Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-04-19


answered the attentive gunner! And thu
gallant ship was as silent as before,
At fifteen minutes past one P NJ, the en-
emy bore down on the Wasp's weather quar-
ter, answered her ennnon at defiance, ant
stood gallantly down to elise. When with
in sixty yards of the American, the chase f.
red shifting gun from his top-gallant fore
castle, and repeated the same unwelcome sa'
lutte for several minutes This destructive
fire, however, was borne without murmur
by the Wasp, which vessel could not bring q
gun to bear on her antagonist. favorable
moment had now arrived.
Put your helm down' shouted Blakely q,
the quarter deck.
In moment the broadside of this vcsse
began to show its teeth upon the enemy, and
soon the stranger received his former double
shotted salute with interest.
Haul up the ma:nsail' thundered the deck
trumpet.
The order had scarcely died away, before
the heavy sail hung in testoons upon the
main yard. The fire OF the Wasp now be-
came dreadfll-every shot told; ard feeling
that any risk was safer than the enc he was
then running, the captain of the British crui'
ser, at forty minutes past three,ran the Wasp
aboard on the starboard tuarteF, his larboard
now coming foul. The English commander
now uttered tie magic commund-'B Darders
away!' and placing himself at the head of his
crew, cnteavored to carry the deck of his an
tagohist. Three times in succession the at
tempt was made, and three times the Amer-
cans drove the assailant's back with great
slaughter. At the third rush, the gallant cap
tain OF the enemy fell from the Wusp's mz-
zen rigging while in the act Of flour shing
his sword--,wo bullets had pierced his brain
and he was dead ere he touched the deck.
| AT for,y-four minutes past three, Captain
! Blakely gave the commGhi 10 board in turn.
The American Sc men now started en- masse,
bounded over the hammock net,ings of the
enemy like living torrent; and in one min
ute, amid the clashng of cutlasses, the sharp
reports of boarding pistols, the groans of the
dying and the yells of the wounded. were
masters of the foe. As the sword Of the dy-
ing Manners was laid upon tile capstan, the
flag of Britain DR.. pped suddenly upon the
bloody deck of the Reindeer, and ere the
spectator could mark the movement, the BAN
ner of freedom fouted triumphantly in its
place.
The Reindeer was an eighteen gun sloop-
Of var. and hod complement of ll8 souls:
She had 25 killed and 43 wounded; while
the Wasp had but five Killed, AMI % woun-
ded.
After burning his shattered prize, the VIC
torous Btakely shaped his course for Lori
ent. where he arrived on the 9Th of July,
with his ensign waving above the tdttered
flag Of England and his vessel crowded with
prisoners OF war.
On the 27th Of August, having Undergone
a thorough repair, the Wasp dropped down
to the outer anchorage, and departed for the
shores of France. Having mdde few pri-
zes, she stood farther out to sea, and en- tho
morning of the first of September found him
self ia the midst of feet of merchantmen,
under convoy of the Armanda, seventy -four.
With his accustomed skill and gallantrv,
Capt. Blakcly, now beat TO quarters, and
dashed in among the unsuspectng fleet.
vessel loaded with guns and military stores,
was soon captured, and while the boarding
officer was busiy engaged with another, the
seventy -four came down upon the wind and
stopped the havoc with her heavy thunder
Evening now crept in long and dusky shad-
ows along TIE Silent waters, and the lookout
man from his airy height, watched with eag-
er eyes the horizon around.
The cry of'Suil or now reused the Off
GERS from their evening meal Busy feet
echoed along the cleared decks, and the shot
rack received a farther supply of the iron
messenger Of death, while the active powder
boy stood with spare cartridge in his leath-
ern passing box beside his gun. Four sail
now hove in sight, bu. the nearest one seem
ing like man of.war the Wasp ran down TO
speak her.
At twenty minutes past nine the chase
WAS on her Ice bow, within hail. A heavy
EIGHTEEN now hurled its dcath-dealng shot
into the enemy's bride port, and swept his
deck fore and aft.
The shot was promptly returned by the
chase: when Blakey, passing under his lee,
fearful 'es, he might escape, the wind blow
inc biph, and the Wasp going ten knots
Having reached the right position, the Sai-
liant little Wasp poured in broa1Slde which
ratified the enemy'S spars and rigging about
his ears, and convinced him of the true char
acter OF the stranger. 1t was nov nine o.
clock at night Darkness rested upon the
ocean, save when illuminated by the bright
flashes of musketry; and the heavy roar of
canncn died away amid the din of the swell
ing waves. Furious was the fire of the
Wasp, and warm was the return made by the
enemy. twas almost impossible to tell the
officers from the men, amid the smoke and
darkness of the hour; and the seamen slipped
upon the bloody deck as they ran out their
long eighteens. The wind howled mourn
fully through the Rigging; the vessels plum
ged heavily along the agitated deep. As
they came upon the :oP OF corresponding
waves, tho practised Sunners fired, and when
they rose again discovered the damage they
had done.
For one hour this terrible conflict was kept
up with unmitigated fierceness. At ten the
enemy's fire ceased, ;and Captain Biak"ly
leaning over the quarter, hailed them in o