The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-22

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who served on her decks almost the who'll
war. Her success as fighter he asserted
was due TO the weight Of metal she wa
enabled 10 carry, owing 10 her breadth o
beam and strength of build. Her battery
was said by him 10 have been almos
equal in effect TO that generally allowed
a vessel nearly twice her size.
Before taking final leave OF this gallant
! little cruiser, it s gratifying to be able to
record probably the last action she ever
fought. 1t occurred some months after
the surrender at Yorktown, Just wher
the public mind was bent more upon The
prospects OF peace than the glOrics OF
war The FOrtunatus, a British tender
of one hundred and twenty tons, with q
picked crew OF fifty men, and a battery
o. ten siX-p0unders, under Lieutenant
Dickcv, was driven 10y stress Of weather
into Hampton Roads She was no sooner
discovered than Captain James Barron
who in the Liberty was then
lying of the mouth Of Hamp-
ton creek. went in pursuit Of the stranger
The Forlunaius cndeavOred TO avoid
conflict by putting TO sea This the Lib
erty was unwilling TO allow, and gave
chase The superior sailing qualities of
the latter enabled her 10 overhaul the
Englishman about five miles outside Cape
Henry Here the fight took place, and
it is said lasted nearly two hours. The
Foriunatus made a determined resistance,
and did not strike hes flag until after
most of the crew had been killed and
wounded. The boarding officer Of the
Liberty, upon reaching her deck, was
astonishei 10 find the Lieutenant COM
mandiug and but four of bis men left III
for duty This terrible slaughter could
Pc accounted for only by the fact that
the crew e ;hc Liberty had no other kind
Of ammunition but musket balls with
which 10 charge their guns, under whose
scattering fire 81 close quarters the crew
o. he unfortunate For'uaa'us had NJ. ed
away from of her deck
This event brough. toa close The active
service Of The uaya! forces of the state
The last vessel ia commission was now
about to I'd appear rlr had nobiy done
her rau m Tie great struggle for free
dom Since the year lI1j she had con-
-.aIilv been i'm active service, and nov
remained the veteran survivor of her less
fortunate cOnsoTis. UDdcr these ciIcum-
stances her fate appears 10 have been M
worthy Of her heroic and romantic career.
She should ever have remained in the
keeping OF the state, and been allowed 10
d0Ze away the remnant Of her existence
in honor and in peace upon the bosom
of some quiet water retreat. Thus she
would have become 20 Virginia what Old
Ironsides afterwards was TO the United
States, and what the proud old Victory
is at this day to the entire British nation
Instead of having been so valued ana
honOred, with shame, be il said the flag
she had so long rome was lowered from
her fOre-tOp, and having been dismanlled
of The armament with which she had so
long defended il. she was exchanged for
money. and was carried of to become a
trader ia the waters Of the Caribbean Sea
never again 10 return to "Old Nirginla's
shore
Before leaving our subject, it is proper
to put upon record evidences Of the suffer
ings TO which the patriot seaman was Of
ten subjected at the hands OF his captOrs
Prisoners taken in naval warfare seem
generally TO be more cruelty treated than
those captured in the land service. This
may probably be ascribed to the sterner
discipline and love OF deSpOtic power so
characteristic Of naval commanders
Hence the griefs Of the galley slave and
the terrOrs of the prison ships The
atriot seaman of the Virginia Navy did
not escape ihe hardships peculiar to naval
captiycs v henever they fell into the hands
of the enemy. They were carried il
numbers to England, Bermuda, aud other
West India Islands, and thrown into
loaths0mc prisons, exposed TO malignant
infection Neither position or rank
found favor with their ungenerous cap
tors, whose feelings could only be moved
through promises of britcs Many IAN
guishcd and died in their dens, whose
fate was unknown TO these cOun,rymen
until years had passed away. Some Of
the worst Of these prison holls were i'll
New York and Halifax Even in Ports
mouth. Virginia, the suiferings inflicted
by the English authorities, when in pOSses-
sion of that pia e, almost rival the horrors
of the Black Hole Of Calcutta. Captain
Willis W llsOn, who with his crew OF the
galley Dasher had been made prisoner
of war, testified under oath to the follow
ing statement That about the 23d OF
July the depOne1t was taken prison of
war was conducted 20 Portsmouth after
being plundered OF his clothing, and
there lodged with about 100 other prison
ers in the Proves This deponent. dur
ing twenty odd days was spectator of
he most savage cruelty with Which
TIE unhappy prisoners were treated by
the English The dep0nent has every
reason To believe there was premedi,at-
cd scheme to infect all the prisoners. who
hal no; been infected, with the SINAI pOX
There were upwards OF ore hundred Of
the prisoners who never had that dis
order, Notwithstanding which negroes
with the infection upon them were
lodged uadcr tie same roof o. the
Provost Others were sent in 10 attend
upon the prisoners with the scabs Of
Thar disorder upOn them. some Of the
prisoners soon caught the disorder, 9th
eIs were down with the tluN, and some
with feycrs. From such a complication
Of disorders twas thought eXpedient To
petition General O'Ilara, who was then
commanding officer, TO removal of the
sick, or those who were not as yet in
fected with the smallpox Accordingly
a petition was sent by DR.. Smith, who
3 .rfI, Vafvrp.t Vrtth v.rb4l apctygr