Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-03-04
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From the \, Y Evening Postl
Capture Of the Guerrero By the Constitution

/ board the GueTrlere, during the famous
battle between that frigate and the Uni
ted States frigate Constitution, I propose
giving you an account of that important
action, which took place in June 1912.
About two weeks previous to the en-
gagement, L left Boston in an American
ship, which was captured by the Guerriere
some five days before she fell in with the
Constitution.
1t was about ten o'clock in the morn
ing when the Constitution was discovered
The Guerrero hove to to enable her to
come up. As the Constitution neared US
Capt Dacres handed me his glass. and
asked what | took her to be 2 My reply
was" She looks like a frigate" Very
soon she came within reach of the long
guns of the Guerriere, which were fired
but with no effect, as the sea ran high
The Constitution made no reply, but, as
| saw, was maueuvering for a position
during which Capt. Dacres said to me,
8 Do you think she is going to strike with
out firing 2" | Ireplied, = think not sir
At this moment, seeing 4 severe con
test was about commencing. in which |
could take no part, being only prisoner,
| raised my hat to Capt Dacres, and said
to him With your permission, sir, I
will 60 below, as [ can take no part
" ., certainly" said he, and YOU had
better 60 into the coc5 pit, and should
any of our men chance to get wounded |
shall feel obliged if you viii assist the
surgeons In dressing them" q" Certainly,
sir" said /, and then descended into the
cockpit. There were the surgeons sur
geons' mates. and attendants, sitting a
round a long table, covered with instru-
meuts. and all necessaries for dressing the
wounded. as still as a fUneral Within
one moment after my foot left the lower
round of the ladder, the Constitution
gave that double broadside, which threw
all in the cockpit over in a heap on the
opposite side Of the ship.
For moment it appeared as if heaven
and earth had struck together; a more
terrible shock cannot be imagined. Be
fore those in the cockpit had adjusted
themselves, the blood run down from the
deck as freely as if a wash-tub full had
been turned over, and instantly the dead.
wounded, and dying, were handed down
as rapidly as men could pass them, till
the cock pit was filled, with hardly room
for the surgeons to work MidshiDmeu
were handed down with one leg. some
with one arm, and others wounded in al
most every shape and condition. An of
ticer who was on TIE table having his arm
amputated, would sing out to a comrade
coming down wounded -" Well. ship mate.
how goes the battle 2" Another would
utter some joke, that would make even
the dying smile, and so constant and free
ly were the playful remarks from the
wounded and dying, that | almost doubt
cd my own senses Indeed all this was
crowded into a space Of not over - or 20
minutes, before the firing ceased I then
went upon deck, and what a scene was
presented, and how changed in SO short a
time
The Constitution looked perfectly fresh
and even at this time, those on board
the Guerriere did not know what ship bad
fought them Ga the other hand, the
Guerriere was a mere rolling log-almost
entirely at the mercy Of the sea. Her
c0lors all shot away. her mizzen masts
both gone by the board, and her foremast
standing by the mere honey the shot
had made. Capt. Dacres stood his Off
GERS, surveying the scene-au. all in the
most perfect ast0nishmeut. At this mo.
meut boat was seen putting off from the
hostile ship for the Guerrero As soon
as within speaking distance, young gen
tlemau (midshipman Reed. now Commo-
dore Reed hailed and said, " [ wish to
see the officer in command of the ship 5"
At this Capt Dacres stepped forward
and answered Midshipman Reed then
said. f." Commodore HILLS compliments
and wishes to know if you have struck
your flag ~ At this. Capt. Dacres ap-
peared amazed but recovering himself
and looking up aud down, he deliberately
replied, We'll. / don't know-our miz-
zen-mast is gone, our main-mast is gone
and upon the whole, you may say we
have struck our flag 4"
Commodore Hull's compliments. and
wishes to know if you need the assistance
Of a surgeon or surgeons mate p Capt
Dacres replied " ell | should sup
pose you had on board your own ship bus
mess enough for all your medical officers. ."
Midshipman Reed replied, Z. o, no, we
have only seven wounded, and they were
dressed half an hour ago"
Capt Dacres then turned to me, deep
/ ly affected. and said, How have our sit
uations been suddenly reversed you are
now free. and / prisoner 2.
/ All the boats Of both ships were now
/ put in requisition to remove the wounded
on board the Constitution. So dreadful
was the condition of many of them, that
/ two days were nearly consumed IN the re
moval after which, the Guerriere was
burned with all her stores, armament,
&c, Sc The Constitution having re-
Gently come out of port, had no room to
take scarcely an article.
Who can imagine the JOY I experienced
in finding myself again under the Ameri-
can colors-or the pride | felt, at finding,
from Commodore Hull. down to the most
humble man on board, an entire absence
of everything like boastful, or even a
triumphant look, at their wonderful vic
tory Captain Dacres kept his state
room till we arrived in port About two
hundred of MS men were necessarily iron
ed, as the ship was so crowded Charles
Morris (now Commodore), the first off