Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-07-15

- rtar.. -
Morris was sent for 2 a appear ,sa 'sal on The
quarterback. Y. ~ "a ,', -, ,,,.... 8, .,.. "a,
~ .. Are You all fl ready for action action, Mr..
| Morris, Pagan demanded the commo-
awe are all ready, strand the men men
muttering horrid imprecasions because
they are not suffered 10 return The fire
Of the enemy" -. .s az ~. NJ,
M"F Fire, then, in Gods name Y shouted
the commodore, in a voice of thunder,
It's added that he wore at tile time
pair Of nankeen tights-and he accom-
panied his soul cheering order with such
a Tremendous stamp on the deck, with
his right foot, that the unfortunate pan
falcons were completely split open from
the knee TO the waistband. @' LeIsT
The conduct Of Dacres, before and
during the action, was such as might be
expected from a brave and generousen-
emy. Mr.. Reed, a young man belong
ing to Brewster, Mass, at present re-
spectacle ship masterout Of Boston, had
been pressed on board the lGuerriere a
few, weeks previous to the engagement.
Several other. American seamen were
also on board. When the Constitution
was bearing down ia such gallant style,
and ii became evident thai a severe ac-
ton with an American frigate was ineyi-
table, young Reed left his station and pro-
ceeded to the quarter-deck, and respect
fully, but firmly represented to Captain
Dacres. that he, was an American citi-
zen, who had been unjustly detained on
boardythe English frigate; that he had
hitherto faithfully performed the duties
which were assigned him,S but, that it
could not reasonably, be expected that
he would fight against his countrymen
--he therefore begged leave to decline
the honor Of participatingin the engage
mentas casibal % afssgS ato'ii1eH 9ftl
o., The English captain frankly told,him
that he appreciated his patriotic feelings /;
that he did not wish the Americans on
board to use arms against their country
men; and hessubsequently ordered them
all into the eockpitito render assistance
totthe surgeons, if it should be necessary,
Reed left the spar-deck of the Guerriere
and the action commenced. Several
shots. were known to have taken effect
, but the Constitution. had not yet fired a
gun--much, to the amazement Of the Bri-
tish tars, who predicted that the enemy
: would lie taken without any resistance
5 with the exception of aveteran man-of
I wars man, wiru was in tho battle, of tho
!. Nile, and ,grufHy observed, with sig.
3 nificant shake OF bis head /" The id
Yankee knows what he is about"
; "a few moments passed away, and the
Constitution poured in her tremendous
! broadsidei ;oevery gun was double-shot-
ted and well-pointed and the effect
which it had on the enemy can hardly
be conceived. Mistimed jests and jeers
, at the imperturbbe, but harmless Yankee
. gave place to thegroans Of the wounded
and edying; and sixteen IA mutiated
wretches were tumbled down into the
cockpit, from the effects Of the first dis
charge r L1a 70 efp4 sga Tna.i9j 2
}. r. IDacres fought as long as "a spar was
standing,and a gun could be brought to
bear; on the enemy, but when his masts
were completely swept away, his Off
GERS and men mostly killed and woun-
ded, encumbering the decks; while the
scuppers were streaming with gore /;
when the Guerriere, which a lew hours
before, was considered one of the most
splendid specimens of naval architec-
ture, which belonged to the British navy,
lay on the water an .unsightly, nunman-
ageable mass-zwhen he. had no longer
the stump Of mast left from which to
display the proud flag Of his country,
the gallant Briton began to think that he
had got into an ugly, scrape, from which
he could not possibly extricate himself.
He could no longer oppose even a feeble
resistanceto his more fortunate foe. aa
~ Captain Hull sent an officer to take
possession of the Guerriere. When he
arrived alongside, lie demanded of the
commander Of the English trigate, if he
had struck. DOC
Dacres was extremely reluctant to
make this concession in plain terms, but
with a shreWdness which would have
done honor to Yankee, endeavored to
evader the question:.
al do not know that it would be pru.
dent to continue the engagement any
longer" " @ q
q" Do | understand you to say that YOU
have struck Z" inquired the American
lieutenant. r. ust
Not precisely. returned Dacres,
"but don't know that i, would be worth
while to fight any longer"