New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-27
TEE Two BARRONs.

the more especially there De Dl0t upon tue
latters fame. The public have On idea that in
fanny is hereditary. There were two Barrons in
the Navy. The father is dead-his history un-
stained by treason. The son is in durance-his
record black with it. The generation which
lived when the father drew down upon bis head
the public condemnation, has long since passed
away. Its successors know that he was guilty
of some great ofense, but not exactly what. The
treason of the son will make it instructive to
revive the story. It teaches lesson which every
Naval officer should remember.
In the early part of 1906 Commodore james
Borron was selected to hoist his broad pennant
on board the frigate Chesapeake, as Commander
Of tie Mediterranean squadron, with Charles
Gordon as Captain. The ship was then at Wash
ippton. where she was taking in stores and
shining her crew. While bing there, the Brit
;.h Minister informed the Government that among
her crew were three deserters from tue br'ush
irieate Melaupus, aud he requested that ihey
might be given up. Though the right thus 10
demand deserters is not recognized BY the law
of nations, yet the Navy Department referred
the application TO Commodore Barron, who d.
reeted Capt. Gordon to inquire carefully into
the matter and make report. IL was discovered
that the three men bad actually deserted from
the Melampus, but they declared themselves I'M
pressed Americans, anxious to escape from I'M
lust detention. The weight OF evidence was In
favor of their being Americans, one being ne
GRO. They were seamen found 10 this country,
| aud bp
up On the naked demand of service which was
then notorious for its violation OF individual
rights. No proof Of British citizenship was
offered Gordon reported, and the British MIN
,ster was informed, that the men could lot be
surrendered: to which he made no reply
In June, the Chesapeake sailed for Norfolk;
having but 10 guns on board, but Oh passing
Mount Vernon it was discovered that her equip
mruts for firing a salute were Imperfect AT
Norfolk, she completed her armament TO 4O guns
and 375 men, aud Gordon reported her to Bar
ron ss ready for sea. Her men had never been
exercised at the guns, and they had been but
three times called to quarters. On the Z2d, che
got under weigh from Hampton Roads. Inc
preylous evening the British frgate Leopard had
anchored in Lynubayen Bay, but when the
Cbrsopeake wulgbed, up at Hampton Roads, the
Leopard lifted anchor aud preceded the Chesa-
peake TO sea. They both got an oiiing at noon,
and at 3 O'Clock we're some Fix miles az sea, the
lie pard keeping near the Chesapeake. The for
mer tbeu bore down upon the latter bOiled her,
aud informed Commodore Barron that she had
/ dispatches Tor him. Both vessels then came to.
Up to this time, the only suspicious circumstance
! noticed by those on board the Chesapeake was
that tue Leopard had her lower ports triced up
and the tompons out of her guns. Bat this fact
was not reported either to Captain Gordon or to
I Commodore Barron.
An officer from the Leopard was sent 10 the
Chf., peake, aud exhibited TO Commodore Barron
a, o,5,r ,,tued by the British Admiral Berkeley
Dated lame /. A. Halifax, directing the Captains
OF all ships under his command, if they fell in
with the Chesapeake at sea, TO show tue order
tJ her commander; TO require 70 search Tor
:" desertrrs" aud "to proceed and cehrch Tor
a. the same" This order was accompanied by q
! note from TIE Captain Of the Leopard, expressing
hope that this little matter of searching for
the dr,erters might be adjusted harmonou'ly.
Such was British naval nsolcDce to tlis Govern.
msut sixty years ago. To tits note Commodore
I Barron replied, by saying that he knew of no
I sue, drserisrs a. were descrbed; that the Gov
eminent had particularly instructed his recrmtlug
officers not TO receive any desertors from British
! ships, aud that his orders would not allow him
to permit bis men 10 be mustered by any officers
but their own. IL has been cOntended that this
order of the British Admiral did not authorize
search by force in the event of refusal to per-
mt it, IL is singular, moreover, that the de-
ser,ers claimed by Admiral Berkeley were not
those alleged to have lett the Meampus, but men
from Other shps, who were supposed to have
subsequently jiued the Chesapeake. The great
fact thus became apparent, that it was the de-
Iibcrat- intention, if not on one preteXt, then
upon another, to search an American frigate.
Tire British lieutenant returned to the Leopard.
Commodore Barron Immediately ordered Capt.
Gordon TO have the gun-Oeck cleared, and 10 call
the men to quarters. On examining the Leopard,
he became seriously impressed with the idea that
force night be employed to make the search.
His heutenanis had, from the first, regarded the
movements OF the enemy with distrust, and bad
begun to clear the decks. But they were Uttered
and numbered; her cables had not been cOiIcd;
the passengers baggage stil lay on the gun-deck;
the men had never been exercised at the guns,
and the ship WIS in tue worst possible condition
to fepel an attack. The guns were oil loaded
aud shotteJ, but there was found to be def
cIrncy of rammers, wads, matches, guo.locks and
powaer.boros. While in this utterly helpless con-