The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-08-03

VINO attempted to run from his quarters. - /.
Our men were all in good spirits: thouo
they did not scruple TO express the wish the
the coming foe was Frenehnlan rather the
a Yankee. We had been told, by the Ame,
leans on beard. chat frgates in the America
service carried more and heavier metal thal
ours This, together with our consciousness
Oh superiority ever the French at sea, led as t
a preference for a French antagonist.
The Americans among our number felt quit,
disconnected, at the necessity which conpalIee
them 10 fight against their own countryenen
One OF them, named JOHN Card, as brave a sea
man as ever trod plank, ventured to presen
hImsel TO the captain, as prisoner, frankly de
! claring his objections 20 fight. That officer
very ungenerously, ordered MIN to his Quarter,
! threatening 20 shoot him if he made the reOues
| again. Poor fellow He obeved the unjust
command, and was killed BY a shot from hi,
own couafrymenss This fact is more disgrace.
fui TO the captain of the Macedonian, than even
the loss OF his ship. It was a gross and palpa.
bic violation of the rights Of man.
AS the approaching ship showed American
coloFs,all doubt Of her character was at an end.
"Ve must fight her, was the conviction of
every breast. Every possible arrangement that
could insure success, was accordingly made.
Inc guns were shoued; the matches lighted;
| Tor although our guns were furnished with first
| rate locks, they were also provided with match
es attached BIZ Hnyards, IN case the Jock should
miss fire. 4 Lieutenant thea passed through
the ship directing the marines and boarders,
who were furnished with pixies cutlaeses and
pistols. how to proceed ifitshouId be necess arv
to board the enemy. lie was followed BY the
captain, who eXorted them TO fidelity and cour-
age, urging upon their consideration the well
known motto OF the brave Nelson. "Enoland
pYnnnfC TO Il, l. 1,,txr
ton to all these preparations on deck, some
men were stationed in the tops with small
arms, whose duty it was to attend to trimming
the sails, and to use their muske.s, provided we
came to close action. There were others also
below, called sail trinlmers, % assist in working
the ship, should it be necessary to change her
position during the Uattle.
My station was at the fifth gun on he main
deck. 1t was my duty to supply the gun with
powder, boy being appointed to each gun in
the ship on the side we engaged, for this pur-
pose. A woollen.screen was placed before the
entrance 10 the magazine, with a hole in it,
through which they were passed to the boys;
we received them there, and covering them
with our jackets, hurried 80 their respective
guns. These precautions are observed to pre-
vent the powder TAXI G .ire before il reaches the
gun.
Thus VIC all stood, waiting orders, in notion
less suspense. At last we fred three guns
from the larb0ard side OF The main deck; this
was followed by the command, 'sCease firing;
you are throwing away your shot ~
Then came the orders to ''wear ship and
prepare 10 attack the enemy with our starboard
guns. Soon after this heard a firing from
some other quarter, which at first supposed
To be a discharge from our quarterback guns;
though it proved 20 be the roar OF the enemy's
cannon.
A strange noise, such as never heard before |
next arrested my attention; it sounded Ike the
tearing OF sails, Just over our heads. This |
soon ascertained to be the wind ofthe eneTny's |
shot. The firing, affcr a few minutes cessa- |
tion. recommended. The roaring of cannon |
could now be heard from all parts of our trem-
bling ship, and mngllng as 1t did with that OF
our foes, it made mos hldeous noise. By !
and by he ard the shots strike the sides of our
ship; the whole scene became indescribably !
confused and horrible; it was like some awful
tremendous thunder storm. whose deafening
roar is attended By incessant streaks of light |
ming. carrying death in every fash, and strew-
my the ground with the victims Of IFS wrath; |
only. in our case the scene was rendered more
horrible than that, by the presence OF torrents !
of blood which dyed our decks.
Though the recital may be painful, yet as 1t
will reveal the horrors of war, and show at
what fearful price victory Is won or lost, |
will present the reader with things as they met
my eye during the progress Of that dreadful
fight ] was busiiy supplying my gun with
powder, when | saw blood suddenly fly from
the arm of a man stationed at our gun. saw
nothing strike him; the effect alone was visible;
in an instant the third lieutenant tied his hand
kerchef round tie wounded arm, and sent the
rroaninr wretch below to the surgeon.
The cries of The wounded now rang through |
all parts of the ship. These were carried TO |
the cockpit as fast as they fell, While those
more fortunate men who were Killed outright. |
were Immediately thrown overheard. AS was
stationed but short distance from the man |
hatchway, could catch a glance at all who |
were carried below. a glance was all could |
in lulre in, for the boys belonging to the guns
next to mine were wounded in the early part OF
the action, and had to spring with all my
might to keep three or four guns suppiied with
cartridges. / saw two ofthese lads tall near
" together. One Of them was struck IN the
Ier by a large shot; he had to suffer amputalIon
above the wound. The other haa grape OF
canister shot sent through his ANGLE. A stout /
lifted HMM his arms, and bur-
lied him to the cockpit. He had his toat cut
off and was thus made lame for life. Two OF
The bows stationed on the quarter deck were
killed. They were both Portuguese. man
who saw one of them killed, afterwards tod
me that his powder caught fire and burnt tn. the
fesh almost off his face. In this ptabie situa-
tion. the agonized boy lifted up both hands, as
ifimploring relief, when passing shot instant
" cut him in two.
I was an eve witness to sight equally re-
voting. A man named Aldrieh had oneof ms
bands cut off by shot, and almost at the same
moment he received another shot, which tore
open his bowels IN terrible manner. AS ne
ell. twoor three men caught HMM their arms
ana. as he could not i've threw him overheard.
One of the officers in my division also fell
n my sipht. He was. noble hearted fellow,
FAMED Nan Kivell. A grape or canister shot
'frncl him near the heart, cxclaiming, -tOhl /
nv God!,, he fen and was carried below, where
le shortly after died. @
Mr.. Hone cur. first lieutenant, was aisoi
,;o,l,tI,, wounded bv q grumnlet, or small iron
inc. psoba bly, torn from ashammock.elew by g I
hot hot He went below, shouting 20 the men g
ight on. Having had his wound dressed ne /
anne no ao lin. shouting to Us at the Top q ms
,a:. 10 Nc font with all our might.