Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-07-27
THE BATTLE OF FAlAL.
The Most Wonderful Starlight in
History.

The fight OF Sir Richard CrcnNills in the
Revenge. against II Spanish fleet. at Flo es.
In the Azores, has been celebrated bF the
English laureate in ole Of the most st rring
bnlfidS OF the language: hut grander bat
Tie even Than that OF the Revenge was fought
IN the same waite 3 seventy five years ago,
ana mas never been commcmoratcd in song
or story. II was u more important engage.
ment than that o Sir Richard, hrcatiss il
directly Influenced tho Result Of one OF t. .
decisive battles of history. ana insured We
tory to America in what has been called the
second war Of independence. the war .!
ISL The Revenge GailaUtit fought and
lost, but the American privutepr, Arm
strong, moro CALAMITY fought and won.
1t WAS about month ter the urninr OF
Washington. in Au ust. 1914. that the Britt h
not, destined for New Orleans, had sailed
from the Chesapeake Tor the island of Ja-
maica, to wait rciuturc ,mentS from England,
when the United States private armed brig.
General Armstrong commanded by Captain
Samuel G. Reid, sailed from New York on
cruise, and put into the harbor of Fayal, one
Of the Azoru Islands, September rs Can.
tain Reid. then hardly thirty years of age,
had served as midSnipman under Comno-
uore IruNton and was II man OF indomitablo
courage and splendid seamanly quait cs,
Inc Armstrong was II small brgantine. OF
only 246 tons, carrying but seven guns and
crew OF ninety men all told. including Of
hcers.
Capt lin Reid had diacd that ~ wit tie
Amerc.n Consul. Mr.. john Il. DaDney.
VIII with number OF ctIcr gentlemen.
returned with HIM il oHrl / is vessel. TO-
wa d sun Iowa III, Britt lrg-of- war;
C"rlaiiD IN. Of Ugh cen guns. move in sight
stood up the haruOr and anchored within
u half cables NJ h of the Armstrong.
Soon after the III cato Eota, Of forty-four
guns. and the ship Of the line Plautagcnet,
sorenty-:our guns. cam, 10 anchor in
IN, roads, Adm raj Lloyd, VIII commanded
tue bet. had previously been inf r.ned by
the pilot that the Armst ong W is in the ha
Dor. and he at one detcrm ned upon her
capture. The brig Ca,natioI immediately
logan siGnaliZ a, with the fleet, threw out
four largo Lunches or boats, and COM
menced passing arms into them. All these
movements uid be seen, ald the orders
given were dist nelly heard on board tho
Armstrong. At the same time the British
orig made every preparation to intrrce Il
the Ir,Nat"er she uld she utt"mut to cscapc,
Although Captain Re d had been as ,ured o:
the perfect safety OF his We s / by the Amer
lean Consul, being in Il neutral port, ho now
t,t certain, from the malpuvers of the
feet and the prcIa ations going on, that
there would TO trouble, and he accordingly
toll the x, ntlcmcn that they had better 20
OF shore. After their dcrartue u council
Was held among the officers Of tn. Arm
strong. and it was first sugg st,d that thew
should make an effort TO get out to sea: but
the wind being very light it was determined
'"'A 81 "Ai''NA wv + iilN VI tnt EiiSt.t
for p OBJECTION.
Capt. Reid Immediately gave secret Or
dcrs to clear the dcc! for action. and eau
toned the crew to make as little noise us
possible. He then cut his cable. got cut
sweeps and commenced pulling in shore to
the castle. The Carnatio1 Immediately
dropped her top-sais and made sail, to pre-
vent the pr.vatecr from going out ofthe har-
Dor should she attempt 1t. While the boats.
which were lying alongside. were ordered
In chase OF the -tmst ong. 1t was now
about eight O'Clock in tho evening. Tho
moon. which was near its full. WIS gradu-
ally rising. and silver sprinkIiny with its
beams the beautiful by. while not a ripple
broke the stiffness o; the eliitering surface.
save the splash OF the oa's of the lou large
launches, wtll-armed. carrying about for
ty mon each. which were pull ne swiftly
toward the privateer. Capt Reid immcdi-
ately ceased pulling iowa DIS the shore. let
go an anchor. and got springs on his cable
so rs to bring the vessel broalsd5 to the
enemy.
At this time one OF the large launches,
which was considerably in tho advance.
pulled up under the stern OF tho Armstrong.
when Capt Reid, with speaking trumpet in
hand. being in his shirt-sleeves. and all
hands at quarters. hailed the boat three
times. No answer was returned except by
one o, the sailors. who asked in a .rufr
voice what was the mattc". The officer
piled: Make no answer. sir: pull away. my
lads, AID the next moment the word was
given to toss oars" and with their boat
/ hooks they hauled aion side under the port
quarter OF the privatecr. The officer in the
boat then cried out: Fire and board. my
lads" And. as the mon rose from their
seats. Capt. Reid instantly gave the word to
his marines to fro. which was almost stimuli
taneous on the part OF both. One man on
board the privateer was instantly killed
and the first lieutenant. Fred A. Worth. q
brother OF the late Gen. Worth. of tho
United States army, was wound ID. The
in h. nut ..AS ca out, "A
they crisd out for quarter. while tho other
L three boats. pulling up at full speed on the
stnrtoard side. imme liately opened their
fire. They were received with u full broad
side OF grape and canister. which WIS fol-
lowed hy The shrieks and Groans OF the
wounde and dying. A fierce struggle now
ensund. in which the enemy made n dcS-
perate attempt to board: but. staggered
and appalled, by tho CALLING fire OF the
priVatce", they cried out for quarter. and
the boats pulled off in IL sinking condition
with great loss. Capt. Reid refusing to take
them prisoners.
The Gen. Armstrong then weighed anchor
AMI pulled in toward the shore. about half
pistol shot from tho castle. where she was
moored head and Stern near the b tach, with
her port side next to the shore. Tho Car
nat on. in the meanwhile, sailed down to
the fleet. and ii was soon evident that they
had determined on Il moro formidable at
tack. The American Consul at this time
had written note to the Portuguese Cover
nor, demanding protect on for the private 'r.
Tut the Governor simply dispatched II noto
TO Admiral Lloyd. requesting him to abstain
from lurther hostillties. TO this note Lloyd
replied that. rs the Americans had first fired
into one OF their boats without any provo
cation he now determined to take tn" pri-
vataer at all hazard. and. il protection were
afforded her. he would fire into the town.
About 0 p ~. the wind having brcczed
up. tho cnemy's brig was observed standing
In with II largo fleet of boats in tow. num-
boring fourteen. and carrying between forty
and fifty men each. When within gun shot.
the boats east Off rom the b is. and took
their stations in three divisions under cover
OF small reef or island of rocks. within
musket-shot of the privateer. The brig
kept under way to act with the boats. in
ease tho privateer attempted to escape. In
spread through the town. The windows Of
tue houses nearest the scene were filed
with women. and the whole shore was
crowded with the inhabitants. awaiting with
int nse excitement and brea,hess expecta-
on tho coming attack. There lay the
American brig. with her tall. tapcring spars.
sleeping on the moonlt waters as quiet and
as peaceful as an over wearied child. The o
sho lay. like tho appariion Of phantom
ship: not n movement was to be seen. not a
sound was h. a"d to break the stiffness of
her decks. and seemingly deserted, from tho
death-like silence which prevailed. Not
withstanding. Capt. Reid had made every
preparation to receive tho enemy on all
SIDES. and his crew were then living con-
CeIled ut their quarters. In this position
the bellige!ents remained for nearly three
hours, wat hing each other with painful