The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-05-21

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/ the Gulf of st. Lqwreuce. ON tive 18Th
OF August, 1872, the English irigato
Guerrero was encountered. The TWO
vessels, nothing 10th. became engaged,
and Ia two hours the Constitution s
an tagonisb was a total wreck. The
crew of the conquered ship were re-
moved as prisoners of war, the wreck
was destroyed. and the Constitution
returned to Boston, where she was
received with unbounded enthusiasm.
She had broken the spell Of invinci-
bility which had encompassed the
British flag on the ocean, and her
victory inspired thousands Of hearts
with courage, which had before been
filed with the gloom of dependency.
Captain Hull was too magnanImous
to wish to monOpoiize the houors of
success; and being DESTROYS of taking
a wife, he transferred his command to.
his friend Capt. William Bainbridge,
who, proceeding to sea, directed the
course of the Old Ironsides to the
South American coast. While block
aiding an English treasure ship in
harbor Of Bahia. he discovered the
English frigate Java on her way to
the East Indies, on the 18th of De-
cember, 1872. When the two ships
had attained a convenient dis
lance for the purpose an en-
gagement took place, which re-
suited In the capture Of the Java.
The prize, being dismasted and other
wise injured, and there being no
means OF repairing her, and the dis
lance being so great from a United
States port. il was deemed advisable
to destroy her. This was done when
the survivors among the crew had
been removed. The Constitution
then sailed for St. Salvador, where
the prisoners were released on parole
The last exploit Of the Old Ironsides
during the war was the capture of the
CyaBe, Of p guns, and the Levant, Of
Is guns, small English sloops of-war
This happened near the port Of Lis
bon, on clear moonlight night. In
the fight the Constitution occupied
a position AZ the apex of rIghtangled
triangle, while her adveTsaries posted
themselves, as It were, az the opposite
angles. The engagement was OF short
duration, the Constitution long guns
giving her the advantage OF having
the battle all her own way Both
the vessels were captured; but the
Levant was abandoned to. and re-
taken by British squadron that sub
sequently fell In with and chased the
Constitution and her prizes.
Persons of a literary turn who have
visited celebrated battle fields, aud
have given a published account Of
their perigriuations, have usually con-
templated those renowned localities
with memories Quickened by Observa-
ton of the sport on which the fate Of
nations had been decided. Their re-
collection Of the interests involved,
and of the events and incidents of the
battle, as was to be expected of per
son of intelligence and sensibility,
gave rise to emotions of eXultatIOn or
humiliation according as they sympa-
thized with the victors or the van
quished. They merely gazed on, and
sauntered, during a brief interval,
over a battle field, and were filed
with either Joy or grief; while we lit
orally lived on one, and that one,
although circumscrlbed In extent, yet
had exhibited as much individual
heroism as was shown at Marathon or
Agincourt, Bannockburn or Water
loo With regard to the triumphs Of
the Old Ironsides, whose decks-her
battle ground-formed our mess table,
our theatre for amusement, and
our seats during periods OF repOse,
and to whose beams we suspended our
hammocks, our beds In health, our
cOuches IN sickness, and our collins
In death; they OccaslOned feelings OF
unmixed satisfaction, and impaired
inspiration 10 accordance with the ma
tional pride those successes awakened.
Every original component part Of
the Constitution, every gun. bolt,
tTeenail, beam, rib, locker, magazine,
and cabin, had its especial history to
relate, had it been communicative
There on that quarter deck had oc-
CURED that strange scene, IN which
the passionate, yet noble-hearted
Preble, and the gallant, high minded
Decatur were the drGmGtjs Persona.
The former was pacing the quarter
deck with impatient strides, filed
with anxiety for the result of the at
tack upon the defences of the harbor
of Tripoli, under the management Of
the latter. Minute after minute sped,
taking with it a year of the COmmo-
dore's life, wrung from him by the tor
ture of the suspense which he suf-
fered. He was aware that the attack
was raging, but how it was speeding
was concealed from his knowledge.
At length, Decatur reached the quar-
ter deck of the Constitution, war
worn and battle-stained, for he had
led the attack in person, and had
slain the gigantic commander of one of
the Tripolitan gunboats, with his own
hand. He makes his report, COZ
scious of having performed his duty