Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-07-04
of the war

The action began about s O'Clock and il
was long after midnight when it ended
and the Frenchman drew out Of the com.
bat. Meanwhile, for more than five hours.
the vessels ran free side by side, often
within pistol shot The guns Of the Con
stellatlon were well handled, and the en-
envy, which proved to he the Vengeance.
received nearly two hundred shots in her
hull She was too heavy and substantially
built TO be wrecked by the terrible cutting
and succeeded in getting away.
When Truxtun saw that the Frenchman
was hauling off he ordered everything
made ready to resume chase. Just then IL
was discovered that the mainmast of the
Constellation was in danger of falling, all
the rigging supports having been cut away
In the engagement. The men were ordered
from the guns TO repair the rigging and
secure the mast, for without that the yes
sci would be useless in the chase. It was
too late, however, and in few moments
mast and all fell with a crash. Several
men were in the rigging, and shortly be-
/ fore It went down an old sailor called 70
the midshipman-James Jarvis-a mere
boy and the youngest officer on board
that the mast would surely go. The young
hero answered with the spirit of the hour.
cannot leave my station" said he. "If
the mast goes we must 20 with it,"
Az sands went over the side with the
spars, al little Jarvis was lost. The Con.
stellatlon was now out Of the race and the
vengeance was out Of fight because
she had spars to enable her to run off.
The French vessel had suffered severely
in her crew, losing 30 killed and 10 wound.
ed The Constellation had "a killed and
70 wounded, II Of these mortally, so that
the deaths proved % in all. The French
commander made the best fight he could.
lie was able to place twenty-six guns in a
broadside, anT when his crew was disabled
he mustered the passengers on board to |
quarters.
The Constellation won a glorious vic
tory, for the Vengeance was the superior
vessel in so far as men and material count
The vengeance was reported to have
struck her colors several times during the
action, but owing TO the darkness this was
not observed on board the Constellation.
and The fight went on. Truxtun would
have captured her but for the loss of the
mast OF the Constellation, and of course
the trenchman got the credit of robbin1
her OF that important factor in the CON
test.
The battles Of Truxtun with the Insur.
genie and the Vengeance made him famous
on Doth sides OF the water. For the first
victory the London merchants GENT him a
present of plate valued at COO guneas. For
the action with the Vengeance congress
ordered gold medal to be struck. A reso.
luton OF congress also approved the gal
iantry OF young Jarvis, "who preferred
certain death to an abandonment of his
post" ~
Commodore Truxtun was forty five years
old at the time of his engagement with the
Vengeance
A few months after the affair with the
Vengeance treaty was made with France
and hostilities ended.
The troubles with France ended In prom I
Sc by Napoleon of indemnity for losses I
'ustained by merchant vessels on account
II the privateers. In Jackson's time the
indemnity had not been paid, and "Old
favored issuing letters OF maroue c
n retaliation. Eventually the SUN was
'aid, but batch Of claims has been hand (,
d down through several generations, and +.
ya finally disposed " fsvorably TO the
laamants at The close Of the last congress :
GEuReE I. RIL1rR