New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-04-21

4 This astletter was sent about the 3Oth
a Of May, and it is believed that Captain Lawrence
Il never received it. t.$s IT. fts W. S3S
4 On lie morning Of the LIST of June-4the Shannon
4 being close to the Boston light-house-at o'clock
Il A. NJ the Chesapeake got under way and came ont
Of the harbor, wind light, in breezes king slight
ripple on the water Meanwhile the Shannon under
easy SAIL made ofn from the coast thinking that
prvatee1s Or light come ont and assist the
4 Chesapeake. go, r. &. s:g.;355sa i.5
4 & AT 4 o'clock M. the Chesapeake hove to and
fred gum being then about four miles distant from
the Shannon The Shannon Immediately fired an
other and hove to upon which the Chesapeake made
sail and began to shorten the distance between the
4 rival vessels. a. .3iE
4 The Chesapeake approached with five large SPLEEN
did ensigns flying, one Of which was an immense
1 whitesk flag with Free trade and sailors rights
Inserted thereon large letters which could be read
BY the naked eye 81 q onsid ID distance
4 The apeake came within about two miles, and
was sWiftl nearing the Shannon Captain Broke
now turned the hands and made short Grafton
Il to the men, nearly as follows. g5r
Recollect and bear i'd mind that the Americans
4 are proud they have sunk or taken
seYeraI of our vessels sand they say that Eng
Il $lishmen have forgotten how to fight! Remember
that they have Anglo Saxon blood in their veins
and you have not French, nor Spanards nor Dutch
to fight today Oh must either take her or go TO
Il the bottom y sS9
Upon which the crew gave three cheers, and stimuli
ssttane1nsly tie crew Of the Ctesape eheered
The Ghesa peake8 Came beautiful under her
sails sails and courses, and
when within Iess than mile gradually shortened
X sail, the Of until she
approaefied So close that Broke supposed she
vas going to lay ath@ The s5hannons stern and
here Deenain this 20 be the object
orde the to lie down.
During Of eedings the perfection
naval was 50 complete that you might
| have heard II pin drop. " X . E3 Ia
The Chesapeake came so close that her flying jlb-
boom nearly touched the tratfrail of the Shannon,
when CAP tain ~ lawrence Immediately uifed up IN
e i7eather quarter of the Shannon, and at the same
moment Captain Broke whispered to the quarter
master at the wheel to put the helm down when the
Shannon shot suddenly round-the. awful command
gby Captain Broke was given, "Fne when your guns
bear AMI the whole broadside Of the Shannon, at
halfpston shot distance was poured into the Chesa-
peake more destructiyely than It it was exactly rak
ing, the Chesapeake being unable to return single
gun. The broadside was very destructive. One hun
bred men were killed and wounded; most OF the Off
GERS belonging to the Chesapeake were struck down.
either killed orwounded, and five guns the side of
the Chesapeake engaged were dismonnted and rem
.dered horS de combat.
Under these serious disadvantages the Chesapeake
ranged alongside and delivered her broadside, one
half Of which was pointed at the water line, and the
other half at the rigging and nasts Of the Shannon
Several shot penetrated below the water line and
every shroud of the fore, min and mzen rigging of
the Shannon was cut to pieces. The Chesapeake was
then yergng ahead when the best bow anchor of the
Shannon caught in the anyards Of her main rigging
| grapplings from both vessels were thrown aboard,
when the vessels were both dashed and made fast in
4 that position lnuzzle to muzze
I The quarter deck guns and part of the 1nan-deck
gins of the Chesapeake played upon the bow of the
shannon and the orecaste guns and part Of the bow
4 guns Of the maindeck of the Shannon played upon
the afterpart of the Chesapeake. The second, third
4 and fourth hroadsdes of the Chesapeake were very
destructive Numbers fell on board of the Shannon
and the guns in the bow had to be manned several
times from the atermost guns, caused by the number
| Killed and wounded. The fourth gun on the bow Of
At.
left, in moment Of time, with only one man stand
| ing out of twelve; the remainder were killed and
| wounded 73 aTss =&r ~ va
| The engagement had lasted now about eight min,
utes, and four rounds were the most that had been
fired by either vessel when the order of Captain
Broke called the boarders away and about twenty
i thirty followed him and First Lieutenant Watt on
/ board the Chesapeake. A few seamen and marines
fought calamity the forecaste of the Chesapeake
until they were overpowered some were supposed to
have been lost overheard, and some gained the main
deck through the bowports. Captain Broke was Sc
/ yerely wounded on board the Chesapeake.
i Then number of tho Shannons crew hlddled
around in the stern of the Chesapeake and in I'M
4 dertaking to oist the British flag over the American
4 they made mistake and hoisted the American flag
4 over the British. In the meantime, Second Lieuten
ant Wallis, who commanded the Shannon in the alb
sence of his Captain and First Lieutenant, ordered
4 the firing of two thirty.two FOUNDER carronades
loaded with grape which killed his own First Lieu
4 tenant and ten eleven of his own A. shor
l.
4 AT the expiration of eleven minutes from the com
i menceTnent of the engagement the Chesapeake wa
taken complete possession of. AT the same time thu
Shannon had about six feet water in her hold and il
4 lasted SO long.
AT about the second or third broadside First Lieut.
Ludlow of the Chesapeake, had called boarders away
and boarded the Shannon, expecting to have thirty
/ orgforty men at least under his command when
! Portuguese hoatswain's mate ran down below like
4 coward and the men following his example, only
1 ortwo accompanied Lieut. Ludlow, who was wounded
on the deck of the Shannon by bayonet stab in the
breast, which atterward proved fatal at Halifax It is
confidently believed that at the time Lieut. Ludlow
boarded the Shannon had he been supported by his
boarders, he would have taken the Shannon in the
confusion which prevailed on board in consequence OF
/ the number of killed and wounded
4 Lieut., Wallis was promoted for his gaantry to be
4 q master and commander. He commanded the Lie
jperyer subsequently, which taken, after short
engagement, by United States brigofwar of infe-
ror force So much for the brave Second Lieutenant
Wallis, who was promoted for killing his own First
/ Lieutenant and his own men.
A Masters Mate Eatough, q Dane, commanded the
first division of guns in the bow upon the main deck;
/ and when they began to fall, killed and wounded, he
lodged under the lee Of the foremost. Being recon.
mended for his bravery, in the official account he
4 was also promoted. " ~
Capt Lawrence was slightly wounded by the first
broalside. The last word he spoke will be raying
cry of seamen while time lasts" Don't give up the
ship.n
The writer of this was severely wounded about the
i fourth broadsde from the Chesapeake.
/ The American navy suffered no disgrace on account
Of the loss Of the Chesapeake, especially taking into
considerations the awful destruction causedby the first
broadside of the Shannon, The latters thirty-two-
| FOUNDER carronades were loaded On follows: a round
| shot, a stand of grape, and keg of musket balls
| eight hundred and seventy. FIVE in number-thus
tfeby shotted; and similarly loaded were the long
only the keg of musket balls con.
taiped but six hundred and fifty. There were four OF
these kegs fitted to the guns, for every gun In the
/ ship. -.
fhaye already given the armament of the Shannon
i Her crew. previous to the engagement, numbered
three hundred and thrty,tve men and boys. Thirty
Il or forty of these were boys or old men.
The Chesapeake, according to the muster rolls
found on board, had three hundred and ninety men
q Which oniy one or two were buys. and the remain
der N the prime life. She mounted long twenty
iour and thirsytwo FOUNDER oorronades, aud
! had tTepty FIVE guns on the side abe engaged the