Washington telegraph., 1853-02-09

y,
topsails were backed, while those of the Sc
rapis being filed, the ships separated. The
Scraps wore short, around on her heel, and
her libbooh ran into the mizzen rigging of
the Bon iiomme Richard In this situation
the ships were made fast together with
hawser, the bcwsprit of the Scraps to the
nizzen-mast OF the Bon Homme Richard,
and the action recommended from the star
board side of the two ships With view of
separating the ships the Scraps let 90 her
anchor, which man9uvre brought her and
the stern of the Bon Homme Richard to the
wind while the ships lay closely pressed
against each other y novelty of navy
comb"ts was now presented to many witness
es, but to few admirers
The hammers were run into the resnect
i've ships to enable the men to load after the
lower ports of the Scraps had been blown
away, to make room for running out their
guns, and in this situation the ships remain
ed until between 10 and II o'clock. p. NJ.
when the engagement terminated by the
surrender of the Scraps.
From the commencement to the termina-
tlon of the action there was not man on
board of the Bon Homme Richard ignorant
of the superiority Of the Scraps, both in
weight of mental aud the qualities of the
! crews. The crew Of that ship was picked
seamen, and the ship itself had been only
few months off the stocks, whereas the crew
! Of the Bon Homme Richard consisted of
part American, English, and French, aud Il
part Maltese, Portuguese, and Ma!:vs-
These latter, contributed by their want of
naval skill and knowledge of The English
language, to dcpress rather than elevate a
JUS hope Of success in combat under such
| circumstances Neither the consideration
of the relative fcrce of the ships, the fact of
| the blowing up o: the gun deck above them
| by the bursting Of two of the eighteen
Founders, nor the alarm that the ship was
| sinking, conld deprcss the ardor or change
the determination. ofthe brave Capt Jones.
his officers and men. Neither the repeated
broadsdes of the Alliance, given with the
view Of sinking Or disabling the Bon HON.
me Richard, the frequent necessity OF sus-
pending the combat to extipgush the flames.
which several times were within few inch
es Of the magazine, nor the liberation bv
the master-at-arms Of nearly five hundred
prisoners could weaken or change the pur-
pose Of the American commander
At the moment OF the liberation of the
prisoners, one of them, commander of a
twcnty-eun ship taken a few days before.
| passed through the ports on board the Ser
apis, and informed Captain Pearson that if
he would hold out a little while longer, the
ship alongside would either strike or sink,
and that all the prisoners had been released
to save their lives. The combat was accord
ingly continued with renewed ardor by the
Scraps.
The fire from the tops of the Bon HON.
me Richard was conducted with 50 much
skill and effect as to destroy ultimately every
man who appeared upon the quarterback of
the Scraps, and induced her commander to
order the survivors to go below. Nor even
under the shelter of the decks were they
more secure
The powder-monkeys Of the Scraps find
ing no officer to receive the eighteen-pound
cartridges brou ght from the magazine, threw
them on the main deck. and went for more.
These cartridges being scattered along
| the deck, and numbers OF them broken, it SO
happened that some Of the hand erenades
thrown from the main yard Of the Bon
Homme Richard, which was directly over
the main hatch of the Serapis fell upon this
| powder, and produced mott awful explo-
| sion. The effect was tremendous: more
than twenty Of the enemy we're blown to
pieces, and many sood with only the collars
Of their shirts upon their bodies.
In less than an hour afierward the fac Of
England which had been nailed to the mast
of the Scraps was struck by Captain Pear
sons oacn hana, DIS none OF his people would
venture aloft on this duty-and ;fis, too,
when more than 500 persons were witness
ing the conflict and the humilaing termn-
alton of it, from Scarborough and Flambor-
ou.h head. Upon finding that the flag Of
the Scraps had been struck, went to Capt
Jones and asked whether I might board the
S,rapis? to which he consented. and jump
ing the gun-wale, seized ibe man-brace
pennant, and swung myself upon her quar-
tar-deck. Mid~hipman Mayrant followed
with party Of men, and was immediately
run through the thigh with boarding pike
by some of the enemy i'll the waists, who
were not informed OF the surrender of their
ship
l found Captain Pearson standing on the
lee-ward side of the quarterback, and ad-
dressing myself to him, said, ''S:r, have
orders TO send You on board the ship along
side The first lieutenant Of the Scraps,
coming up at this moment inquired of Cap
tain Pearson whether the ship alongside haa
struck to him! To which | replied. No.
sir the contrary he has struck to us" The
lieutenant renewing his inquiry, ''Have you
struck, sir?" Was answered Yes, have"
The lieutenant replied, Il have nothing
more to say and was about to return be-