We are pursued by Two Schooner-Privateers, and failing to
escape them a terrible Contest ensues--Three Acts of a
Murderous Naval Drama--We are worsted--Captain Weatherall
is killed--I am plundered and wounded.
About six weeks after the unlucky affair before described, we met with
a still greater disaster. We had cruised off the Spanish Main and
taken several prizes; shortly after we had manned the last and had
parted company, the Revenge being then close in shore, a fresh gale
sprung up, which compelled us to make all sail to clear the land. We
beat off shore during the whole of the night, when the weather
moderated, and at daybreak we found out that we had not gained much
offing, in consequence of the current; but what was more important,
the man who went to the look-out at the masthead, hailed the deck,
saying there were two sail in the offing. The hands were turned up to
make sail in chase, but we found that they were resolutely bearing
down upon us; and as we neared each other fast, we soon made them out
to be vessels of force. One we knew well--she was the Esperance, a
French schooner-privateer of sixteen guns, and one hundred and
twenty-men; the other proved to be a Spanish schooner-privateer,
cruising in company with her, of eighteen guns, and full manned.
Now our original complement of men had been something more than one
hundred, but by deaths, severe wounds in action, and manning our
prizes, our actual number on board was reduced to fifty-five effective
men. Finding the force so very superior, we made every attempt with
sails and sweeps to escape, but the land to leeward of us, and their
position to windward, rendered it impossible. Making, therefore, a
virtue of necessity, we put a good face upon it, and prepared to
combat against such desperate odds.
Captain Weatherall, who was the life and soul of his crew, was not
found wanting on such an emergency. With the greatest coolness and
intrepidity, he gave orders to take in all the small sails, and
awaited the coming down of the enemy. When every thing was ready for
the unequal conflict, he ordered all hands aft, and endeavoured to
inspire us with the same ardour which animated himself. He reminded us
that we had often fought and triumphed over vessels of much greater
force than our own; that we had already beaten off the French
privateer on a former occasion; that the Spaniard was not worth
talking about except to swell the merits of the double victory, and
that if once we came hand to hand our cutlasses would soon prove our
superiority. He reminded us that our only safety depended upon our own
manhood; for we had done such mischief on the coast, and our recent
descent upon the plantation was considered in such a light, that we
must not expect to receive quarter if we were overcome. Exhorting us
to behave well, and to fight stoutly, he promised us the victory. The
men had such confidence in the captain that we returned him three
cheers, when, dismissing us to our quarters, he ordered St. George's
ensign to be hoisted at the main-masthead, and hove to for the enemy.
The French schooner was the first which ranged up alongside; the wind
was light, and she came slowly down to us. The captain of her hailed,
saying that his vessel was the Esperance, and our captain replied that
he knew it, and that they also knew that his was the Revenge. The
French captain, who had hove to, replied very courteously that he was
well aware what vessel it was, and also of the valour and
distinguished reputation of Captain Weatherall, upon which, Captain
Weatherall, who stood on the gunnel, took off his hat in
acknowledgment of the compliment.
Now Captain Weatherall was well known, and it was also well known that
the two vessels would meet with a severe resistance, which it would be
as well to avoid, as even if they gained the victory, it would not be
without great loss of men. The French captain therefore addressed
Captain Weatherall again, and said he hoped, now that he was opposed
to so very superior a force, he would not make a useless resistance,
but as it would be no disgrace to him, and would save the lives of
many of his brave men, his well known humanity would induce him to
strike his colours.
To this request our commander gave a gallant and positive refusal. The
vessels lay now close to each other, so that a biscuit might have been
thrown on board of either. A generous expostulation ensued, which
continued till the Spanish vessel was a short distance astern of us.
"You now see our force," said the French captain. "Do not fight
against impossible odds, but spare your brave and devoted men."
"In return for your kind feeling towards me," replied Captain
Weatherall, "I offer you both quarter, and respect to private
property, upon hauling down your colours."
"You are mad, Captain Weatherall," said the French captain.
"You allow that I have lived bravely," replied Captain Weatherall;
"you shall find that I will conquer you, and if necessary I will also
die bravely. We will now fight. In courtesy, I offer you the first
broadside."
"Impossible," said the French captain, taking off his hat.
Our captain returned the salute, and then slipping down from the
gunwale, ordered the sails to be filled, and, after a minute to give
the Frenchman time to prepare, he fired off in the air the fusee,
which he held in his hand, as a signal for the action to begin. We
instantly commenced the work of death by pouring in a broadside. It
was returned with equal spirit, and a furious cannonading ensued for
several minutes, when the Spaniard ranged up on our lee quarter with
his rigging full of men to board us. Clapping our helm a-weather and
hauling our fore sheets to windward, we fell off athwart his hawse,
and raked him with several broadsides fore and aft; our guns having
been loaded with langridge and lead bullets, and his men being crowded
together forward, ready to leap on board of us, her deck became a
slaughter-house. The officers endeavoured in vain to animate their
men, who, instead of gaining our decks, were so intimidated by the
carnage that they forsook their own. The Frenchman perceiving the
consternation and distress of his consort, to give her an opportunity
of extricating herself from her perilous condition, now put his helm
a-weather, ran us on board, and poured in his men; but we were well
prepared, and soon cleared our decks of the intruders. In the meantime
the Spaniard, by cutting away our rigging, in which his bowsprit was
entangled, swung clear of us, and fell away to leeward. The Frenchman
perceiving this, sheered off, and springing his luff, shot ahead clear
of us. Such was the first act of this terrible drama. We had as yet
sustained little damage, the enemy's want of skill and our own good
fortune combined, having enabled us to take them at such a
disadvantage.
But although inspirited by such a prosperous beginning, our
inferiority in men was so great that our captain considered it his
duty to make all sail in hopes of being able to avoid such an unequal
combat. This our enemies attempted to prevent by a most furious
cannonade, which we received and returned without flinching, making a
running fight of it, till at last our fore yard and foretop-mast being
shot away, we had no longer command of the vessel. Finding that,
although we were crippled and could not escape, our fire continued
unabated, both the vessels again made preparations for boarding us,
while we on our part prepared to give them a warm reception.
As we knew that the Frenchman, who was our most serious opponent, must
board us on our weather bow, we traversed over four of our guns loaded
to the muzzle with musket balls to receive him, and being all ready
with our pateraroes and hand grenades, we waited for the attack. As he
bore down for our bows, with all his men clinging like bees, ready for
the spring, our guns were discharged and the carnage was terrible. The
men staggered back, falling down over those who had been killed or
wounded, and it required all the bravery and example of the French
captain, who was really a noble fellow, to rally the remainder of his
men, which at last he succeeded in doing, and about forty of them
gained our forecastle, from which they forced our weak crew, and
retained possession, not following up the success, but apparently
wailing till they were seconded by the Spaniard's boarding us on our
lee quarter, which would have placed us between two fires, and
compelled us to divide our small force.
By this time the wind, which had been light, left us, and it was
nearly a calm, with a swell on the sea, which separated the two
vessels; the Spaniard, who was ranging up under our lee, having but
little way and not luffing enough, could not fetch us, but fell off
and drifted to leeward. The Frenchmen who had been thrown on board,
and who retained possession of our forecastle, being thus left without
support from their own vessel, which had been separated from us by the
swell, or from the Spaniard, which had fallen to leeward, we gave
three cheers, and throwing a number of hand-grenades in among them, we
rushed forward with our half-pikes, and killed or drove every soul of
them overboard, one only, and he wounded in the thigh, escaped by
swimming back to his own vessel. Here, then, was a pause in the
conflict, and thus ended, I may say, the second act.
Hitherto the battle had been fought with generous resolution; but
after this hand-to-hand conflict, and the massacre with which it
ended, both sides appeared to have been roused to ferocity. A most
infernal cannonade was now renewed by both our antagonists, and
returned by us with equal fury; but it was now a dead calm, and the
vessels rolled so much with the swell, that the shot were not so
effective. By degrees we separated more and more from our enemies, and
the firing was now reduced to single guns. During this partial
cessation our antagonists had drawn near to each other, although at a
considerable distance from us. We perceived that the Spaniard was
sending two of his boats full of men to supply the heavy loss
sustained by his comrade. Captain Weatherall ordered the sweeps out,
and we swept our broadside to them, trying by single guns to sink the
boats as they went from one vessel to the other. After two or three
attempts, a gun was successful; the shot shattered the first of the
boats, which instantly filled and went down. The second boat pulled up
and endeavoured to save the men, but we now poured our broadside upon
them, and, daunted by the shot flying about them, they sought their
own safety by pulling back to the vessel, leaving their sinking
companions to their fate. Failing in this attempt, both vessels
recommenced their fire upon us, but the distance and the swell of the
sea prevented any execution, and at last they ceased firing, waiting
till a breeze should spring up which might enable them to renew the
contest with better success.
At this time it was about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and the
combat had lasted about five hours. We refreshed ourselves after the
fatigue and exertion which we had undergone, and made every
preparation for a renewal of the fight. During the engagement we were
so excited, that we had no time to think; but now that we were cool
again and unoccupied, we had time to reflect upon our position, and we
began to feel dejected and apprehensive. Fatigued with exertion, we
were weak and dispirited. We knew that our best men were slain or
groaning under their severe wounds, that the enemy were still
numerous, and as they persevered after so dreadful a slaughter, that
they were of unquestionable bravery and resolution. Good fortune, and
our captain's superior seamanship had, up to the present, enabled us
to make a good fight, but fortune might desert us, and our numbers
were so reduced, that if the enemy continued resolute, we must be
overpowered. Our gallant captain perceived the despondency that
prevailed, and endeavoured to remove it by his own example and by
persuasion. After praising us for the resolution and courage we had
already shown, he pointed out to us that whatever might be the
gallantry of the officers, it was clear that the men on board of the
opposing vessels were awed by their heavy loss and want of success,
and that if they made one more attempt to take us by the board and
failed, which he trusted they would do, no persuasion would ever
induce them to try it again, and the captains of the vessels would
give over such an unprofitable combat. He solemnly averred that the
colours should never be struck while he survived, and demanded who
amongst us were base enough to refuse to stand by them. Again we gave
him three cheers, but our numbers were few, and the cheers were faint
compared with the first which had been given, but still we were
resolute, and determined to support our captain and the honour of our
flag. Captain Weatherall took care that this feeling should not
subside--he distributed the grog plentifully; at our desire he nailed
the colours to the mast, and we waited for a renewal of the combat
with impatience. At four o'clock in the afternoon a breeze sprang up,
and both vessels trimmed their sails and neared us fast--not quite in
such gallant trim as in the morning it is true--but they appeared now
to have summoned up a determined resolution. Silently they came up,
forcing their way slowly through the water; not a gun was fired, but
the gaping mouths of the cannon, and their men motionless at their
quarters, portended the severity of the struggle which was now to
decide this hitherto well-contested trial for victory. When within
half a cable's length, we saluted them with three cheers, they
returned our defiance, and running up on each side of us, the combat
was renewed with bitterness.
The Frenchman would not this time lay us on board until he was certain
that the Spaniard had boarded us to leeward--he continued luffing to
windward and plying us with broadsides until we were grappled with the
Spaniard, and then he bore down and laid his gunwale on our bow. The
Spaniard had already boarded us on the quarter, and we were repelling
this attack, when the Frenchman laid us on the bow. We fought with
desperation, and our pikes gave us such an advantage over the swords
and knives of the Spaniards, that they gave ground, and appalled by
the desperate resistance they encountered, quitted our decks strewed
with their dead and dying shipmates, and retreated in confusion to
their own vessel. But before this repulse had been effected, the
French had boarded us on the weather-bow, and driving before them the
few men who had been sent forward to resist them, had gained our main
deck, and forced their way to the rise of the quarter-deck, where all
our remaining men were now collected. The combat was now desperate,
but after a time our pikes, and the advantage of our position,
appeared to prevail over numbers. We drove them before us--we had
regained the main deck, when our brave commander, who was at our head,
and who had infused spirit into us all, received a bullet through his
right wrist; shifting his sword into his left hand, he still pressed
forward encouraging us, when a ball entered his breast and he dropped
dead. With his fall, fell the courage and fortitude of his crew so
long sustained--and to complete the mischief, the lieutenant and two
remaining officers also fell a few seconds after him. Astonished and
terrified, the men stopped short in their career of success, and
wildly looked round for a leader. The French, who had retreated to the
forecastle, perceiving our confusion, renewed the attack, our few
remaining men were seized with a panic, and throwing down our arms, we
asked for quarter where a moment before victory was in our hands--such
was the finale of our bloody drama.
Out of fifty-five men twenty-two had been killed in this murderous
conflict, and almost all the survivors desperately or severely
wounded. Most of the remaining crew after we had cried for quarter
jumped down the hatchway, to avoid the cutlasses of their enraged
victors. I and about eight others, having been driven past the
hatchway, threw down our arms and begged for quarter, which we had
little reason to expect would be shown to us. At first no quarter was
given by our savage enemies, who cut down several of our disarmed men
and hacked them to pieces. Perceiving this, I got on the gunwale ready
to jump overboard, in the hopes of being taken up after the slaughter
had ceased, when a French lieutenant coming up protected us, and
saved the poor remains of our crew from the fury of his men. Our
lives, however, were all he counted upon preserving--we were instantly
stripped and plundered without mercy. I lost every thing I possessed;
the watch, ring, and sword I had taken from the gallant Frenchman were
soon forced from me, and not stripping off my apparel fast enough to
please a Mulatto sailor, I received a blow with the butt-end of a
pistol under the left ear, which precipitated me down the hatchway,
near which I was standing, and I fell senseless into the hold.