The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-07-19
MISCELLANEOUS.
Fran; the Bostoa Gazette, J.sly 81
CAPTURE OF THE CuESA-
PEAKE.
Reitart 9th Coart of Enquiry.

iSte brave eotn~us1des and 70 doubt wdh the
court from cnnparson OF the niCuy respectively
sustained by the rigatcs, tia, he are ct the Ches-
reshe, WAS ma n superior to that OF the Shannon--
he Shnincn 5oins much cut in her spa,s and .ig
Bug and receiving many sAnt anil below her wster
ilae, was reduced almost To sinking eoaitiou. after
Only alcw minutes cannunadrs from the Ch s,pease
while the chesapeake co,n srati ely usi hred-
And the have no doubt, il the chesapeake had
not sccidently ta!.en board the Shannon, and
the Shannons anchor got io,i in the after ',srter
Port OF l.ie chesapeake. the Slauaon soon have
s,rrendsi 81 II SUM.
TX appears TO the court that the ships were get
ting foul, capt. lawrence ordered the buarers 10 be
called but the hnge,nsn, Wilsm Brown. stationed
10 call the boarders by sounding bugle, had deserted
his quarters, aud when discovered and ordered to call
~as Unable from fright to sound lis horn that nld-
Saipmen went below Immediately TO pass the word
tor tctosrders5 but these being called ia the way
1asy had been usually exercised few came upon the
'ip, eek confusion 'evsied greater part Of the
men deserted their quarters, aud ran below IL ap-
pears al the court that when the Shannon got ul
at the Chesapeake, Capt Lawrence, his first ieuen.
Tst, tls satng master, snd lieutenant OF marines
all killed rnortasiy woundcd, and thereby the upper
deck Of the Che sapeakc left without any comni2n-
ding officer sad with only or two n4iisIpmen who
were young,
It Also appears to the cstr. that previously to the
ships gerb Sst many OF rhe Ches4peake's spar d. ok
dNiion had been Killed and wounded, and the num-
bers stationed that deck thereby considerably re-
ipced that thsse being left without commissioned
olhcer, even warrant officer, except one or two
inexperienced midshipmen, and not being supported
by the borders from the gan deck almost universally
deserted their quarters. And the enemy ayaih him-
se of this detenceiess state of the Chcsapeake's u
deck, boarded ard obtained possession of the sup with
very little OPPOSITION
FROM this view Of TIE engagement and careful ex-
affirmation Of the evidence, the Unanimously
oforion, that the capture Of the ste Untet Stats'
srigate chesapeake, was occasoned BY the following
causes the almost unexa,npel early fall of Captain
Lawrence, and al the principal officers the buge-
mans 6esertio1 ohis quarters, aud inability sound
his horn tor the eourt are ofOpnlon, If the horn had
been soseded when hrat ordered, the men being theu
~ their quarters the boarders would have promptly
repaired 10 The spar deck probably have prevented
the enemy from hoa,diug-certsinly have repealed
them, and might have returned the boar ling with
success and The fare Of the boarders both decks
u rally the spar deck, 2cr the enemy had board
ed, which might have been done successfully, is be-
ileyea from the cautious manner in which the enemy
came on board.
The court, cannot however, perceive in TIL, almost
cnexamped ecncurrenee OF DISASTROUS circumstances,
that the national flag has Suffered aHy dshonor from
the CO -.are OF the u s tigate Chesapeake. by the
superior force of the British gate Shannon, ofty-
Gwo carriage gans, three hundred 8 ninety six men.
Nor 90 this appreherd that the result of this
engagement will ia the least discourage brave sea-
men trou meeting the enemy hereafter equal
terms.
The eonrt being also CHARGED to encuire into the
conduct OF the officers and rnen during and after the
engagement and thercupon having stric' examined
an6 nraturely considered the evidence Q :, ,ded do
Cad the following causes of complaint:
First-A gainst Lieutena { Cox that being stationed
III command OF the secOnd LIS sOn ON the man-deck
he lett his division during the action while his
were at their quarters, and went upon the upper deck
that when there, and the enemy boarding,
TIC Poiut OF aoardiug, he left the deck assist Capt
Lawrence below, went down with him from the spar
deck the BIRTH deck did return to his DIVISION
but went forward on the gun-decki thst ahle there
and the men were retrestins below, he commanded
tkem 20 TO their duty, without enforcing his ecn-
rnands. bat a court of enquiry allows an accused
person opportunity of yindioating his conduct the
members ID the court trust that their opinion the
conduct Oh 1t. Cox, may not be deemed conclusive a.
ysinst liim. without trial by court martial.
Second-Against hIidshiprnan Forrest: that he left
bis quarters during tie action and did nat return TO
thea and asse for his conduct salts
act Ky this
Thra-Agaast mdshipman Fleshmau, that he be-
haved in unofficer IKE Halifax, assuming
fise at the Office OF the commsssTy OF prisol-
ers, when obtaining his parole, and paoed By The
name OF VIM. Brown.
Fonrth--Against the crew generally that they de-
serted their quarters, S below after the SLIPS were
fSi, aud the enemy boarded. But il appearing that
they behaved wen at their quarters before, and fired
on the enemy with great rapidi.y and preoisio, the
sserbe their misconduct to the confusion natu-
r1y incident to the early loss of their officers and the
omission OF the call for buaItlers in the accuoned
manner. Yet this court is very far from excupatiuS
those who thus criminal It's unable TO designate
by all the individuals who thu abandoned their
duty, because OF the officers had recently Joined
fhe snip some gully few days preceding the enaage-
Inenl, & o. cooid otddngnish the men. The
court, theref1rr, respectfully submit higher ahori-
W, tie eXpfshsncJ Oh WItbOhlnE the wages OF tue
crew. Tie persons whom the court able TO ies ..
nate by names deseIters from their stations arr.
Win. Brown. buglcman, Jos-ph Russell capt of "a
gun, Peter Froet and John Joyce, seamen.
Tne Coar1 further find, that the following persons
entered tue British service a, Haiax VIZ Henry
G.rsign, Peter Ohm, Andrew Simpson, Peter Lang
rufr, Magness Sparriug, Joseph Gala, Marten an
derson, Francis Paris, John White, boy, Thomas
Arthur, Charles Reynolds, John Pierce, IT, Andis.g
Denhars, Thomas Jones' Charles Goodman, Joseph
Aot1-io, Christopher - ans, Charles Bowden, Chas
W y rbur) Joseph Sin,la, Geo. Williams and Geo
CJrJt{l.
The court further find and report, that William
Wainwright, William Worthingon and james Par
keg, the last Of whon born at Salem, 1assaehu-
seit, were claimed by the enemy British subjects
ord srnt board the euemy's ships Of war
THIS court respectfully beg leave to saper add, that,
iitissed by any Liberal feelings TOWARDS the enemy,
they feel i their duty state, that the conduct OF
eacpiy after boarding Szcarryiug the Chesapeake was
+ n.vsc s.nwarTSntable abuse Of power, after sue
cess.
The court is aware, that in carrying a ship by
boarding, the full s,tcnt Of the command Of ar officer
esunG: be readily exercised aud that improper 'io-
is,cs inay unayodsbly easue When this happens in
the moment OF co teUt0 u, mggnaniraOus conquered
Zoe will not complain. ButShe fact has been clear
Nv estab she'd before ts court, that the enemy met
with little opposition the upper deeS, and none on
The ,.an deck Yet after they had carried the ship,