The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-08-18
Capture of the Cucrriere BY the Con
stitutiOn.

The following account Of the capture Of the British
lIisae Gderriere by the American higate Ccnstitu-
ton, is communicated to the Evening Post by cor
respondent, who was prisoner on board the Guer-
ricre during he combat. 1t Is a paper which de-
serves place among the historical archives Of TIE
cousry:
Having been an American prisoner on board the
Gncrrere, during the famous battle hetweea that
frgate and the United States t,igate Constitution
propose giving you account Of that important
action, which took place m June, 1872.
About two weeks previous to the engagement, |
lett Boston IN an tmcrican ship which was captured
by the Gueriere five days before she ie. liz with
the Constitution.
1t was about ten o'clock in the morning when The
Consultation was discovered. The Guorrere hove
| Ia to enable her to up. As the Constitution
! nea,ed US, Captain Dacrcs handed his glass, and
asked what thought her To be- My reply was
''She looks Ike A irigate" Very soon she came
within reach OF the long Of the Guerriere which
we're fred. bet with effect the ran hi9
The Constitution made reply, bui as saw, was
manouyering i)r u posiion--duTing which Captain
Dacres said 10 me. s'Do vou thlnk she Is going to
strike without iiringl' replied, 81 think not sir.
At tIiis motreut, seeing severe contest was about
commencing, in which could take part, being
oaly prisoner, raised my hat 10 Capt Dacres, and
said to hm--''With yonr permission, sir. will 90
! below, as | can take no part" go, certainly, sad
he, ''and YOU had better 90 into the cock pit, and
should any Of chance 10 get wounded,
shall feel obliged il sou viii assist the surgeons in
dressing them. ''CsrIainlv, SIR, said / and thea
descended INTO the cock PIT. There the
geons ard surgeons mates, and attendants, sttin,
round long table, covered with instruments, and all
necessares tor dressing the wounded az stij as u-
neral. Within one moment after my foot !eit the
lower round nf the ladder the Constitutions gave that
/ Il Il
in heap the opposite side Of the ship.
! For a moment i, Appeared II heaven ard earth
had struck together terrific shock cannot be
iniag gined Retire. these in tie cock pit had ad-
lusted themselves, the blood doAn from the dcch
as .rec, AS If IA washub full had been turned over.
aud instantly the dead, wounded and dying, were
banded dow rapidy could pass them, tiIi
the cock pit was filed with hardly for the sur
geons to work Midshipmen were handed down nh
one leg, some with arm, ard others wounded III
almost every shape and condition. An officer who
tho table havog his arm amputated, would
sing out to conrade coming down wonrded--"Weii
shipmac, how goes the battle :! another would utter
some Joke, that would make even the dying srciIe
and 50 constant and free', the playful remarks
from the ilaimed ard dying that | almost
doubted my own senses. Indeed all this crowded
into a space Of not over fifteen twenty minutes,
before the firing ceased. then went upon deck, and
what scene was presented, and how changed in SO
short time.
The Constitution looked perfectly fesh-and even
AT this time those board the Guerrero did not
know what ship had fought them. On the other
hand the Guerrero rolling log almost
entirely at the mercy Of the Her colors all shot
away, her maininast and mizcn mast both gone by
the board, and her foremast standing hy the mere
honey coIrb the shot had made. Captain Dacres
stood, with his officer, survey ing the scene-a, all
in most perfect astonishment. AZ tins moment boat
was seen putting of from the hostile ship for the
Gnerrere. rs soon within speaking distance, a
Young gentlemen tMidshipman Reed, now Commo-
dore Reed) hailed and said'l wish To gee the Off
Ger i'll command of the ship" At this, Captain,
Dacres stepped forward, and answered. Midshpman
Reed then sa,d--"Commodofe IIuifs compliments
and wishes to know if YOU have struck your Aag?''-
Al this Captain Dacres appeared amazed, bat reoov.
erlng himself and looking up and down, ne deiibeT-
ately replied "Well, don't know--our mizen mast
is gone, o,ir rnan-nast is gone-and-upon The whole
! YOU NAV say we have struck our fagr
"Commodore Hull'S compliments, and wishes to
know if sou need the assisauce OF surgeon or sar
geon's mate!' Cas.aiii Dacres replied, "well, |
should suppose you had on board your own ship hn-
sness enough for all your medical officers" Md
shpran Reed replied, "Oh, no, We have only
seven wounded, and they were dressed half an hour
ago"
/ Capt. Dacres then turned 20 ne, deeply affected
and said, "How have orr situations been suddenly
reversed. you are how tree, and am prisoner"
All the ships boats now pu, 10 requsition to
remove the wounded board the Constitution-sc
dreadful was the condition Of many Of them that two