The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-10-27
THE PALLADIUM.
WEDNESDAY. OCT. ~. 1875.

WEDNESDAY. OCT. ~, 1875.
H1rse nassle 81 A1mfra1 Fsrragut.
After lying some weeks at Woke
heevah, the ESSEX and the Essex
Jr., esiled for Valparaiso. where
Captain Porter was DESTROYS OF
meeting the English frigate Phoebe
which had been sent in search OF
him; but when that vessel at last
appeared off the port; she was, most
unexpectedly to Captain Porter,
accompanied by the Cherub, q
sloop Of war, Of twenty-eight guns
and one hundred and eighty men,
while the Phoebe carried forty-six
guns and q crew Of over three hun
bred men.
For six weeks the hostile ships
maneuvred in and around the port
Of Valparaiso, the Essex being found
to outeail the enemy, so that she
could easily have escaped, but Cap
tain Porter preferred instead to
fight the Phoebe, if he could engage
her singly; this, however, Captain
Hillyar carefully avoided, being ev~
identity under orders not to engage
the American ship except with the
aid of the Cherub, fact which
shows with what respect English
seamen now regarded the Amer
lean navy, for never before this
war had such a thing been known
that an English ship should avoid
Q fight with an enemy of equal
force. But in this case the inn
portance of capturing the Essex,
and the doubtful result Of meeting
her with q single ship, and equal
force, were so apparent that the
enemy showed wariness very rare
in the English marine.
Under these severe circumstances,
Captain Porter could only stand
before the wind to the northeastern
site Of the harbor, where he cast
anchor within half mile of a Chill
ian battery, thus being in neutral
water and protected from attack,
as one would think, By the law of
nations. But Capt. Hillyar, entirely
regardless of this circumstance, or
of the honor shown by Captain
Porter in not attacking him on q
similar occasion, at once took adj
vantage of the disabled condition
of the Essex to place his vessel
astern of the American frigate
where he could pour in q terrific
fire, and at the same time be scarce
~ touched by her guns.
After waiting several weeks for
fair fight, and learning that num-
Der of English men-of-war were
daily expected at Valparaiso. Capt.
Porter finally concluded to sail;
but before he was quite ready to
sea, heavy lind from the south
made the Essex drag her anchors
to The mouth of the harbor, which
runs north and south. Nothing
remained but to make sail, with the
hope of clearing the enemy's ships,
which were lying near the point of
angles at the western extremity of
the port. But this is a very dam
gerous headland, squalls often COM
ing off in heavy puffs, and just as
the Essex was shortening sail when
passing the bluff, a squal struck the
ship, carrying away the maintop-
mast, throwing o number of the
crew overheard, and efectually
crippling the vessel
The Cherub also hauled across
the bow of the Essex, but finding
that the forward gums of her an
tagonist could play upon her, took
up position near the Phoebe
The most Captain Porter could do
was to run three long twelves thro'
the stern ports, and these were
trained with such effect on the en-
envy, that In half an hour they were
obliged to move out OF range to re-
pair the injuries received. Three
times during this first fight the Es-
sex was veered around by springs
or hawsers drawing on the cable |
from the stern, with the purpose of
getting her broadsides to bear, but
IN each case the springs were shot
away, and the batteries of the Es-
sex proved of little use.
After repairing, the English ships |
sailed down and took position on
the quarter of the Essex, where she |
could not get any of her guns to
bear. To stand their fire without |
any return was very CALLING, |
and although such were the injuries
she had suffered in her rigging, the
Tying glib was the only sail that
could be hoisted on the Essex to
make her pay off before the wind,
L was spread, and the ship grad
nally bore down to board the
Phoebe. The American crew, I'M
der the perfection of discipline, and
not in the least disheartened. now
opened tremendous fire, which
,oon drove the Cherub out of range
IF her guns and forced her to re-
main at distance. The Phoebe
llso kept out of reach of the Esq
,ex, having q leading wind and con-
.ent to blaze away with her long
which wrought great ex.
,cution on the decks of the Amer
can ship. Fifteen men fell in sue
session at one of the guns of the
essex.
Every expedient for saving the
,essel had now been tried in vain.
,he was helpless before the tremen-