Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-18
MO WmOUpn WEEKLY n i ALDe

and appeared like men almost in a state
of mutiny. Had we consulted prudence,
he would have turned back to Boston
barber, aud have moored his frigate un-
der the protection of the guns Of the bat.
terry But he scorned to have it said OF
him that he professed ary other courage
but that which leads to conquest or death.
AS he approached the Shannon, she
seemed to Fly at first, as if Capt. Brooke
were DESTROYS to shun the encounter
This, however, was only o feint for no
sooner had the Chesapeake fred a gun,
than she hove to, and the battle com
menced, and was continued for eleven
minutes, with terrible obstinacy,-Capt.
Lawrence was severely wounded in the
leg, by the Hrst fire of the enemy, but he
still maintained his position, and gave or
ders with as much GOODNESS as il nothing
had happened to him. To add to the
misfortune of the crew, by some culpable
neglect ON their part, the Chssapcake's
anchor had canght into one Of tho port
holes Of the Shannon, and thus her gaas
could not be brought to bear with any
degree Of effect upon the enemy, while the
shannon swept her docks with murderoas
and fatal precision. Capt. Lawrence
how received q second wound, which
proved to bs mortal. As soma Of his
men were carrying him below, no exelaim
cd, with more than Spartan courage.
Don't give up the ship"
The British Immediately boarded the
| Chesapeake, and captured her without
further resistance. She vas taken into
Halifax and to the honor Of her capters.
be it said, the prisoners were treated With
great humanity. All cnmity was forgot
ten in sympathy for the brave Captain,
who lay mort2lly wounded. Everything
that medical and surgical skill cosld 90.
was PROMPTLY applied to alleviate his saf
feripgs but all in vain. He fingered ia
excraciating pain four days, and expired,
on the 9Th Of June, 1916, at the early age
of 81 years. Had he commanded the
crew Of the Hornet in that unfortunate
engagement, far different would have been
the result. The truth is, he trusted to
have infused his own danntless spirit into
the hearts Of awkward recruits and in
this, he was disappointed. That his crew
were i'll prepared to enter into q naval
enga cement, is evident from the fact,
that the loss of the Chesapeake in killed
and wounded, was LAG, while that of the
Shannon was only 36-a great disparity,
when we consider, that the two vessels
were nearly evenly matched, in point Of
numbers.
Captain Lawrence was buried with all
the honors Of war, at Halifax. The Ma
tional STARS and Stripes" formed his
shroud and a vast concourse of officers
and respectable inhabitants of that city,
and many distinguished strangers atten-
ded his funeral. The bells were tolled.
inmate guns were fired, and badges of
mourning were worn, as if he had been a
brother, and not a foeman. There vas
no mock sympathy on the melancholy oc
casion it was deep, sincere, and unaffec
ted for the heroic and manly virtues of
Capt. Lawrence were such as to endear
him ever to bis enemies, Since the death
of the lamented Warren, on Bunker (orl
Brecd's) Hill, America had never been
called to bewail the loss of o nobler
purer and more patriotic hero, than Capt.
James Lawrence, of New Jersey. Not
many years since, Capt. George Croun
inshfeld, of Salem. Mass, by permission
Of the British Government, removed his
body from Halifax, at his own expense,
and caused it to be re-inhumed in his na
tive land. No monument, however costly
and exquisite in workmanship, car be too
magnificent to perpetuate his memory,
which is still deeply engraven in the
hearts of his countrymen.