The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-07-23
NOW AN ENGLISH MILL.
Captain Lswrence's Frigate, the Chesa-
peake. Stands In Wickham, Hants.


peake, Stands In Wickharn. Hants.
In the spring of 1913 the Chesa.
peake was ordered to Boston. and
Captain James Lawrence had proved
himself an efficient officer while in
command of several frigates. About
the last of May the British frigate
Shannon. Captain Brooke, appeared
at anchor at the outlet of the bay,
evidently inviting an attack-in
fact, Captain Brooke sent challenge
to Lawrence to meet him in mortal
combat. Prompted by the ardor
which pervaded the service, Law
renee promptly accepted the chal,
lenge without sufficiently exanin..
ing his stSength. With new and
Inexperienced crew he weighed an
chor and sailed to meet the enemy. 4
The Shannon, observing the Ches-
apeake approaching, Immediately,
prepared for action. On June /.
1873, the ships engaged. The first
broadside from the Shannon either
killed or wounded many of the
Chesapeake's most prominent off,
cers-the sailing master was Instant
~ killed and Lieutenant Ballard,
Lieutenant Brown and Captain Law
renee severely wounded at the same
time. A second and third broadside,
besides adding to the destruction of
her officers, so disabled the Chesa-
peake in her rigging that her quar-
ter deck fell on the Shannon's an
Choir. This accident may be consid-
cred as deciding the contest An op-
portunity was given the enemy to
rake the Chesapeake and finally to
board her. 5E Y 81 Af 9a
. Captain Lawrence, though severe
~ wounded, still kept on deck. In
the act of summoning the boarders
a musket ball entered his body and
brought him down. AS he was car
ried below he issued that last heroic
order, Don't give up the shipn'
But it was too late to retrieve what
was lost. The Shannon sailors Leaps
ed, 200 strong, on board the vessel,
and, after short but bloody strug-
gle, raised the enemy's flag. Ia 3
The Chesapeake was taken to Eng
land, and in 1890 her timber was
sold to John Prior, q miller, of Wick
ham, Hants. Mr.. Prior pulled down
his old mill and erected ON the spot
q new one from the Chesapeake tim
bers, which he found admirably
adapted for the purpose. The deck
beams were 80 feet long and Is inch
es square, of sound old Virginia oak,
and were placed, unaltered, horizon
tally in his mill. The purlins of the
deck were about 10 feet long and
served without alienation for ioists.
Many of the tinbers still bear the
marks of the Shannon IS grapeshot,
and in some places the balls are
deeply Embedded in the pitch pine.
The transformation of sanguinary
warship into peaceful and life pre-
serving -four mill more than fills
that Scriptural prophecy of the
sword beaten into plowshare and @
spear into pruning hook. Peg u
The Rev. DIR. Brighton visited this
famous mill a few years ago and
gives the following description of
it: Nothing shiplike or of the sea
was discernible from without the
mill. A handsome young English
man of eight and twenty years Of
age was coming forth to join his
cricket club, and this proved to be
the owner of the Chesapeake mill.
A large cigar box, constructed from
the polished pine of the old ship and
bearing the inscription Chesapeake
in small brass nails, stood upon the
table. The beams were marked in
many places with grapeshot. The
mill was merrily going, but as I
stood in the midst Of this peaceful
scene ] remembered that beyond all
reasonable doubt on one of these
planks Lawrence fell in the reeking
anguish OF his mortal wounds. On
another, if not the same, Watts
head was carried away by shot,
while near by the young and brave
Ludlow poured out his LIES blood.
Thus ] stood bordering, and still the
busy hum went on, wheat passing
beneath the stones, flour poured
forth, and the merry millers passed
around their kindly smile and
blithesome jests. ~ Washington
Post. a8 ssd .ss.F gI'ty