Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-10-23
A Famous Sea-Fight.

that we shall ever be engaged in as
the American Republic lasts. But
boys of an older generation than this
knew ssThe last war" to be the war
between the United States and
Great Britain, now generally called
1.-The war of 1872" Happily,
though the contest was not a long
one, Americans can look with pride
at the American navy of that period.
The names of Bainbridge, Hull, De-
catur, Porter, Perry and many other
gallant sailors. will be remembered
as long as the traditions of the Unit
-ed States navy endure.
In 1918, the frigate ''EsseX, COM
manded by Captain David Porter,
after committing much havoc upon
the British marine off the Atlantic
coast of South America, sailed bold
ly around Cape Horn into the Pacific
Ocean. Porter had resolved to strike
out into new field of operations,
and carry into the Pacific Ocean the
first American flag that had floated
from the masthead of a man-of-war,
he swooped down upon the British
merchantmen and whalers, causing
tremendous CONSERVATION. Nobody
had dreamed that the Yankees would
dare send a man-of-war into this dis
tant sea, and the British frigates
were making things very uncomfort-
able for the few American merchant
men engaged in the Pacific trade.
The arrival of the stEssex" soon
changed all that. Within a year she
had captured four thousand tons of
British shipping, and taken four
hundred prisoners. She may be said
to have subsisted upon the enemy,
as the vessel was not only supplied
with everything needed for repairs,
rigging, ammunition, clothing and
provisions, taken from the enemy's
captured ships, but the men were
paid with money found on board of
one of her prizes.
Orders were given that the ''Es-
sex" must be destroyed, at all haz-
ards, by the British man-of-war that
should be fortunate enough to catch
her. But the American frigate was
fleet, and difficult to catch. Finally,
in February, 1914, the frigate, ac-
companied by a small craft called
the essex Junior" a cruiser made
over from one of the prizes captured
from the British by Porter, cast an
chor in the harbor of Valparaiso,
Peru. The Peruvian government
was not then independent, Peru be-
ing a province of Spain. But Val
paraiso was a neutral port, although
the people of Peru and the Spanish,
also, were somewhat unfriendly to
the Americans. So, when two Brit
ish men-of-war, the ''Phebe" and the
''Cherub," entered the port, it was
tolerbly certain that there would be o
fight, should the Essex dare to
put to sea.
The Englishmen had the redoudta-
BILE essex" and her little consort in
trap. For six weeks, the two Brit
ish vessels kept a close watch on the
Americans, sailing up and down the
coast, Just outside of the entrance to
the harbor. Finally, on the 2Sth
day of March, Captain Porter, trust
ing to his ability to outsail either of
the British vessels, and draw them
away, so that the essex Junior
might escape, set sail and drew out
of the anchorage. In doubling q
headland at the entrance of the har-
Dor, the ':Essex" was struck by 9
squall, which carried away her main
topmast and several men. Captain
Porter returned toward the road.
stead, and anchored three miles from
; the town and about the distance of {
pistol-shot from the shore. The
ssPhebe'' and the ssCherub" haC
been exchanging signals, and it was
evident they meant to attack, al
though the vessels were all in neu.
, trail waters.
} The ''Phebe'' carried thirty Ions
e eighteen-pounders and sixteen thirty
two-pound carronades for her arma
ment, besides seven small guns il
her tops. She also had 320 men, al
told. The s.Cherub" carried TWEEN
5 ty-eight guns of various caliber anc
t $50 men. To meet this formidabl,
force the Essex had 255 men, anC
her armament consisted of twenty
six thirty Founders and six Ion!
twelve-pounders. The "EsseX Jun
! ior,' which took no part in the fight
n had twenty guns and sixty men
f Nevertheless, Porter resolved tha
: he would never surrender as long a
he had men enough to work his guns
i and right manfully did he hold on t
his resolution.
: The "Phebe" opened fire at fou
d o'clock in the afternoon, being the
S nearly dead astern of the disable
IL Essex" The long eighteens Q
= :, the Englishman did great damage o
e board the Essex which, notwith
|, standing her disadvantage, returne
}" the fire with gallantry and spirit
The .sCherub," then on the starboar
. bow of the Essex" next opene
g. fire also, but was driven off by th
e, American. Three of the long twelve