The Shasta courier., 1869-04-24
SHASTA COURIER.
Constitution and Guerriere.
A FAMOUS SEA FIGHT.

his account Of the famous sea fight between
the American frigate Constitution and
the English frigate Guerriere:
Captain Hull, armed with the confidence
of his officers and crew, again put to sea
and, on the 10Th of August, 1872, captured
the Guerrero under the following eireum-
stances, to which was an eyewitness, be-
ing then prisoner on board the Guerriere,
which had captured me when in command
of merchant ship, about ten days before
the battle.
II was about two P. NJ. when the Con
stitution was discovered. The Guerrero
at once hove to, to enable her to come up
In the meantime there was great excitement
and speculation on the quarter deck, among
Captain Dacres and his officers, as to what
the strange sail could be. As the Consti-
tuition ncared us, Captain Dacres handed
me his glass, and asked me what | thought
of her. My answer was, " l think she is
a frigate" Very soon she came within
reach of the long guns of the Guerrero,
which gave broadside, but with no effect,
as the sea was high. The Constitution
made no reply, but continued maneuver-
ing for position, during which Captain
Dacres said to me, "Do you think she will
strike without fring?" My reply was,
al think not, sill"
AT this moment, seeing severe contest
vas about to commence, | raised my hat
TO Captain Dacres, and said to him: with
your permission, sir, | will go below, as |,
taGo rt
contest" 20, certainly" said he; and
you had better go into the cockpit, and
should any of our officers or men chance to
be wounded, shall feel obliged by any
assistance you can render the surgeon or
SURGEONS mates" Certainly, sir" said
I. and then descended into the cockpit
There were surgeons and surgeons mates
and attendants, sitting around a long table
covered with instruments and all the nee
essaries for dressing the wounded-all as
still as funeral.
Within one moment after my feet left
the lower round of the ladder, the Consti-
tuition gave that double-shotted broadside
which threw all in the cockpit in heap
over on the opposite side of the ship. For
a moment it appeared as if heaven and
earth had struck together. A more terrific
shock cannot be imagined. Before those
in the cockpit had adjusted themselves the
blood ran down the deck as freely as if
washtub full had been turned over, and
instantly the dead, wounded aud dying
were handed down, just as fast as men
could pass them, till the cockpit was filed,
with hardly room to pass them or to enable
the surgeons to work. Midshipmen were
handed down with one leg some with one
arm, and others wounded in almost every
shape and condition.
An officer on the table having an arm
amputated would sing out to comrade
coming down wounded, Well, shipmate,
how goes the battle 7" Another would
utter some joke that would almost make
the dying smile; and so constant and free
were the playful remarks from the manned
and even dying, THAT | almost doubted my
senses IDdeed, all this was crowded into
a space of not over twenty-five or thirty
minutes before the firing ceased. | then
went on deck, and what scene was pre-
sented, and how changed, in so short time,
during which the Guerrero had been
totally dismasted, and otherwise cut to
pieces, so as to make her not worth towing
into port.
The Constitution looked perfectly fresh,
and, even at this time, those on board the
Guerrero did not know what ship had
fought them. On the other hand, the
Guerrero was mere rolling log, almost
entirely at the mercy of the sea; her colors
all shot away, her main and mizzenmasts
both gone by the board, and her foremast
standing by the mere honey comb the shot
had made. Captain Dacres stood with his
officers surveying the scene-all, all, in
the most perfect astonishment. At this
moment boat was seen putting off from
the hostile ship for the Guerriere. As
soon as within speaking distance, young
gentleman (Midshipman Reed, late Com
modore Reed,) hailed, and said, wish
to see the officer in command of the Ship
At this, Captain Dacres stepped forward
and answered. Midshipman Reed then
said, "Commodore Hull's compliments,
and wishes to know if you have struck your
fag7" At this, Captain Dacres appeared
much amazed, but recovering himself, and
looking up and down, he deliberately said,
"Well, | don't know-our mizzenmast
has gone, our mainmast has gone, and, upon
the whole, you may say we have struck our
fagw
Commodore HulPs compliments, and
wishes to know if you need the assistance
of surgeon or surgeons mates ?" Cap
tain Dacres answered: "Well, 1 should
suppose you had on board your own ship
business enough for all your medical off,
GERS" Midshipman Reed replied, 40!
no; we have only seven wounded, and
they were dressed half an hour ago."
Capt Dacres then turned to me, deeply
affected, and said, How our situations
have been suddenly changed! You are
now free, and | am prisonert'
As soon as Midshipman Reed could
make his report to Commodore Hull, orders
were issued for all the boats of both ships
to make ready to remove the wounded on
board the Constitution. So dreadful was
the condition of many of them, that two
days were nearly consumed in the removal,
after which the Guerrero was burned, with
all her stores, armament, &c. The Consti-
tuition having recently come out of port,
nad room to take scarcely an article Capt
Dacres, In his official report, said: "The