The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-02-19
The Capture of the Guerriere by the
Constitution.

American frigate Constitution, is com
munlcated TO the Evening Post BY cor
respondent who was prisoner on boart
the Guerrero during the combat. 1t is
paper which deserves place among tho
historical archives of the country:
Having been an American prisoner or
board the Gnerriere, during the famou:
battle between that frigate and the Uni
ted States frigatc Constitution, | propose
giving you an account of that important
action, which took place in June, 1912.
About two weeks previous to the en-
gagement, left Boston in an American
ship which was captured by the Guer-
rlere, 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.
Guerrero hove to to enable her to come
up. As the Constitution neared us. Capt.
Dacrcs handed me his glass, and asked
what [ took her to be? Ny reply was,
"She looks like figate! Very soon she
came within reach of the long guns of the
Gucrrierc, which were fired, but with no
effect, as the sea ran high. The Consti-
tuition made no reply, | u, rs | saw, was
man%uvering for position; during which
which Captain Dacrcs said to me, "Do
yeu think she is going to strike without
firing" replied, "Ithink not, sir"
At this moment, seeing severe contest
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, | will
go below, as can take no part" ooh;
certainly said he, "and you had better
go into the cockpit, and should any of
our men chance to get wounded, | shall
feel obliged if You will assist the surgeons
in dressing them" "Certainlv, sir" said T.,
and then descended into the cockpit.
There were the surgeons and surgeons
mates, and attendants, sitting round n
long table, covered with instruments. and
all necessaries for dressing the wounded,
as still as funeral. Within one moment
after my foot left the lower round of the
Ladder, the Constitution gave that double
hroadside, which threw all in the cock
pit over III % heap on the opposite side of
the ship.
For moment it appeared as if heaven
and earth had truelsteSether; aslnore
terrific shock cannot be imagined. Be-
fore those in the cockpit had adjusted
themselves, the blood ran down from the
deck as freely as if wash-tub full had
been turned over, and instantly the dead,
waunded, and dying, were handed down
as rapidly as men could pass them, ill
the cockpit was filled, with hardly room
for the surgeons to work. MidShpmcn
were handed down with one leo, some
with one arm, and others wounded in al
most every shape and condition. An
officer, who was on the table having his
arm amputated, would sing out to COM
radc coming down wounded-"Wcll, ship
mate, how goes the battlel" another
would utter some joke, that would make
even the dying smile, and so constant and
freely were the playful remarks from the
manned, and even dying, that | almost
doubted my own senses. Indeed all this
was crowded into space of not over fif
teen or twenty minutes, before the firing
ceased. | then went upon deck, and what
scene was presented, and how changed
III so short time.
The Constitution looked perfectly fresh
and even at this time, those on board
the Guorriere did not know what ship had
fought them. On the other hand the
Guerrero was a mere rolling log-almost
entirely at the mercy of the sea. Her
colors all shot away, her main-mast and
mizcn-mast both gone by the board, and
her fore-mast standing by the mere honey
comb the shot had made. Capt. Dacrcs
stood,with his officers, surveying the scene
all, all in the most perfect astonish-
mcnt. At this moment boat was seen
putting off from the hostile ship for the
Guerrero, As soon as within sr.at:S, :.
distance, a young gentleman, (midship-
man Reed, nowCOmmOdore RcedO hailed
and said-"I wish to see the officer in
command of the ship" At this, Captain
Dkcres appeared amazed, but recovering
ing himself, and lookingu up and down, he
deliberately replied, "Weli, / don't know
our mizen-mast is gone, our main-mast is
gone-and upon the whole, you may say
VIC have struck our fiagp
commodore Hulps compliments, and
wishes to know if you need the assistance
of surgeon or surgeons mate" Capt.
Dacres replied Nv elf, should suppose
you had on boa.d your owu ship business
enough for all your medical offlcers."-
Midshipman Reed replied, 30 no,we have
only seven wounded, and they were drcs-
sed half an hour ago."
Capt. Dacres then turned to me, deep
ly affected, and said, "How have our ST
tuations been suddenly reverscdl you are
now free and I am prisoner
All the boats of both ships were now
put in re4uiaition to remove the wounded
on board the Constitution-so dreadful
was the condition of many Of them, that
two days We're nearly consumed in the
removal, after which the Guerrero was
burned,with all her stores, armament, &c,
DC. The Constitution having recently