannon lashed the two

1813.

ships together, while the marines exchanged a sharp and galling fire of musketry.

Lawrence was severely wounded before the vessels fouled; and in preparation for that he directed the boarders to be called, but instead of a drummer, there was only a bugleman, a negro, who, as Cooper says, was so much. alarmed at the effects of the conflict, that he had concealed himself under the launch, and when found, was so completely paralyzed by fear, as to be totally unable to sound a note. The word was then passed for the boarders to come on deck; but at this very instant, Lawrence fell with a ball through his body. No other officer, higher in rank than a midshipman, remained on the upper deck; and when the boarders came from below, such was the confusion, that they were unarmed; and the enemy was now in possession of the vessel: for the British, on their side, as soon as the vessels were made fast, were prepared to board, and Broke, at the head of the boarding party, leapt upon the Chesapeake's quarter-deck; quickly followed by another party to the forecastle; whilst the sailors of the Shannon's foreyard forced their way into the Chesapeake's tops and cleared them.

the eyes of his countrymen, and have many a time since been used to animate the spirits of our brave seamen. Lawrence died a few days after the battle, and was buried in Halifax; but subsequently, his remains were removed to New York, and now repose in Trinity churchyard.

The effect of this capture was wonderful in England, and hardly less so in the United States. The English rejoiced over it with very disproportioned exultation, as if their invincibility were entirely re-established; while the Americans, who had foolishly supposed that they were unconquerable on the ocean, fretted and felt mortified, almost as if they had lost every thing. The truth seems to be, that, under all the circumstances, the victory was nothing more than Broke ought to have gained; and the honors that were heaped upon him for this exploit, were virtual confessions of American superiority on the water, and went a good way towards consoling them for the loss of the Chesa peake.*

Another victory on the side of Eng land followed soon after. The sloop-ofwar Argus, having carried out Mr. Crawford, our minister to France, in

* Mr. Ingersoll (vol. i., pp. 395-415) gives in full the proceedings at the trial of Lieutenant Cox, in March, 1814. This gentleman, it appears, assisted in carrying Lawrence below when he was wounded, and did not get back to his station on deck; and to his ab

is only due to the character of Cox to state, that the court acquitted him of the charges of cowardice, disobedience of orders, and desertion from his quarters; but convicted him of neglect of duty and unofficerlike conduct in leaving the quarter deck. He was accordingly cashiered, with a perpetual incapacity to serve in the navy of the United States.