The daily gazette., 1878-12-26
A Great Naval Battle.
THE WASP AND THE FRoLIC.

IL hay Do Inat every school boy has
read Of this groat naval combat 1t will
do no harm to print it now, however.
encyclopaedia Americana pri nted in 1874,
gives the following brief and thrilling ac-
count of it which we publish to show the
metal of the young Republic, when the
hearts of its cabinet officers and Con
gressmen were filled with patriotism
and when it did not seem that high sala-;
ries and money were the sole prompters
to duty and craftsmanship:
"Among many naval battles that shed
lustre on our annals duriug the late war,
we shall only mention two of the most
brilliant, in which, though our forces
were decidedly inferior, the victories
were speedy and complete. One was a
battle of single ships, the other of fleets
Shortly after the declaration of war,
the U. States sloop Wasp, mounting
eighteen guns, and commanded by cap
tain Jones' fell in at sea with the British
! sloop Frolic, mounting twenty-five guns,
and commanded by captain Whineyates.
The superiority of the Frolc in metal
consisted of four long twelve Founders,
and her superiority in crew and other re-
spects was proportionate. Notwith-
standing this extreme disparity of force.
Capt. Jones did not a moment decline en-
counter, when the enemy offered it. The
Frollc began the action with her cannon
add muSkstry, which the Wasp did not
return until within pistol shot. The Brit
ish fired high, and greatly crippled the
spars of the Wasp, bringing down the
main-top-mast, mizzen-top-gallant-ma
and gait, and thereby seriously embar-
rassed all her evolutions. In return, the
Americans were not idle; they fred low,
hulling the Fro'ic at every shot, and
making up in celebrity of fire what they
wanted in force. Meanwhile both ves-
sells had approached so near that the
hammers touched in loading the guns,
and the shot took terrible effect; espe-
cially that of the Wasp, which had
ranged ahead, and taken raking posi-
ton, so as to sweep the whole length of
her adversary's deck. The carnage
caused by this fire was so dreadful that
the British seamen were driven from
their quarters below. At this time cap
tain Jones seeing that he had the ad-
vantage, and dreading lest the crippled
condition of his spars might enable the
enemy to escape, determined to board,
Notwithstanding the danger which both
vessels incurred, by encountering in SO
rough a sea. The helm was put up, aud
the Wasp ran across the bow of the
Frolic. As they struck, lieutenants Bid
die and Rogers rushed on board, sword
in hand, at the head of the boarders
They found no enemies to oppose them
the decks were covered with mutilated
limbs and bodies, and we're slippery with
blood. Three officers alone remained
standing on the quarter deck and they
fastened to throw down their swords in
signal of submission. The British ensign
which remained flying was quickly
handled down by lieutenant Biddle.
Thirty of the British were found dead,
anu luIIy WouuuOu1 pho RhSiiSaho ioou
but ten killed and wounded. The dis
parity proves conclusively the superiori-
ty of our fire. The victory won, the
wounded were dressed and every exer-
tlon was made to clear the wreck to
which both vessels had been too quickly
reduced. The masts of both vessels had
fallen by the board and when, soon af-
ter, in an evil hour, the Poicuers British
ship of the line came in sight, and bore
down upon them, escape and resistance
were alike impossible. Both were cap
tured.'