New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-11
NUMBER IS.
CHATTER III.

pany iatua When ne went 70 the Partisan metro
polls on a visit to the father Of the French pale
faces Neither the legs nor the sailor cared for
the gayety and the crowd Of cities; the stout
mariners home was in the puttoek- -shrouds Of
the old Repudiator. The stern and simple trap
per loved the sound Of the waters better than
the iarpon of the French Of the old country al
can follow the talk of a Pawnee.' he said, '' or
wag my jew, if 80 be necessity bids me to speak,
by Sioux's CounciI-fre; and can patter Ca
madam French, too, with the hunters, who come
for peltries to Nachiches, Of Thichimuchimachy,
but from the tongue of French woman, with
white -four on her head and war-paint on her
face, the Lord deliver poor Natty Pumpo."
Amen and amen!'' said Tom Coxswain.
There was a woman in cur aft-scuppers when
went a whaling in the Grampus-and Lord
love you, Pumpo you poor land-swsb, she was
as pretty a craft as ever dowsed tarpauling--
there was a woman on board the Grampus, who,
before we'd struck our first fish, or billed our
first blubber, set the whole crew in nutiny.
mind me Of her now, Natty-her eye was such
piercer that you could see to steer by It in a
Newfoundland fog her nose stood out like the
Grampus's jib- boom, and her voice, Lord love
you, her voice sings in my ears even now it
set the captain quarrelin' with the mate, who
was hanged in Boston harbor for harpoonin' OF
his officer in Baffin's Bay it set me and Bob
Bunting pouring broadsides into each others
old timbers, wheres pc and Bob was worth all
the women that ever Whipped hawser 1t cost
me three years pay as I'd slowed away for the
old mother, and might have cost me ever SO
much more, only, bad luck to me, she went and
married a little tailor out Of Nantucket, and
I've hated women and tailors ever since! - As
he spoke, the hardy tar dashed drop of brine
from his tawny cheek, and once more betook
himself to splice the taffrail.
Though the brave frigate lay off Havre de
Grace, he was not on it. The gallant Bowie
and his intrepid crew made repeated descents
upon the enemy's sea board. The coasts of Rut-
land and merry Leicestershire have still many
legend Of fear to tell and the children Of the
British fishermen tremble even now when they
speak Of the terrible Repudiator She was the
FIRST of the mighty American war-ships that
have taught the domineering Briton to respect
the valor of the republic.
The novelist ever and anon finds himself
forced to adopt the sterner tone of the historian,
when describing deeds connected with his coun-
try's triumphs. 1t is we'll known that during
the two months in which she lay off Havre, the
Repudiator had brought more prizes into that
port than had ever before been seen in the as
tonished French waters. Her actions with the
Dettingen and the Elector frigates form part of
our country's history; their defence--it may
besaid without prejudice to national vanity
was worthy of Britons and of the audacious foe
they had to encounter; and it must be owned,
| that but for happy fortune which presided on
that day over the destinies of our country, the
chance of the combat might have been in favor
of the British vessels. 1t was not until the
Elector blew up, at quarter past 8, p. NJ, BY
q lucky shot which fell into her caboose, ant
communicated with the powder magazine. tina
Commodore Bowie, was enabled to lay himsel
on board the Dettingen, which he carried swor,
in hand Even when the American boarder
had made their lodgment on the Dettingen'
pinnacle, it is possible that the battle woul
still have gone against us. The British wer
still seven to one; their carronades, loaded wit
marine-spikes, swept the gun-deck, of which "
had possession, and decimated our little force
when o rihe-ball from the shrouds Of the Rep,
, diator shot Captain Mumford under the star
the Guelphic Order, which he wore, and Il
Americans, with shout, rushed up the col
9 panion way to the quarterback upon the a
4 tonished foe. Pike and cutlass did the rest
= the bloody work. Rumford, the gigantic fir
lieutenant Of the Dettingen, was cut down b
Commodore Bowie 8 own sword, as they engage
hand to hand; and it was Tom Coxswain VII
tore down the British flag, after having slai
the Englishman at the wheel. Peace be to th
souls of the brave! The combat was honorabl
alike to the victor and the vanquished and
never can be said that an American warrior de
preciated gallant foe. The bitterness of de
feat was enough to the naughty Islanders VIII
had to suffer. The people Of Herne Bay wer
lining the shore, near which the combat too
place, and cruel must have been the pang
them when they saw the Stars and Stripes ris
over the old flag of the Union and the Dettinge
fall down the river in tow of the republica
n frigate.
Another action Bowie contemplated; th
boldest and most daring perhaps ever imagine
by seamen. 1t is this which has been so wrongl
described by European annalists, and of whic
the British until now have maintained the mo-
jealous secrecy.
Portsmouth harbor was badly defended. Gu
intelligence in that town and arsenal gave U
precise knowledge Of the disposition of tn
troops, the forts, and ships there and it wa
determined to strike blow which should shak
the British power in its centre.
That q frigate of the size of the Repudiato
should enter the harbor unnoticed, or could es
cape its guns unscathed. passed the notions
even American temerity. But upon the memo
rable 26th of June, 1882, the Repudiator sale
out of Havre Roads in thick fog, under cove
of which she entered and cast anchor in Bor
church Bay, in the Isle of Wight To surpris
the Martello Tower and take the feeble CARR
son Hereunder, was the work of Tom Coxswai
and few of his blue jackets The surprise
garrison laid down their arms before them
1t was midnight before the boats of the shi
commanded by Lieut. Bunker, pulled off fro
| WIN muiueu eitrs, anu III anOLn
, hour were off the Common Hard of Portsmout
} having passed the challenges of the Thetis, Il
Amphion frigates, and the Polyantlius brig
( There had been on that day great feastir
9 and merriment on board the flag ship lying
= the harbor. A banquet had been given in hont
l of the birthday of one of the Princes Of Il
, royal line of Guelphs-the reader knows Il
propensity of Britons when liquor is in plent,
All on board that royal ship were more or le!
i, overcome. The flag ship was plunged in
death-like and drunken sleep. The very ofict
/ of the watch was intoxicated; he could not 81
/ the Repudiaters boats as they shot swift
through the waters nor had he time to cha
. lenge her seamen as they swarmed up the hug
5 sides of the ship.
! At the next moment Tom Coxswain stood
, the wheel of the Royal George-the Briton wi
had guarded, a corpse at his feet. The hatch,
were down. The ship was in possession Of Il
/ Repudiator's crew. They were busy in her ri,
, ging, bending her sails to carry her out of Il
harbor. The well-known heave of the men
the windlass, woke up Kempenfelt in his stat
cabin. We know, or rather do not know the r.
| suit; for who can tell by whom the lower-deC
ports of the brave ship were opened, and ho
the naughty prisoners below sunk the ship al
f its conquerors rather than yield her as pri
to the republic
r Only Tom Coxswain escaped of victor and va
t quished. His tale was told to his captain al
: to Congress, but Washington forbade its public
| ton and it WAS but lately that the faithful 40