DESTRUCTION OF THE GUERRIÈRE BY THE CONSTITUTION.--CAPTAIN HULL'S
WAGER.--HOW I TRICKED A BRITISH CAPTAIN.--DAVID'S RUSE.--FORTUNE
FROWNS.
Both of them kept firing, but doing little damage, as they began when
they were out of effective range of each other's guns. But as they drew
nearer, Hull endeavoring to lay his ship alongside of the Guerrière,
the shots of the latter began to tell, the Constitution being struck
several times. Hull gave orders to withhold his fire, and he held it
so long that Lieutenant Morris, his second in command, came and asked
permission to begin. As he did so, the bows of the American ship were
opposite the quarter of the Englishman. Hull answered, "Not yet," to
the request of Lieutenant Morris.
The ships drew nearer and nearer to each other, and Morris repeated his
request.
"Not yet," said Hull again very quietly.
When the Constitution had reached a point where his whole broadside
could take effect, Hull, who had been walking the quarter-deck rather
silently, suddenly bent himself twice to the deck, and shouted, "Now,
boys, pour it into them!"
There was hardly a second of time between the order and the opening of
the guns of the Constitution. The guns were double shotted with round
and grape shot, and the effect was terrible. The concussion of the
broadside was so great as to cause the Guerrière to keel over as if a
squall had struck her, the ships being only half a pistol-shot apart.
It is said that those in the cockpit of the Guerrière were thrown
from one side of the room to the other, and before they could adjust
themselves the blood came streaming down upon them, and very speedily
the place was filled with wounded men.
Hull's broadside was quickly followed by another, and for twelve or
fifteen minutes each vessel was firing away as rapidly as possible. At
the end of fifteen minutes the mizzenmast of the Guerrière was shot
away, her mainyard was in slings, her sails were ripped and torn in
every direction, and her hull was riddled from one end to the other.
The Constitution had suffered very little damage; a few holes through
her sails, and several round shot in her hull, completed the list of
her injuries. The Guerrière brought up in the wind as her mizzenmast
gave way, when the Constitution went slowly ahead pouring in a
tremendous fire, and luffed short around the bows of the Guerrière
to prevent being raked. Then she ran foul of the Guerrière, dashing
her bowsprit into her enemy's larboard quarter. The cabin of the
Constitution was set on fire by the forward guns of the Guerrière, but
the fire was soon put out.
Both parties now attempted to board; the English boarders were
ready first, and the three officers who led them sprang upon the
Constitution's taffrail, where they met a severe fire. Two were
seriously wounded, and one was killed; and just then the sails of the
Constitution filled, and she separated from her antagonist.
The Constitution hauled off a short distance, secured her own masts,
rove new rigging, and at sunset wore around to take a favorable
position for raking the Guerrière. The foremast of the latter fell just
as the Constitution separated from her, and in falling it carried the
mainmast with it. You will remember that the mizzenmast had already
fallen, and so the Guerrière lay helpless on the water. The Union Jack
had been kept flying from the stump of one of the masts, but as the
Constitution came around to renew the fight, the flag was lowered,
and a boat was sent from the American ship to take possession of the
prize. Captain Dacres, the commander of the Guerrière, appeared at the
gangway, and made formal surrender of his ship when the American boat
arrived there. Lieutenant Read, the American officer, then said,--
"Commodore Hull's compliments, and wishes to know whether you need the
assistance of a surgeon or surgeon's mate."
Dacres answered, "Well, I should suppose you had on board your own ship
business enough for all your medical officers."
Read replied, "Oh, no; we have only seven wounded, and they were
dressed half an hour ago."
There's a story I've heard which is too good to be left out, that
Captain Hull and Captain Dacres were personally acquainted, having met
frequently at Baltimore and other places before the breaking out of the
war. The last time they met previous to the battle was in Annapolis at
a dinner-party, where they fell into conversation about the merits of
their respective ships. Hull said to Dacres,--
"You'd better look out for yourself if we have war and I ever catch you
in the Constitution."
Dacres laughed, and offered to make a heavy wager as to the result of
any encounter. Hull declined a large bet, and it finally settled down
to a wager of a hat. When Captain Dacres went on board the Constitution
after the defeat of the Guerrière he offered his sword to Captain Hull.
The latter said,--
"No, no; keep your sword. I won't take it from any man who knows so
well how to use it; but I'll trouble you for that hat."
It was nearly dark when the battle was over. The Constitution lay about
the wreck of the Guerrière all night, and at daylight in the morning
the officer in charge of the prize hailed to say that she had four feet
of water in her hold, and was in danger of sinking. Hull immediately
sent all his boats to bring off the prisoners and their effects. The
work occupied the entire forenoon; then the prize-crew was recalled,
and the Guerrière was set on fire. She blew up about three o'clock in
the afternoon, and that was the end of her career.
The Constitution steered immediately for Boston, where she was received
with the wildest demonstrations of joy. There was great enthusiasm all
over the country as the news of the victory was spread abroad. It gave
the Americans great confidence in their little navy, and made easier
the work of securing appropriations from Congress for building new
ships. A feeling had prevailed among many people that our vessels were
no match for the enemy's; and as for the English, they believed any
British ship could conquer an American one with twice its number of
guns and men.
The joy on the American side of the Atlantic was about equal to the
depression in England. The London _Times_, in speaking of the event,
said that it was the first time in history that the English flag had
been struck on the high seas to anything like an equal force.
On my second voyage in the Marguerite I kept away to the south and
east, in the hope of falling in with a home-bound East Indiaman who
had not heard of the declaration of war. A ship of this sort would be
a very rich prize, better by far than was the Camperdown, as her cargo
would consist of silks, spices, and other goods in which much value is
packed in a small space.
My hopes were realized, as I found just such a ship, and took her with
very little resistance. She had a large crew and several passengers;
and as I had already weakened my force by the prize-crew required for
a Jamaica brig, taken three days before, I decided to accompany my new
prize to New York.
The crew of the Indiaman filled my hold with prisoners; and as she
required a considerable number of men to work her, it would have been
impossible for me to spare another prize-crew, even had there been a
dozen ships to be had for the work of taking them.
My prize was the Charlotte; and compared with her the Marguerite
resembled a terrier alongside of a great mastiff, or a mastiff standing
near a big cart-horse. She was not prepared for fighting to any
extent, as she carried only four light guns and some cutlasses and
muskets; quite sufficient for keeping off Malay pirates, but of little
use against an American privateer. I permitted the passengers to remain
on board with their cook and private servants, the latter being natives
of India, and quite indifferent to what happened around them as long as
their own skins and heads did not come to harm.
We kept in company, my orders being very positive in that particular,
and I had arranged points of meeting in case we became separated by bad
weather, or for any other reason. Luckily the weather was favorable,
and we went along in fine style; I was already counting the days, and
almost the hours, when I should reach New York and bring my rich prize
to anchor off the Battery, at the point where the Marguerite lay on her
previous return.
We were within three hundred miles of New York when one afternoon I
sighted a sail to windward, and bearing down in our direction. It was a
big sail, large enough for a man-of-war; and as it came nearer I made
out that it was a thirty-eight-gun frigate, with a very ugly look about
her, and the British ensign waving in the wind.
Here was a pretty mess of things! But I had thought of an emergency of
this very sort, and laid my plans accordingly. Now was the time to see
how they would work.
The Charlotte and the Marguerite were running with the wind on the
larboard beam, the Charlotte leading by about a mile. I hoisted the
American ensign, while the Charlotte showed no colors. The Marguerite
gained on the Charlotte slowly but steadily, while the frigate was
running with the wind in her favor, and bearing down so as to come
disagreeably near to both, unless a diversion could be made.
As I drew up within what might possibly be effective range of the
Charlotte, I fired at her with our midship gun. The shot struck two
or three hundred yards astern of her, plowed up the water; and a few
moments later I gave her another gun, with the same result.
My intention was to give the impression that an English merchant
ship was being pursued by an American privateer. The Englishman
was evidently doing his best to escape, but was in danger of being
overhauled by the American, which was a better sailer. I had the
satisfaction of seeing that my ruse was successful, as the frigate
changed her course so as to cut off the privateer and enable the
merchantman to escape.
The Charlotte hauled into the wind, while the Marguerite eased off and
ran to leeward to escape falling into the jaws of the frigate.
The frigate followed the schooner; and in order to encourage her I put
out drags at the Marguerite's sides so as to hold her back sufficiently
to enable the frigate to gain on us. We were about four miles apart
when this performance began, and to all appearances the frigate gained
half a mile an hour on the schooner. Thus we ran away to leeward, while
the Charlotte was hauling into the wind and getting more and more out
of harm's way every minute. Before sunset she was barely a speck on the
horizon, and away to windward; the frigate was within about two miles
of the Marguerite, too far off to do any damage with her guns.
I took in one of the drags, and thus enabled the schooner to increase
her speed; but I didn't do it until feeling sure there was no possible
chance of the frigate turning to follow the Charlotte. As the sun went
down and night began stealing over the water, the distance was about
the same as it had been for an hour; the frigate was gaining a little,
but not much. I thought it best to humor the captain, and so kept the
other drag in place till night had fallen completely, and neither ship
was any longer visible to the other.
Then I took off the last drag and changed our course. We steered by the
stars, not keeping any light in the binnacle; and I gave orders that
every glim should be dowsed, and not a spark of fire visible on any
part of the schooner during the night. When morning came, the frigate
was nowhere in sight. I flattered myself that I had tricked her neatly
and saved my very valuable prize from recapture. So it proved, as the
Charlotte turned up at the place fixed for our meeting; and in due time
I reached New York with my prize, and had the pleasure of seeing her
safely anchored not far from the Battery, and the Marguerite lying near
her.
And what added to my pleasure was the fact that the Hyacinth was at
anchor close by; and one of the first men to come on board was my old
friend, David Taylor! He had just arrived from a successful cruise, and
was in the best of spirits. His prizes were all good ones, though none
of them was equal in value to my Indiaman, whose cargo was one of the
best ever brought into New York.
I told him of the trick that I played on the frigate, and it amused him
very much. Then he told how he had an experience of very much the same
kind, and I will give it in his words as nearly as I remember them.
"I had spoken an American merchantman one day," said David, "and a few
hours later fell in with an English sloop-of-war. She was on the same
course as the American, but had not yet sighted her, and I thought I
would do a good turn to my countryman by leading the English ship out
of the way. She was not a fast sailer, and I could have shown my heels
to her at once, so that she would have given up all thought of chasing
me, but I put out drags just as you did and let her overhaul me.
"The old proverb says that a stern chase is a long chase, and so it
was in this instance. I led him a lively dance, letting him come up
almost within shooting distance before taking off my drags and giving
the Hyacinth her head. Then we walked away so fast that he must have
been puzzled to make out how we increased our speed without putting
on more canvas, which we couldn't do, as we had everything set that
was possible to pile on her. We had a good deal of fun on board about
the performance; and if I ever meet the captain of that American
merchantman I shall tell him he owes me a new hat."
The owners of the Marguerite greeted me as heartily as when I returned
from my first cruise, and congratulated me on my success in the latest
venture. It was arranged that I should go to sea again as soon as the
schooner had been newly provisioned, watered, and made ready for the
occupation which seemed to be as congenial for her as for her officers
and crew. I retained all my officers and nearly all my men. The
Marguerite was adding to her reputation as a lucky craft; and when a
ship's luck is in your favor, there's no difficulty in getting all the
men you want.
Soon as I could do so, I went to the house where I had left the
Grahams. To my disappointment I found that they had left New York and
gone to England, Captain Graham having been exchanged and allowed
to depart. An English transport had arrived under a flag of truce,
bringing a considerable number of American prisoners taken from ships
captured by the fleet of Admiral Broke, who was cruising along our
coast. On her departure she carried away all the British prisoners who
had been exchanged or paroled. Captain Graham refused to go without
his family, and, consequently, room was made for them on board the
transport. Her destination was Plymouth or Portsmouth, they were
uncertain at which point they should land, so Captain Graham said
in a letter that he left for me in the hands of the keeper of the
boarding-house where they had been staying.
He gave me an address in England where he could always be reached, and
in closing his letter he added, "If you should ever be in England,
either in peace or war, don't fail to find us or send to us. It may be
in my power to serve you some day, and you may hold to the assurance
that I shall do so whenever possible." I carefully noted his address,
and not only wrote it down, but committed it to memory. "Who knows,"
I said to myself, "but that the fortune of war may find me in England,
a prisoner; and should this ever happen, the friendship of the Grahams
will be very greatly to my advantage."
Each time that I came into port I wrote to my parents and friends at
home, told how I was prospering, and gave them practical evidence of
my success in life by sending money sufficient to care for the entire
family and place them above want, but not enough to induce the younger
members of it to lead lives of idleness. What I was I had become
through industry, and I had no notion of encouraging indolence in any
of my brothers and sisters. There is an old saying among New England
farmers that "Everybody must hoe his own row;" and out of it has grown
an injunction to each one of us in the emphatic though homely phrase,
"Paddle your own canoe." Perhaps none of the members of my family were
inclined to live at the expense of others, but I took the precaution to
keep them out of temptation to do so.
Cruise after cruise went the Marguerite from New York, and each voyage
she was successful, though less so as time went on than during the
first few months of the war. Altogether, I took twenty-two prizes with
the schooner; three of them were re-captured by British war-ships, and
one was lost in a storm on the coast of Long Island. The rest got in
safely, and were sold with their cargoes. My share of the prize-money
did not make me rich beyond the dreams of avarice, as Dr. Johnson says;
but it was enough to make me comfortable for the rest of my life, and
to share my comfort with a wife and children.
As the year 1814 opened, I began to think it was time for me to retire
from the sea, and tempt Fortune no longer. She is said to be a fickle
jade, and perhaps would turn from me when I least expected it.
She gave me a warning of what she might do by getting me into several
predicaments from which it was little less than a miracle that the
Marguerite escaped capture. Great numbers of British war-ships were
hovering on our coast and swarming on the ocean; and on half a dozen
and more occasions it was only the superior sailing qualities of
the schooner, or some tact of my own, that saved her. Once we were
surrounded by a fleet of five British war-ships; the wind had fallen
almost to a calm, and capture seemed inevitable. The nearest of the
enemy's vessels had got out their boats to carry us by boarding, and I
was about to order our flag lowered to avoid helpless bloodshed, when
suddenly I saw in the distance the waters rippled by a breeze, and a
dark cloud which betokened a squall.