The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-24

The action began about o'clock and it
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-
stellation were well handled, and the en-
envy, which proved to be 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 it
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. 1t was
too late, however. and in a few moments
mast and all fell with crash. Several
men were IN the rigging, and shortly be-
fore it went down an old sailor called to
the neutrality-suspicious. 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
81 cannot leave my station" said he. eff
the mast goes we must 90 with it,"
All hands went over the side with the
spars, and little Jarvis was lost. The Con-
stellation was now out of the race and the
Vengeance was out of the fight because
she had spars to enable her to run off.
The French vessel had suffered severely
in her crew, losing SO killed and 10 wound
ed. The Constellation had IA killed and
25 wounded, II of these mortally, so that
the deaths proved % in all. The French
commander made the best fight he could.
He was able to place twenty-six guns in
bxoadside, and when his crew was disabled
he mustered the passengers on board to
quarters.
The Constellation won 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 Frenchman got the credit of robbing
her of that important factor in the con-
test.
The battles of Truxtun with the Insur-
genie and the Vengeance made him famous
on both sides of the water. For the first
victory the London merchants sent him a
present of plate valued at 600 guineas. For
the action with the Vengeance congress
ordered gold medal to be struck. A reso-
luton of congress also approved the gal
lartry 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
Use by Napoleon of indemnity for losses
sustained by merchant vessels on account
of the privateers. In Jackson's time the
indemnity had not been paid, and 'Old
Hickory" favored issuing letters Of marque
in retaliation. Eventually the sum was
paid, but batch of Charms has been hand
ed down through seEsal generations, and
was finally disposed of favorably to the
claimants at the close Of the last congress.
GEORGE L EILMER