Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

image of the unimpaired condition of the two ships, where he says, that "they came out of action in the most beauti"ful order, their rigging appearing as perfect as if they "had been only exchanging a salute." This suggests a recollection not very flattering to Americans; and when they recur to the Guerriere, the Macedonian, and the Java, a sigh and confession must escape from them, that those ships did not strike their flags till they had not a mast left standing. Captain Lawrence was buried at Halifax with the honours of war: the public square, the streets were filled with a vast multitude of spectators: his coffin was borne to the church-yard by the seamen of the Shannon: six navy captains were the pall bearers: the Governor and officers of the garrison swelled the solemn procession; and his enemies not only gave him a sepulchre, but watered it with their tears.

Τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἔστι θανόντων.

Report of the Court of Inquiry on the Surrender of the Chesapeake.

The Court are unanimously of opinion that the Chesapeake was gallantly carried into action by her late brave commander; and no doubt rests with the Court, from comparison of the injury respectively sustained by the frigates, that the fire of the Chesapeake was much superior to that of the Shannon.

The Shannon being much cut in her spars and rigging, and receiving many shot in and below the water-line, was

reduced almost to a sinking condition, after only a few minutes cannonading from the Chesapeake, while the Chesapeake was comparatively uninjured. And the court have no doubt, if the Chesapeake had not accidentally fallen on board the Shannon, and the Shannon's anchor got foul in the after-quarter-port of the Chesapeake, the Shannon must have very soon surrendered or sunk.

It appears to the court, that as the ships were getting foul, Captain Lawrence ordered the boarders to be called; but the bugleman, W. Brown, stationed to call the boarders by sounding a bugle, had deserted his quarters, and when discovered and ordered to call, was unable, from fright, to sound his horn ;* that a midshipman went below immediately to pass the word for the boarders: but not being called in the way they had been usually exercised, few came upon the upper deck; confusion prevailed; a greater part of the men deserted their quarters and ran below. It appears also to the court, that when the Shannon got foul of the Chesapeake, Captain Lawrence, his first lieutenant, the sailing-master, and lieutenant of marines, were all killed or mortally wounded, and thereby the upper deck of the Chesapeake was left without any commanding officer, and with only one or two young midshipmen. It also appears to the court, that previously to the ships getting foul, many of the Chesapeake's spardeck division had been killed and wounded, and the num

It is by proving from witnesses the special fact of Brown's inability, from trepidation, to sound his horn, that the court have conferred on him a fame comical but everlasting; he will amuse to the end of the world successive generations of risible beings.

ber stationed on that deck thereby considerably reduced; that these being left without a commissioned officer, or even a warrant officer, except one or two inexperienced midshipmen, and not being supported by the boarders from the gun-deck, almost universally deserted their quarters. And the enemy availing himself of this defenceless state of the Chesapeake's upper deck, boarded and obtained possession of the ship with very little opposition.

From this view of the engagement, and careful examination of the evidence, the court are unanimously of opinion, that the capture of the late United States frigate Chesapeake was occasioned by the following causes:— the almost unexampled early fall of Captain Lawrence, and all the principal officers: the bugleman's desertion of his quarters, and inability to sound his horn; for the court are of opinion, if the horn had been sounded when first ordered, the men being then at their quarters, the boarders would have promptly repaired to the spar-deck, probably have prevented the enemy from boarding-certainly have repelled them, and might have returned the boarding with success, and the failure of the boarders on both decks, to rally on the spar-deck, after the enemy had boarded, which might have been done successfully, it is believed, from the cautious manner in which the enemy came on board.

The court cannot, however, perceive, in this almost unexampled concurrence of disastrous circumstances, that the national flag has suffered any dishonour from the capture of the United States frigate Chesapeake, by the

superior force of the frigate Shannon, of 52 carriageguns, and 396 men. Nor do this court apprehend that the result of this engagement, will in the least discourage our brave seamen from meeting the enemy hereafter on equal terms.

The court being also charged to enquire into the conduct of the officers and men during and after the engagement, and thereupon having strictly examined and maturely considered the evidence as recorded, do find the following causes of complaint.

First. Against Lieutenant Cox; that being stationed in command of the second division on the main-deck, he left his division during the action, while his men were at their quarters, and went upon the upper deck; and when there, and the enemy boarding, or on the point of boarding, he left the deck to assist Captain Lawrence below, went down with him from the spar-deck to the birth-deck; did not return to his division, but went forward to the gun-deck; that while there, and the men were retreating below, he commanded them to go to their duty, without enforcing his commands. But as a court of inquiry allows an accused person no opportunity of vindicating his conduct, the members of this court trust that their opinion on the conduct of Lieutenant Cox may not be deemed conclusive against him, without trial by court-martial.

Second. Against Midshipman Forrest; that he left his quarters during the action, and did not return to them, and now assigns no reason for his conduct satisfactory to this court.

Third. Against Midshipman Freshman; that he bchaved in an un-officer like manner at Halifax, assum

iny a false name at the office of the commissary of prisoners when obtaining his parole, and was paroled by the name of William Brown.*

Fourth. Against the crew generally; that they deserted their quarters, and ran below after the ships were foul, and the enemy boarded. But it appearing that they behaved well at their quarters before, and fired on the enemy with great rapidity and precision; the court ascribe their misconduct to the confusion naturally incident to the early fall of their officers, and the omission of the call of boarders in the accustomed manner.

Yet this court is very far from exculpating those who are thus criminal. It is unable to designate by name all the individuals who thus abandoned their duty, because most of the officers had recently joined the ship, some only a few days preceding the engagement, and of course could not distinguish the men. The court, therefore, respectfully submit to higher authority, the expediency of withholding the wages of the crew. The per

sons whom the court are able to designate by name, as deserters from their stations, are William Brown, bugleman, Joseph Russell, Captain of second gun, Peter Frost, and John Joyce, seamen, and Joseph Antonio, boatswain's mate.

The court further find and report, that William Wainwright, William Worthington, and James Parker, the

*This is irresistibly farcical, for an officer of the Chesapeake to envy the bugleman his honours, and get paroled under his name.

+ The imagination of the Members who compose the Court, is perpetually haunted by the bugleman.

« AnteriorContinuar »