The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-07-04
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE CHESA.
PEAKE AND THE SHANNON.

L
A correspondent Of the Boston
Transcript gives the following inter
esting account OF this memorable sea
fight, which occurred forty three years
ago last Sunday:
"There are, doubtless, some survi-
vors who could give thrilling recoIlec-
tons OF that memor. able battle, in
which the proportion of killed and
wounded to the survivors, was said to
be greater, for the short time the bat
tie lasted, than in any other fight be-
tween single frigates on record. The
battle lasted but fifteen minutes. and
in thattime the Chesapeake had near
II two hundred killed and wounded.
and the Shannon one hundred; being
three hundred in all, or twenty for
every minute the action lasted!
i Although young at that time, living
near the scene Of action, well recol-
lect the exciting event of that day.
and heard the distant roar Of the can
mon on that still, beautiful summer
afternoon; thousands crowded the
lwharyes and house tops of Boston:
and the battle itself, | think, was yisi,
bic with glasses) frolnthe top Of the
old Exchange Coffee House. Allsthe
pleasure boats and floating crafts
were in requisition, and filed the har-
Dor and bay down to within few
miles ofthe hostile frigates. .A''es
/ Captain Lawrence had taken com
Imand ofthe Chesapeake bnt few
days previous, and was stranger to
his officers and crew. A large part
OF the latter were drunken, riotous
set, and in state ofgreat insubordina.
ton for not having some prize money
lpaid, which was due for their previous
captures. His officers were young:
his first Lieutenant Nudlow) hardly
81 years old. But such was the con.
fidence in the skill and bravery of
Lawrence, that public opinion passed,
and would not allow him to remain
at anchor while a British frigate of
equal size lay, insultingly, off on the
harbor.
Captain Brooke, of the Shannon,
was a noble officer, and greater dis
lciplinarian. He paid particular at
tention to exercising his men at the
great guns, till the rapidity and accu-
racy Of their fire was celebrated
amongst the British cruisers. As
soon as he saw the Chesapeake loosen
her sails, he exercised his.men to their
cannon (without firing) for two or
three hours, as was stated by the
tShannon's officers some years after
He also advised the numerous fisher
men about the bay to haul off few
miles, as there would be a bloody
work before night, and they might be
injured by the cannon balls of both
friends and foe. This fact | learned
from bingham fisherman who was
out in the lower harbor that day.
| The Chesapeake lifted her anchor
about noon, the Shannon then being
in sight The former ship was gently
waited down the harbor, the Shannon
slowly drawing of, so as to get plenty
Of room for manoeuvering. At lit
tie before Ave, the Chesapeake fired
her gun Of defiance and to intimate
that she would not be drawn off any
further. The Shannon instantly and
proudly hauled up; the crew Of the
Chesapeake gave three cheers, while
the former poured in the broadsides,
at scarcely pistolshot distance, with
such fatal precision and rapidity, that
the quarter deck of the Chesapeake
was nearly swept Of its officers and
men. tit 59.sF sai t1s
| The fire was promptly returned
with as much efficiency as possible;
the weather being calm and the sea
smoothe, the ships hung foul Of each
other, and in fifteen minutes were
both perfect charnel houses, nearly
one half of the crew ofthe Chesapeake
being killed or wounded: Captain
Lawrence, the lieutenantlthree mid
shipmen, the sailing master and boat
swain, were all killed or mortally
wounded by the first two broadsides
Of the Shannon; and eventually every
queer on WHOM .he eoinlanu =! ,he
snip couiu aeVoive' was eitller Killed
VI Wouiiugu'
oaPt. aMrence was Woanaed m
Ine isg py .ns ms! Dsoadslae, ana
soon a11s,wafus aS reserved . grape sno5
.nlough .ne oou IN Deing carried
Deiow' anu, iol uay Or TWO aIter,
VINE nis a.;, ,a,nu as Mas Mahuerllg, anu 4
IA eAeiuoia.s s:la asony, nls constant
cry ss,nce pecone ihelnofaG1e) was
q You - . y.es ~ ~ Me sniY Ne iIVed
nse uays, anu Was ,ieli illd OUT on
.n1 saes 9uai.ar,aeck ;s, salie.y ol nus snip
aru snlouuea sntl WIN t1e nmefican nag
III nls nls. nJu.enana, s...s huuicw, was NOR
Any ..ul: muunueI - .a.'cllP FL .iug 81 - rePei s
~; :e hs.a hess's sats; alueis y ,lle Summon,
.lls @ neau anu ~. iaIe oeing almost neWeo e
~ % p's,s1 80 ~ saem Gquasses. MaI:s iney
n msae uo'n e uu..ou - nao nall,aa .a WIN 'lle
1onols .h;~M - VA ae SoJa SOL, al.er Sap.i