Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-08-15
8rlmont Chrnnitlc.
BRILLIANT ACTION AT SEA!
HUzzAH for our GALLANT TARsl
A PRIvATEER CUT TO PIECEsi
Tbirty-six CsroIinians In Moyamcnsing q
Jail.
zAH for our aALLANT TARsl
pRIvArEER cuT TO pIEoEsi


curses a Spartan garrison of seventy mel
surrendering to seven thousand rebels.
One week ago, the conspirators in. For
Sumter looked out upon the sea, and behclC
forty men of Charleston in sinking vessel
at the mercy Of the waves, and under tho
guns of an American frigate, about to be
carried to Northern city under the fiae
they had insultel. The parallel is good -
The pirates and the patriots. were equally
reckless; the rddled casemates of Sumter
correspond to the splintercd hulk of the
privatcer; and in the end of the two partic,
Of prisoners alone may we look for the dis
similar features.
The rebel vessel, in this case, was the pri-
vateer Fstrd formerly the revenue cutter
General 4iten. The captor was the United
States frigate 81. LliCreace, and the re-
msinder of the pirate crew liz, by this time,
safely ensconced in the county prison, on
Passyunk road.
To give the circumstances in full, We will
commence at the beginning The iiigate
81 Latcreace, which had lain at our navy
yard in ordinary, stripped of rigging and,
apparently. useless hulk, was prepared
for sea late in June, and placed in commits
her appearance on the day she sailed in thi;
wise:
mo words can describe the appearance of
the frigate 81. Lauyence as she now lies of
the navy-yard pier at anchor, with the black
muzzlcs OF her guns in lines, and the port
holes ajar.
" a bull dog with set tc0th wild eagle
with all the rigging Of feathers, and plumes,
and talons; a spotted snake, poised in the
sunshine and ready to strike; anything that
Is Jaunty and beautiful, yet deadly and ripe
Tor blood, will represent the 81. Ldwrcnce
with her three tiers of cannon pointing to
the Fast and West, and over her high spars
the flag OF the Union streaming. As she
sits &c on the surface, buoyant and trim as a
skitt or yawl, yet massive, and capable of
sailing With an armament aboard, few fail
tofeel instnctiyely the strength of our navy
and the power OF our shipbuildors
She carries fifty guns, and her crew,
consisting OF seamen, ordinary seamcn, lands
men, and boys, numbers four hundred and
eighty IN all Her marine guard consists Of
hity able bodied men, chiefly Pennsylva-
MANS She is in first-rate condition, and will
no doubt render effective service"
The ~. Ldcrence, thus in trim, sailed
down the river, took in powder, shell, and
sh9t' and went oil to join the blockade.
ner onlcers wisely Judged that many pri-
~" "ou' not hhoW Hcr tIuc cillr-
acter, and, to still further conceal her arma.
ment and object, the port holes were kept
closed and the men put out of sight.
She crulsed for month along the Allan
tic coast, between Cape Henry and Swan
nah, and on the morning of the first OF Au-
gust, while Just outside the harborol Charles
ton, espied long, rakish schooner, filed
Win men and mounting three or four guns,
smiling rapidly down upon her. The port.
holes were still shut, but the flag was at the
peak, and the ~. LnWrence looked not ull-
ike great, lumberly .merchantman becam-
ed III q strange latitude, and too unwieldly
for any purposes SAVE the holding of big
cargo for tho avarice Of an enemy to court
and daring privateer to secure.
AS the stranger came down, tho 81. La'o-
renee holsted all sails and affected to be anx-
lous 70 get out to sea. In reality, however,
she was edging closer in to shore and making
arrangements below to receive the reckless
visitors with appropriate largess. Directly
shot came skipping over the water falling
lnt9 the sea few rods ahead of tho frigate,
ana a number followed i in quick succession,
nut nearly al either striking beyond or pass
ing over The final discharge consisted of
grape and canister, which made some little
ualliance with the filgate's $ rigging, and ad-
" '.iO Sohiiahucr tIat inc pay was
growing serious.
AT tins time the vessels were within speak
ing distance, and man in uniform was seen
mounted upon the pirate deck, who shout
cd 10 the AZ. Lr'crence to lay to and send
over boat. The crew were distinctly seen
fourlshlng their cutlasses, and the ginners
ralnming and pointing their guns. She car
re RED three guns, supposed to be rined cannon.
Then the ~: Law,eace threw up her ports,
and disclosed whole broadsdc of cannon,
with the ,glnners at the breech of the guns,
holding lighted fuses, and directly the broad
decks were filed with seamen in blue Jackets
armed with muskets, who spmng into tho
sshrouds and ran out the yards laying prone
IN the maintop, on the bowsprit, in the fore
castle, and at every point where aim could
be taken with advantage. In word, the
ugly. merchantmen was mctamorphosed into
6rlstllng war ship, with man at every
point, and abroadsidc of cannon looking in
70 tho eyes Of the pirates. The latter, taken
aback, recoiled a moment but before thew
had time for action, even for thought, the
guns bclchcd forth iron and fire, splintering !
tho masts, cutting the rigging and the sais
as with knives, breaking tho spars and the
booms, and literally carving the schooner in
to pieces, and opening gulis into which tho
waters rushed, as through sluices, filling the
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