The Portland daily press., 1878-01-29
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE

| EplScopalianS OF the territory of what Ia now
Cumberland county, which was settled at the
same time as Boston. Then she swallowed
Maine aud Nova Scotia at one gulp, and her
governor fitted out an expedition to take Que
bee for an out port, bat the elements were
against him. Oar District of Maine remained
unasslmllated in the capacious nav CEN
tury and quarter, yet think the 80 called
mother is entitled TO some credit for her saw
ing to us. go in peace, which was her only
motherly act. Can the old Bay State claim
parentage with propriety when we are IS old as
herself and came under her guardianship BY
our own weakness and the cupidty of the heir
OF the good Sir Ferdinanod Gorges?
The Massachusetts Senators should have fol-
lowed Daniel Webster in his reply to Hayue,
who had attacked his state in the Senate. In
speaking of Massachusetts, Webster raised his
hand aud said, "rhere she stands behold her"
They should have besn satisfied with her proud
position and not have tried to Justify or clear the
way BY which she came to it,
| Mr.. Dawes was unfortunate in his naval his-
tory. He said "the very sea fight which the
Senator from Maine so eloquently described was
| fought by crew of volunteers raised on the in
slant In the city of Boston"-he should haye
SAID town. lie undoubtedly had in his mind
the action between the Chesapeake and Shan
non, fought ia June, 1913, and yet under this
suppostion he is not correct Mr.. Blaine al
| luded to the fight between the Enterprise and
Boxer, few months later, which had a very
dltterent result. No Portlander needs much
provooation to recount the story of that battle,
as the victorious ship sailed from, and brought
her prize into, the harbor of Portland within the
space Of three days, and the smoke Of the bat
tie could be seea from the Observatory.
The Enterprise was frs. riggsd as a schooner
but she lacked sufficient spread of canvas as
| she sat very firm 10 the water when in trim.
After cruise to the Mediterranean she was rs.
masted and rerigged into brig She had been
cruising during the summer of1Sl3 on the coast
OF Maine, dodging the British ships "Lahague''
"a, and the frigates "Nymphe" and Crescent,
which had been cruising on our coast and we
could not raise force enough to cope with them
The Boxer had been preying on the defenceless
coasters and fishermen, while with ber topgal-
liant masts lowered she hid in some cove pro-
tected by the frigates. Tue Enterprise had Of
ten been into Portland in command of Captain
Blakely, and had come to bs considered the
been on the lakes and had recently taken COM
mand of the brig. He and his ships company
were wrought up to high pitch by the loss of
the Chesapeake. Capt. Broke in the frigate
Shannon had sailed into Boston bay aud plant
ed his offensive bunting in the face of Captain
Lawrence of the Chesapeake, which was about
ready to sail; her crew were on shore on their
farewell spree-undiscipline if they had been
in condition to fight. Capt. Broke sent in a
long letter containing challenge to Capt.
Lawresce, but be never saw it, having hurried
his crew on board and sailed to meet the Briton
with Boston looking on from Dorchester
Heights. Capt lawrence was fatally wound
ed by the first broadside. His dying request
will long continue in the memory of our navy.
The result of the battle is we'll known. The
Halifax papers had published glowing ac-
count OF the arrival at the port OF the Shannon
with her prize on Sunday, while the people
were coming out of church-of the great de-
monstration on board that vessel, her band
playing "Rule Britannia aud the "Yankee
Doodle" in derision, amid the cheers from the
dock yard and men-of-war.
All this had its effect on Captain Burrows
and his men, who were ready to do or die on
the first opportunity. The Enterprise was al
Portland, and on the 4th of Sept. her captain
learned from fisherman that the Boxer was off
Pemaquid seizing small vessels. Hs immedi-
ately got under way with light southerly
wind, bat on rounding Stanford's ledge the
wind died away, but this was no obstacle to
men in earnest. Every boat was lowered and
the crew manned them while the officers TRIM
med sails; long line was carried ahead, to
which the boats made fast and towed the brig
out past Bangs Island, the crews keeping time
to cheerful boat song, in the chorus of which
all Joined with will. breeze soon sprang
up aud the vessel hove away for Pemaquid.
On Sunday morning at o'clock the Boxer was
seen at anchor inshore, and the Enterprise
headed for her, when she got up her anchor
hoisted three ensigus. aud fred gun as chal-
lenge. The vessels spent several hours ma
neavering for the weather gauge and to get
sea room. At o'clock the Enterprise set her
colors and fired one gun accepting the chal-
lenge, and bore up for the enemy. When with.
in pistol shot the action was commenced by the
Boxer with broadside and three cheers, which
were returned-broadside aud cheers. Captain
Burrows fell mortally wounded within five
minutes from the firing of the first gun, but
refused to be carried below, and requested thar
the nag might never be struck. Lieutenant
Mccall took the command, aud soon the Box
ers topm asts and topsail yards came down.
Within forty minutes from the commencement
of the action the Boxer ceased firing and cried
for quarters, saying that their coors were nailed
and could not be hauled down. On taking
possession OF the priza the Americans found
that the dead of the crew had been thrown
overheard. Her captain, Blytb, had been killed
early in the action and was lying on deck
Sixty-four prisoners were taken, including sew
enteen wounded. Captain Burrows lived to re-
ceive the sword of his adversary, and said, "I
die contented," and consented to be carried be-
low-he died within few hours The Enter
prise had two men killed and twelve wounded.
Midshipman Waters was very severely wound
ed aud remained year or more in Portland
kindly cared for by the young men, who placed
monument over his grave by tue side of his
commander.
The vessels were equally matched, bat the
Enterprise was very little damaged. She ar
rived at Portland on Monday with her prize.
but there was no silly demonstration like thai
made by the Shannon at Halifax. On Wednes-
day the dead commanders were buried with
military and civic honors, Commander Hull,
who was in command here, walking as chief
mourner, and the crews of both vessels were in
the procession. The two graves are side by
side in the old grave yard. A passing stran.
ger" Silas e. Burrows of New York, erected
table monu ment over the grave of his relative,
anu INC OiuOelS anu CreW OI Jn6 Boxer placed d
similar one over the grave of Capt. Blytb
The people of the town knew of the expected
sea fight and gathered in large numbers in and
about the Observatory. Uapt. Moody kept his
telescope trained on 'Seguin'' waiting for some
sign of the action, and when it commenced he
discovered the smoke of each Droadside as it
rose and so reported to the crowd below, who
became much excited but the report of the
guns could not b. heard as the scene of the
fight was forty miles off in direct line.
Two of Mr.. BlaIues "anti-war Federalists''
were members Of the Federal party until Mad
ison's time-John Holmes and William Wild
gerry. The last attended complimentary din
ner by his party to Gen. Wadswortb on his re-
turn from Congress in 1898, and wore the Fed.
eral cockade. Late converts usually are the
most zealous-it has been SO from ST. Paul 20
the present time, hence Judge Widgery's offer
to take Canada by the job. His zeal in sup
port of the war measures was partly due to his
former life as sailor. He sympathized with
the seamen who were impressed by the British
ships, which was the principal cause of the
war, although nothing was said about it in the
treaty of peace Mr.. Widgery was a rich man
and could afford to be patriotic, but the poor
man hesitated about his support of the war
measures as they would take bread out of his
oh % tba nd oha tba fatb