The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-08-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
Washington, .Aag.5.
INTERESTING NARRATIVE


from a t.rivate journal one cfthe officer.
on board the Hornet.
US. Snip Hornet, Off Cape of Good Hop
Saturday, May 9, 1915.
THu-sday, nth .9brii, 1915.
At 7P. NJ the Peacock msGe signal Tor a strange
sail bearing =. T. toy s. We immediately made ell
sail i'll chase. Friday 2Sth, commenced with light
sand pleasant weather, and ssil IN elise
sun-own we had uearsd the stranger considerably,
when il fell perfectly cain during the whole Of tic
night the stranger ahcsd and a1uid Just discern s
topssiIs of The At Ja ii ~; tie sail not 10 be
seeu from the deck at y. All. breeze sprung up
from tie n. W.we immediately rounded all SAIL iu
order possible to get ght OF The chase agsn
after desvsied him Standing 10 the n. l.. on wind.
Saturday, 29th at al past II. NJ. the Peacock was
about ten mics ahead * the Hornet, we observed
Captain " arlington approach < the stranger with
much precsutinn; we therefore took III all our lar
board steering saiF, set the ST.. SAILS and hauled up
Tor the Peacock still underthe impression the sail in
sight an English IiGmnil and from the apparent
soiduet OF thc cOn,nandcr II the Peacock, were
under an impression Gas the ship looked very lsrge)
that csptaIn w. WAS waiting Until we up with
him in order to make joint attack AZ IL past +.
81. the Peec,ck made the signal, that the chase
line OF battle ship and enemy; our astonishment
may easily b. conceived took in all steering sails,
and hauled upon the wiAd, bringing the enemy upon
our lee quarter, about leagues di,tance The Pes
cock on his weather row, aud apparently not moe
than mile b ON the cuemy; at shutdown the
my bore r l-2 past 5, the Peacock T.. by n. soon
4,
Peacock LETT him running oil to the T.. The
my continued by the wind and evidently in ch oi ue
at lOoSed the wedges ofthc lower masts at 3,
dlscoVcrei the enemy weatbered upon us tas;, and
there was every appearance he would, not ~
with us, continued in sight all night. Ii thought
Necessary 10 tighten the ship; at Q, away the
sheet anchor and hove overheard the cau quanti-
ty org5ng, spars &c. At halt past g seuitled the
ward room eck to get at the eeutI dye, hove over
board sboat go pieces, weighing about 80 to's Al
A NJ tackled ship to the scnhv AID and westward,
also. At day Light he w;tlia y i distance
lee quarter at 7 A M he lIost. 81 English colours
Rd a admras las ut the mi1en top gallant
head and com ncncc hrin- from his bow guas, his
shot over-reaching about mile. We therefore
commenced again to tighten the sip, by cutting a.
way our manning fpchOrs and throging overheard
thc cables, up tie launch sRd hovet overbosrl,
1quantty Of provision, with more kvntcdge, shot,
S9ps;ern, sats all rsE, calls, fuc and in fact
~ heav. articie that could possibly rto mpede the
ships Sailing. The enemy continued to fire very hea-
Wy and in quick Succession, hut his British thunder
could neither terrty The Yankee spirit or diminish
Yankee skill crBpel US tp shev him the Yankee
stripes, which must have ir1'ated him excessively
None of his shot yet had taken effect, although he
had been firing for hours Necessarily, his .
generally passing between ,nasts W. thought at
tins period "s discovered we were dropping; him,
Ms shot began t snort, this stimulated gallant
t. fresh ertions 1T ii 4. NJ his firing ceased,
and The breeze began feshes, discovered the t.
nemy was again coming up with fast, which
induced a general belief he had made some, o.
terat )'s ia the trim OF his shiP.---At meridi-
an sqUally and fresl bycezes, wi al from the
westward Sunday (50tl) fresh hretzes and sqpaIy
the enemy i'll gaining the Hornet 1T y Nj. be-
Sns within gun shot distance, lac commenced very
Siri ed 2aa heavy fire with rouad and grape, the for
nler passing between mas;s, and the latter ali
al aroand us The .nemv fired shells, but 30 Ill
directed 10 he perfectly harmless Fc9.n 10 5 p.
III throw overheard all the muskeis cllIsses, forge,
&c. e.. anfbroke up the beiIalso cut up the top
gallant forecastle:. II was capture appeared
inevii2Ji--the euear $40 mile the lee qnartr,
pouring hsahot and 1hesip great numbers a.i around
Hs-coltinned 10 tighten the ship, by heavidg every
thing overheard that c0uI either be of service the
enc ny, i.npcdncnt tdthe Hornets s.,iIng.--
Tie meR ordered to lay down on &c quarter
deck, III order TO trim the ship, and 10 .cii.ae her
sailing. AZ q, oftl- shot from the enemy struck
the b-b1om, another struck the sarboaid buwark,
Just 0iwSrd r. the gang way, and third struck on the
deck fnrwar. Nf the naiohatch the arboaIi side,
glGnced oh and pssselthroigh the tOresil At u
pa, ,, we again began to cave the ePemy, and 10 a1
pesrnrce, By maeic- the IarbOard lower steering
sal, he wind dTaw q m re att At 5, tie enemy's
shot teil short. At 6, fresh ire zes-the encmy's
hull down III wax. Att, could isr see lis low
az s. erinS sail above ;hc h0rizon-from TO -, des
c,ibcd hen ut intervals, with the night glasses Atday
6sht dsco'er the enemy sstern OF rs, distant
leagues. AZ o 4. II. the enemy shortened sail, reef
ed his topsai's, and hauled upoua WIND, 70 the east
ward, after chase oil - hDHS. During this tedious
snd anxious chase, the wi,d variable, 50 to OBJ
Ege TO make Pcfect circle roInd the enemy. Be
tween two and three O'Clock yesterday not person
sibiiity ofescspe We all packet mp things, and
Ua,ed until the enemy's shot would compel to
hcave TO and surrender whch appeared ecriain. Ne
yer has there he,n evident nerposition of tie
,0od-i. SIS ola Divine FaehcrIny heart With gratitude
acknowledges his sup power aud goodness On
the mOrnirg q the 2sth, i very calm, and nothing
but rnurn.urs were heard throughout the ship, rs it
was feared VIC should lose anticipated prizs-ma-
Nv Yaus ad been formed by Ts for the disposal OF our
pl,n,der. The amen declared they would have the
birth deck corbetfgd with East.i,da silk, supporting
her an Iudsnan from India, while the officers, under
tft impression she from England were maSingar-
fsrrcmeHts how should dispOs~ OF the moaey, p0r-
ger, cl- c-c SC Nothing perpcxcd us more than
die iGsa ,that shOHid not be able to tkc ;tli
the good things before should he obliged to destroy
her We we're regrettiag slip did not sail faster,
asthe Peacock would certainly capture her first
and would take OHt many Of the best and
-aIusble articles before should get up Ctlis
veYy circumstance Ofour not sailing fast the Pea
soek save US IL the first stance from inevitable cap
srre--for when captain ~. made thc sgna for the
aaH % be an enemy Of petior fo~ce, we wars&
kaenest 20 wiudvmdJ " al calculated our fortt1k
-Eerc made but alo, GO &C cgfght TartCrD Duiiag
shc latter part of tHe rs4e, when the shot end shells
we're vlis,ing about ears, it WIS an interesting
sigbt 20 behold the varied count names Of crew.
Jhsv he'd .ept the deck during all the preceding
pialf cmploqed costuuaily 10 tightening the ship,
serp excessively f.tigued, aud r1d-r monetary
oectstion Of falling into the hanls 81 barbarOus and
enraeed enemy The shot that on the n'an-de Is,
(ss ifnre rclatet) struck INN stately the head
ofope of our gallant fellows who had been wounded IN
oroIc.ious action with tie Pcngiin, where he vas ~
inein lis COZ very iitwiti lis wounds, the shot was