At Plymouth we heard some vague rumors of a declaration of war
against America. More than this, we could not learn, since the utmost
care was taken to prevent our being fully informed. The reason of
this secrecy was, probably, because we had several Americans in our
crew, most of whom were pressed men, as before stated. These men,
had they been certain that war had broken out, would have given
themselves up as prisoners of war, and claimed exemption from that
unjust service, which compelled them to act with the enemies of
their country. This was a privilege which the magnanimity of our
officers ought to have offered them. They had already perpetrated a
grievous wrong upon them in impressing them; it was adding cruelty
to injustice, to compel their service in a war against their own
nation. But the difficulty with naval officers is, that they do
not treat with a sailor as with a _man_. They know what is fitting
between each other as officers; but they treat their crews on
another principle; they are apt to look at them as pieces of living
mechanism, born to serve, to obey their orders, and administer to
their wishes without complaint. This is alike a bad morality and a
bad philosophy. There is often more real manhood in the forecastle
than in the ward-room; and until the common sailor is treated _as a
man_, until every feeling of human nature is conceded to him in naval
discipline--perfect, rational subordination will never be attained in
ships of war, or in merchant vessels. It is needless to tell of the
intellectual degradation of the mass of seamen. “A man’s a man for a’
that;” and it is this very system of discipline, this treating them
as automatons, which keeps them degraded. When will human nature put
more confidence in itself?
Leaving Plymouth, we next anchored, for a brief space, at Torbay, a
small port in the British Channel. We were ordered thence to convoy
a huge East India merchant vessel, much larger than our frigate, and
having five hundred troops on board, bound to the East Indies, with
money to pay the troops stationed there. We set sail in a tremendous
gale of wind. Both ships stopped two days at Madeira to take in wine
and a few other articles. After leaving this island, we kept her
company two days more; and then, according to orders, having wished
her success, we left her to pursue her voyage, while we returned to
finish our cruise.
Though without any positive information, we now felt pretty certain
that our government was at war with America. Among other things, our
captain appeared more anxious than usual; he was on deck almost all
the time; the “look-out” aloft was more rigidly observed; and every
little while the cry of “Mast-head there!” arrested our attention.
It is customary in men of war to keep men at the fore and main
mast-heads, whose duty it is to give notice of every new object that
may appear. They are stationed on the royal yards, if they are up,
but if not, on the top-gallant yards: at night a look-out is kept on
the fore-yard only.
Thus we passed several days; the captain running up and down, and
constantly hailing the man at the mast-head: early in the morning he
began his charge “to keep a good look-out,” and continued to repeat
it until night. Indeed, he seemed almost crazy with some pressing
anxiety. The men felt there was something anticipated, of which they
were ignorant; and had the captain heard all their remarks upon
his conduct, he would not have felt very highly flattered. Still,
everything went on as usual; the day was spent in the ordinary duties
of man-of-war life, and the evening in telling stories of things most
rare and wonderful; for your genuine old tar is an adept in spinning
yarns, and some of them, in respect to variety and length, might
safely aspire to a place beside the great magician of the north,
Sir Walter Scott, or any of those prolific heads that now bring
forth such abundance of fiction to feed a greedy public, who read as
eagerly as our men used to listen. To this yarn-spinning was added
the most humorous singing, sometimes dashed with a streak of the
pathetic, which I assure my readers was most touching; especially one
very plaintive melody, with a chorus beginning with,
“Now if our ship should be cast away,
It would be our lot to see old England no more,”
which made rather a melancholy impression on my boyish mind, and
gave rise to a sort of presentiment that the _Macedonian_ would
never return home again; a presentiment which had its fulfilment in
a manner totally unexpected to us all. The presence of a shark for
several days, with its attendant pilot fish, tended to strengthen
this prevalent idea.
The Sabbath came, and it brought with it a stiff breeze. We usually
made a sort of holiday of this sacred day. After breakfast it was
common to muster the entire crew on the spar deck, dressed as the
fancy of the captain might dictate; sometimes in blue jackets and
white trousers, or blue jackets and blue trousers; at other times in
blue jackets, scarlet vests, and blue or white trousers; with our
bright anchor buttons glancing in the sun, and our black, glossy
hats, ornamented with black ribbons, and with the name of our ship
painted on them. After muster, we frequently had church service read
by the captain; the rest of the day was devoted to idleness. But we
were destined to spend the Sabbath, just introduced to the reader, in
a very different manner.
We had scarcely finished breakfast, before the man at the mast-head
shouted, “Sail ho!”
The captain rushed upon deck, exclaiming, “Mast-head there!”
“Sir!”
“Where away is the sail?”
The precise answer to this question I do not recollect, but the
captain proceeded to ask, “What does she look like?”
“A square-rigged vessel, sir,” was the reply of the look-out.
After a few minutes, the captain shouted again, “Mast-head there!”
“Sir!”
“What does she look like?”
“A large ship, sir, standing toward us!”
By this time, most of the crew were on deck, eagerly straining their
eyes to obtain a glimpse of the approaching ship, and murmuring their
opinions to each other on her probable character. Then came the voice
of the captain, shouting, “Keep silence, fore and aft!” Silence being
secured, he hailed the look-out, who, to his question of “What does
she look like?” replied, “A large frigate, bearing down upon us, sir!”
A whisper ran along the crew that the stranger ship was a Yankee
frigate. The thought was confirmed by the command of “All hands clear
the ship for action, ahoy!” The drum and fife beat to quarters;
bulk-heads were knocked away; the guns were released from their
confinement; the whole dread paraphernalia of battle was produced;
and after the lapse of a few minutes of hurry and confusion, every
man and boy was at his post, ready to do his best service for his
country, except the band, who, claiming exemption from the affray,
safely stowed themselves away in the cable tier. We had only one
sick man[7] on the list, and he, at the cry of battle, hurried from
his cot, feeble as he was, to take his post of danger. A few of the
junior midshipmen were stationed below, on the berth deck, with
orders, given in our hearing, to shoot any man who attempted to run
from his quarters.
Our men were all in good spirits; though they did not scruple to
express the wish that the coming foe was a Frenchman rather than a
Yankee. We had been told, by the Americans on board, that frigates in
the American service carried more and heavier metal than ours. This,
together with our consciousness of superiority over the French at
sea, led us to a preference for a French antagonist.
The Americans among our number felt quite disconcerted, at the
necessity which compelled them to fight against their own countrymen.
One of them, named John Card, as brave a seaman as ever trod a plank,
ventured to present himself to the captain, as a prisoner, frankly
declaring his objections to fight. That officer, very ungenerously,
ordered him to his quarters, threatening to shoot him if he made
the request again. Poor fellow! He obeyed the unjust command, and
was killed by a shot from his own countrymen. This fact is more
disgraceful to the captain of the _Macedonian_, than even the loss of
his ship. It was a gross and a palpable violation of the rights of
man.
As the approaching ship showed American colors, all doubt of her
character was at an end. “We must fight her,” was the conviction of
every breast. Every possible arrangement that could insure success,
was accordingly made. The guns were shotted; the matches lighted;
for, although our guns were all furnished with first-rate locks, they
were also provided with matches, attached by lanyards, in case the
lock should miss fire. A lieutenant then passed through the ship,
directing the marines and boarders, who were furnished with pikes,
cutlasses, and pistols, how to proceed if it should be necessary to
board the enemy. He was followed by the captain, who extorted the
men to fidelity and courage, urging upon their consideration the
well-known motto of the brave Nelson, “England expects every man to
do his duty.” In addition to all these preparations on deck, some
men were stationed in the tops with small-arms, whose duty it was
to attend to trimming the sails, and to use their muskets, provided
we came to close action. There were others also below, called sail
trimmers, to assist in working the ship, should it be necessary to
shift her position during the battle.
My station was at the fifth gun on the main deck. It was my duty
to supply my gun with powder, a boy being appointed to each gun in
the ship on the side we engaged, for this purpose. A woollen screen
was placed before the entrance to the magazine, with a hole in it,
through which the cartridges were passed to the boys; we received
them there, and covering them with our jackets, hurried to our
respective guns. These precautions are observed to prevent the powder
taking fire before it reaches the gun.
Thus we all stood, awaiting orders, in motionless suspense. At last
we fired three guns from the larboard side of the main deck; this was
followed by the command, “Cease firing; you are throwing away your
shot!”
Then came the order to “wear ship,” and prepare to attack the enemy
with our starboard guns. Soon after this I heard a firing from some
other quarter, which I at first supposed to be a discharge from our
quarter deck guns; though it proved to be the roar of the enemy’s
cannon.
A strange noise, such as I had never heard before, next arrested
my attention; it sounded like the tearing of sails, just over our
heads. This I soon ascertained to be the wind of the enemy’s shot.
The firing, after a few minutes’ cessation, recommenced. The roaring
of cannon could now be heard from all parts of our trembling ship,
and, mingling as it did with that of our foes, it made a most hideous
noise. By-and-by I heard the shot strike the sides of our ship;
the whole scene grew indescribably confused and horrible; it was
like some awfully tremendous thunder-storm, whose deafening roar is
attended by incessant streaks of lightning, carrying death in every
flash, and strewing the ground with the victims of its wrath: only,
in our case, the scene was rendered more horrible than that, by the
presence of torrents of blood which dyed our decks.
Though the recital may be painful, yet, as it will reveal the horrors
of war, and show at what a fearful price a victory is won or lost,
I will present the reader with things as they met my eye during the
progress of this dreadful fight. I was busily supplying my gun with
powder, when I saw blood suddenly fly from the arm of a man stationed
at our gun. I saw nothing strike him; the effect alone was visible;
in an instant, the third lieutenant tied his handkerchief round the
wounded arm, and sent the groaning wretch below to the surgeon.
The cries of the wounded now rang through all parts of the ship.
These were carried to the cockpit as fast as they fell, while those
more fortunate men, who were killed outright, were immediately thrown
overboard. As I was stationed but a short distance from the main
hatchway, I could catch a glance at all who were carried below. A
glance was all I could indulge in, for the boys belonging to the guns
next to mine were wounded in the early part of the action, and I
had to spring with all my might to keep three or four guns supplied
with cartridges. I saw two of these lads fall nearly together. One
of them was struck in the leg by a large shot; he had to suffer
amputation above the wound. The other had a grape or canister shot
sent through his ankle. A stout Yorkshireman lifted him in his arms,
and hurried him to the cockpit. He had his foot cut off, and was thus
made lame for life. Two of the boys stationed on the quarter deck
were killed. They were both Portuguese. A man, who saw one of them
killed, afterwards told me that his powder caught fire and burnt the
flesh almost off his face. In this pitiable situation, the agonized
boy lifted up both hands, as if imploring relief, when a passing shot
instantly cut him in two.
I was an eye-witness to a sight equally revolting. A man named
Aldrich had one of his hands cut off by a shot, and almost at the
same moment he received another shot, which tore open his bowels in
a terrible manner. As he fell, two or three men caught him in their
arms, and, as he could not live, threw him overboard.
One of the officers in my division also fell in my sight. He was a
noble-hearted fellow, named Nan Kivell.[8] A grape or canister shot
struck him near the heart: exclaiming, “Oh! my God!” he fell, and was
carried below, where he shortly after died.
Mr. Hope, our first lieutenant, was also slightly wounded by a
grummet, or small iron ring, probably torn from a hammock clew by a
shot. He went below, shouting to the men to fight on. Having had his
wound dressed, he came up again, shouting to us at the top of his
voice, and bidding us fight with all our might. There was not a man
in the ship but would have rejoiced had he been in the place of our
master’s mate, the unfortunate Nan Kivell.
The battle went on. Our men kept cheering with all their might.
I cheered with them, though I confess I scarcely knew for what.
Certainly there was nothing very inspiriting in the aspect of things
where I was stationed. So terrible had been the work of destruction
round us, it was termed the slaughter-house. Not only had we had
several boys and men killed or wounded, but several of the guns were
disabled. The one I belonged to had a piece of the muzzle knocked
out; and when the ship rolled, it struck a beam of the upper deck
with such force as to become jammed and fixed in that position. A
twenty-four pound shot had also passed through the screen of the
magazine, immediately over the orifice through which we passed
our powder. The schoolmaster[9] received a death wound. The brave
boatswain, who came from the sick bay to the din of battle, was
fastening a stopper on a back-stay which had been shot away, when his
head was smashed to pieces by a cannon-ball; another man, going to
complete the unfinished task, was also struck down. Another of our
midshipmen also received a severe wound. The unfortunate ward-room
steward, who, the reader will recollect, attempted to cut his throat
on a former occasion, was killed. A fellow named John, who, for some
petty offence, had been sent on board as a punishment, was carried
past me, wounded. I distinctly heard the large blood-drops fall pat,
pat, pat, on the deck; his wounds were mortal. Even a poor goat, kept
by the officers for her milk, did not escape the general carnage; her
hind legs were shot off, and poor Nan was thrown overboard.
Such was the terrible scene, amid which we kept on our shouting
and firing. Our men fought like tigers. Some of them pulled off
their jackets, others their jackets and vests; while some, still
more determined, had taken off their shirts, and, with nothing but
a handkerchief tied round the waistbands of their trousers, fought
like heroes. Jack Sadler, whom the reader will recollect, was one of
these. I also observed a boy, named Cooper, stationed at a gun some
distance from the magazine. He came to and fro on the full run, and
appeared to be as “merry as a cricket.” The third lieutenant cheered
him along, occasionally, by saying, “Well done, my boy, you are worth
your weight in gold.”
I have often been asked what were my feelings during this fight. I
felt pretty much as I suppose every one does at such a time. That
men are without thought when they stand amid the dying and the dead,
is too absurd an idea to be entertained a moment. We all appeared
cheerful, but I know that many a serious thought ran through my
mind: still, what could we do but keep up a semblance, at least, of
animation? To run from our quarters would have been certain death
from the hands of our own officers; to give way to gloom, or to show
fear, would do no good, and might brand us with the name of cowards,
and ensure certain defeat. Our only true philosophy, therefore,
was to make the best of our situation, by fighting bravely and
cheerfully. I thought a great deal, however, of the other world;
every groan, every falling man, told me that the next instant I might
be before the Judge of all the earth. For this, I felt unprepared;
but being without any particular knowledge of religious truth, I
satisfied myself by repeating again and again the Lord’s Prayer,
and promising that if spared I would be more attentive to religious
duties than ever before. This promise I had no doubt, at the time, of
keeping; but I have learned since that it is easier to make promises
amidst the roar of the battle’s thunder, or in the horrors of
shipwreck, than to keep them when danger is absent, and safety smiles
upon our path.
While these thoughts secretly agitated my bosom, the din of battle
continued. Grape and canister shot were pouring through our
port-holes like leaden rain, carrying death in their trail. The
large shot came against the ship’s side like iron hail, shaking her
to the very keel, or passing through her timbers, and scattering
terrific splinters, which did a more appalling work than even their
own death-giving blows. The reader may form an idea of the effect
of grape and canister, when he is told that grape shot is formed by
seven or eight balls confined to an iron and tied in a cloth. These
balls are scattered by the explosion of the powder. Canister shot
is made by filling a powder canister with balls, each as large as
two or three musket balls; these also scatter with direful effect
when discharged. What then with splinters, cannon balls, grape and
canister poured incessantly upon us, the reader may be assured
that the work of death went on in a manner which must have been
satisfactory even to the King of Terrors himself.
Suddenly, the rattling of the iron hail ceased. We were ordered to
cease firing. A profound silence ensued, broken only by the stifled
groans of the brave sufferers below. It was soon ascertained that the
enemy had shot ahead to repair damages, for she was not so disabled
but she could sail without difficulty; while we were so cut up that
we lay utterly helpless. Our head braces were shot away; the fore
and main top-masts were gone; the mizzen mast hung over the stern,
having carried several men over in its fall: we were in the state of
a complete wreck.
A council was now held among the officers on the quarter deck. Our
condition was perilous in the extreme: victory or escape was alike
hopeless. Our ship was disabled; many of our men were killed, and
many more wounded. The enemy would without doubt bear down upon us
in a few moments, and, as she could now choose her own position,
would without doubt rake us fore and aft. Any further resistance was
therefore folly. So, in spite of the hot-brained lieutenant, Mr.
Hope, who advised them not to strike, but to sink alongside, it was
determined to strike our bunting.[10] This was done by the hands of a
brave fellow named Watson, whose saddened brow told how severely it
pained his lion heart to do it. To me it was a pleasing sight, for I
had seen fighting enough for one Sabbath; more than I wished to see
again on a week day. His Britannic Majesty’s frigate _Macedonian_ was
now the prize of the American frigate _United States_.
Before detailing the subsequent occurrences in my history, I will
present the curious reader with a copy of Captain Carden’s letter to
the government, describing this action. It will serve to show how he
excused himself for his defeat, as well as throw some light on those
parts of the contest which were invisible to me at my station. My
mother presented me with this document, on my return to England. She
had received it from Lord Churchill, and had carefully preserved it
for twenty years.
“ADMIRALTY OFFICE, Dec. 29, 1812.
Copy of a letter from Captain John Surman Carden, late commander of
His Majesty’s ship the _Macedonian_, to John Wilson Croker, Esq.,
dated on board the American ship _United States_, at sea, the 28th
October, 1812:--
“SIR: It is with the deepest regret, I have to acquaint you, for
the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that
His Majesty’s late ship _Macedonian_ was captured on the 25th
instant, by the United States ship _United States_, Commodore
Decatur commander. The detail is as follows:
A short time after daylight, steering N. W. by W., with the wind
from the southward, in latitude 29° N., and longitude 29° 30′
W., in the execution of their Lordships’ orders, a sail was seen
on the lee beam, which I immediately stood for, and made her out
to be a large frigate, under American colors. At nine o’clock I
closed with her, and she commenced the action, which we returned;
but from the enemy keeping two points off the wind, I was not
enabled to get as close to her as I could have wished. After an
hour’s action, the enemy backed and came to the wind, and I was
then enabled to bring her to close battle. In this situation I soon
found the enemy’s force too superior to expect success, unless
some very fortunate chance occurred in our favor; and with this
hope I continued the battle to two hours and ten minutes; when,
having the mizzen mast shot away by the board, topmasts shot away
by the caps, main yard shot in pieces, lower masts badly wounded,
lower rigging all cut to pieces, a small proportion only of the
fore-sail left to the fore-yard, all the guns on the quarter deck
and forecastle disabled but two, and filled with wreck, two also on
the main deck disabled, and several shot between wind and water, a
very great proportion of the crew killed and wounded, and the enemy
comparatively in good order, who had now shot ahead, and was about
to place himself in a raking position, without our being enabled
to return the fire, being a perfect wreck and unmanageable log; I
deemed it prudent, though a painful extremity, to surrender His
Majesty’s ship; nor was this dreadful alternative resorted to till
every hope of success was removed, even beyond the reach of chance;
nor till, I trust their Lordships will be aware, every effort had
been made against the enemy by myself, and my brave officers and
men, nor should she have been surrendered whilst a man lived on
board, had she been manageable. I am sorry to say our loss is very
severe; I find by this day’s muster, thirty-six killed, three of
whom lingered a short time after the battle; thirty-six severely
wounded, many of whom cannot recover, and thirty-two slightly
wounded, who may all do well; total, one hundred and four.
The truly noble and animating conduct of my officers, and the
steady bravery of my crew, to the last moment of the battle, must
ever render them dear to their country.
My first lieutenant, David Hope, was severely wounded in the head,
towards the close of the battle, and taken below; but was soon
again on deck, displaying that greatness of mind and exertion,
which, though it may be equalled, can never be excelled. The third
lieutenant, John Bulford, was also wounded, but not obliged to quit
his quarters; second lieutenant, Samuel Mottley, and he deserves
my highest acknowledgments. The cool and steady conduct of Mr.
Walker, the master, was very great during the battle, as also that
of Lieutenants Wilson and Magill, of the marines.
On being taken on board the enemy’s ship, I ceased to wonder
at the result of the battle. The _United States_ is built with
the scantling of a seventy-four gun-ship, mounting thirty long
twenty-four pounders (English ship-guns) on her main deck,
and twenty-two forty-two pounders, carronades, with two long
twenty-four pounders, on her quarter deck and forecastle, howitzer
guns in her tops, and a travelling carronade on her upper deck,
with a complement of four hundred and seventy-eight picked men.
The enemy has suffered much in masts, rigging, and hull, above and
below water. Her loss in killed and wounded I am not aware of; but
I know a lieutenant and six men have been thrown overboard.
JNO. S. CARDEN.
To J. W. CROKER, Esq., Admiralty.”
Lord Churchill sent the above letter, with a list of the killed and
wounded annexed, to inform my mother that the name of her son was not
among the number. The act shows how much he could sympathize with a
mother’s feelings.