The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-11-03


enemy closed upon her Immediately, AM
showed disposition t" board; at this criti
Cal iuncture Captain Barney had the cool
ness and presence ofmind to conceive and
execute on the instant, ruse dc gMerre,
to which he was rnquestiomably indebted
for the brilliant victory that so speedily
followed; he gave orders to the man at the
should give him aloud reverse, or in his
own words to the seaman, 'by the rule of
contrary' At the moment that the ene-
my was ranging alongside of him, posi-
ton which must have given him the full
advantage of his great superiority Of
strength, Captain Barney called out, i'll "a
voice intended to reach the adverse ship,
"Hard aport your heln-do you want him
to run aboard of fus!' The ready witlled
seaman understood his cue, and clapped
his helm hard a-slarboard, by which admi-
rable maneuvre the enemy's jibboum
caught in the fore rigging of the Hyder
Ally, and there remained enlaneled during
the short but glorious action that cnsued.
The Hyder Ally, thus gained a raking po-
siion, of which she availed herself to its
utmost beneit;rapidity, well-directed aim,
and vigorour effect, with which shc poured
her fire into the enlanged ship, are al
most inconceivable-more than t1renty
broadsidcs were fred in t1oentysir minutes,
and scarcely shot missed its effect; enter
ing in at the slarboard bow, and making
their way out through the starboard quar-
ter, The grape, canister, and round shot
all did their appointed duly! Such energy
of action could long be wilhstood; and in
less than half an hour from the firing Of
the first broadside, the British flag waved
its proud folds no longer to the breeze
There was no time for ceremony on board
the Hyder-Aly; the irigate was but little
way astern, and coming rapidly up. Cap
tain Barney did not even ask what ship it
was that had thus acknowledged him mas
ter; but sending his first lieutenant and
.lhirly:ive men on board. he ordered her
10 make all sail and push up the bay. after
the convoy, while he himself lfcovered the
rear. The brig seeing that the ship had
struck, and that the victor was standing
up the channel towards her, ran herself
aground to avoid capture. 1t would be
ridiculous 10 assert that Captain Barney
was deSirous Of brush with the frigale.
but he maintained lhe'ev tenor Of his
way, far in the rear his prize, and the
still more distant convoy, determined not
to let her pass To the pursuitiofeither with
out, at least, attempting 10 delay her for
few minutes. The frigale continued the
chase for a considerable distance up the
bay, but al length towards evening, gave
itup and dropped her anchor. making
signal, as she did SOTO the prize ship,
which she did not course of suspect to be
under other orders; M doubt believing
that, having taken theAnerican, she was
now working her will among the defence
less convoy!
eli was not until after the frigalc ahan-
ioned The chase and came to an anchor,
thal Captain Barney permitted himself to
crafty the curiosity, which il was but ma
tural he should feel, AS 10 the name,
character, and force, of his prize. He
now spoke her for this purpose; and we
may imagine the exuberance of delight and
gralfied pride, with which he ascertained
her to be His Majesty's slip. the General
Monk, mounting 20 nine FOUNDERS, and
carrying one hundred and thirty sir men,
under the command Of Captain Rodgers
of the Royal Navy! nearly double ms
opn farce in metal and nearly one-t0urM
superior in number of men! 1t was one
of the most brilliant achievements ever
recorded in the annals Of naval warfare,
and victory of which he might well be,
proud. But no man ever bore such hon
ors more meekly Than Captain Barney;
he reioiced in his success, but It was more
because it had insured the safety OF the
valuable fleet entrusted To his convoy, than
because Of ary anticipation that II would
encircle his ow n brow with never dying
wreath of glory. Prompted by that ever
ready humanity, which SO honorably cha
acterized his treatment of a conquered
f"e, though he had experienced So little
Of it in his own person, he inquired Imme-
diarely into the sufferings of the crew,
and heard with regret, that The General
Monk had lost 20 men, killed, and had
33 wounded Among the former We
the first lieutenant, purser. surgeon, b"ut-
swain and gunner; among the latter were
Captain Rodgers himself, and every ollI-
Ger on Loard except one midshiPman.-
The Hyder-AlIy had fur men killed and
eleuen wounded-a comparative disparity
of luss even greater than the inverse dis