Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-08-08

side as she came up, and passed on. Barney
did not return the fire, determining to- reserve
his strength for the ship which was coming up
rapidIy; she approached within plstol.shot WIN
out firing. probably under the impression .na' nc.
UNEQUAL foe would not venture to make battle: az
this moment, however, the Hyder-Ai,y opeheu
her ports and gave weil-directea oroaus'ae,
which spoke her determination IN languages ho'
to be misunderstood. The enemy ciosen upon
her immediately, and showed disPos'non "
board: at this critical juncture Captain Barney
had the coolness and presence OF mind to con-
ceiye. and execute on the instant. ruse de
guerre, to which he was unquestionably lndeot-
ed for the brilliant victory that SO speedily ioi
lowed: he gave orders to the man at the helm 10
interpret the next command he should give him
loud a repers, or in his own words to the seameh,
by the rule of contrary At the moment that
the enemy was ranging alongside OF Elm, post
ton which must have given him the tuii auVah-
tage Of his great superiority oil strength, capt.
Barney called out, IN voice intended 10 reach the
adverse ship. 'Hard a port your helm, doynu want
| him to run aboard of us?' The ready witted sea.
man understood bis cue and clapped his helm hard
a. starboard. by which admirable manGuvre the
enemy's jib-boom caught in the tore-rlssins OF
the Hyder Ally, and there remained entan'
gled during the short but glorious action That
ensued. The Hyder. Ally thus gained raklns
position, Of which she availed herself to ITS ut
most benefit: the rapidi'y, well directed ann
and vigorous effect, with which she poured her
fire into the entansled ship. are almost lnconceiv-
able: more than tiUenty 6r0adsideS were fired IN
twe,,fysi minutes, and scarcely shot missed
its effect; entering in at the srarboard bow, and
making their way out through the larboard quar-
ter, the grape, canister, and round shot, all did
their appointed duty Such energy OF action
could not long be withstood; and 10 less than
half an hour from the firing of the first broadsdc,
the British flag waved its proud folds no longer
to the breeze. There was no time for ceremony
on board the Hyder.Aly; the frsate was but
little way astern. and coming rapidly up, Cap.
tain Barney did not even ask what ship 1t was
that had thus acknowledged HIM master; but
sending his first lieutenant and thirty-hve men
on board, he ordered her to make all sail and
push up the bay, after the convoy, while he him
Self covered the rear. The brig, seeing that the
ship had struck, aud that the victor was stand
ing up the channel towards her, ran herself
aground to avoid capture. 1t would be rldlcu-
lou. to assert, that Captain Barney was DESTROYS
of brush with the frigate; but he maintained
the even tenor of his way far in the rear OF his
prize, and the still more distant convoy, deter
mined not to let her pass to the pursuit ct either
|
few minutes The frisatc continued the chase
for considerable distance up the bay. but at
length, towards evening. gave it up and dropped
her anchor, making signal, as she did so, 10
! the prize ship. winch she did not of course sus
pect to be under other orders; no doubt bellev
ing that. having taken the American, she was
! now working her will among the deienceless
convoy!
/ 1t was not until after the frigate abandoned the
chase and came to anchor, that Captain Barney
permitted himself to crafty the curiosity, which
it was but natural he should feel, as to the name,
character. and force Of his prize. lie now spoke
her for the purpose; and we may imagine the
exuberance of delight and gratiIied pride, with
which he ascertaned her to be His Majesty's ship,
the General Monk, mounting 90 nine FOUNDERS,
and carving one hundred and th;rty-sir men,
under Captain Rogers of the Royal Navy!
nearly double his oun. force Of metal, and nearly
one fourth superior IN number of men! 1t was
one of the most brilliant achievements ever re-
corded in the annals of naval warfare, and VIC
! tory OF which he might well be proud. But no
man ever bore such honors more meekIy than
Captain Barney; he rejoced in his success, but
it was more because il had insured the safety OF
: the valuable fleet entrusted to his convoy, than
because of any anticipation that 1t would encir-
Gle us OWL UTOW VIII u "'eot" W
glory. Prompted by that ever ready humanity,
which so honorably characterized his treatment
OF conquered foe, though he had experienced 50
little of it in his own person, he inquired imme:
diateIy into the suftrings of the crew, and heard
with regret, that the General Monk had lost 90
men, killed, and had 80 wounded. Among the
former were the First Lieutenant, Purser, Sur
geon, Boatswaln and Gunner: among the latter
were Captain Rodgers himself, and every officer
on board except one nidshpmam The Hyder
Ally had four men killed, and eleren wounded,
comparative disparity of loss even greater than
the inverse disparity of force.
We mention as an extraordinary evidence OF
the vigorous attack Of the Hyder- Ally, that in
the mZen-stay.sa of the General Monk, (Which
sailors we'll know to be of but small dimensions)
there were couated exactly three hundredan@ sic
~ fire shot holes! 1t was was looked upon as so
great curiosity, that one of the principal sail
makers of Philadelphia afterwards begged it of
Barney. and made considerable sum by exhibit
ing il in his sail loft TO the curious.
Many incidents occurred during the heat of
this rapid and vigorous action which are well