The record-union., 1896-06-27
NOW AN ENGLISH MILL.
Lawrence's FAgate, the Chesapeake,
Stands i'm Wickf1am, HantS.

In the spring of 1913 the Chesapeake
was ordered to Boston, and Captain
James Lawrence put in command. Pre-
vious to this Lawrence had proved him
self an efficient officer while in COM
mand of several frigates. About the
last of May the British frigate Shan
non, Captain Brooke, appeared at an
chor at the outlet of the bay, evidently
inviting an attack; in fact, Captain
Brooke sent a challenge to Lawrence
tc, meet him in mortal combat. Prompt
ed by the ardor which prevailed in the
service Lawrence promptly accepted
the challenge without sufficiently exam
ming his strength With new and in
experienced crew, he weighed anchor
and sailed to meet the enemy.
The Shannon, observing the CheSa-
peake approaching, Immediately pre-
pared for action. On June l, 1918, the
ships engaged. The first broadside from
the Shannon either killed or wounded
many of the Chesapeake's most proma-
rent officers; the sailing master was
Instantly killed and Lieutenant Bal
lard. Lieutenant Brown and Captain
Lawrence severely wounded at the
same time. A second and third broad
side besides adding to the destruction
of her officers, so disabled the Chesa-
IL axe in her rigging that her quarter
deck fell en- the Shannon'S anchor. This
accident may he considered as decid-
ing the contest; an opportunity was
given the enemy to rake the CheSa-
peake and finally to board her.
Captain Lawrence, though severely
wounded, still kept on deck. In the act
of summoning the boarders musket
Iall entered his body and brought him
down. AS he was carried below he is
sued that last heroic order. Don't give
up the ship.' But it was too late to re-
trieve what was lost. The Shannon
sailors leaped, 200 strong, on board
the vessel and after short but bloody
struggle raised the enemys flag.
The Chesapeake was taken to Eng
land, and in 1920 her timber was sold
to John Prior, a miller, of Wickham,
Rants Mr. Prior pulled down his old
mill and erected on the spot a new one
from the Chesapeake timbers, which
he found admirably adapted for the
purpose. The deck beams were thirty
two feet long and eighteen inches
square Of sound old Virginia oak, and
were placed, unaltered, horizontally in
his mill The purlins of the deck We're
about twelve feet long, and served
without alterations for joists. Many
of the timbers still bear the marks of
the ShannOn's grapeshot, and in some
places the balls are deeply embedded
in the pitch pine. The transformation
of a sanguinary warship into a peaceful
and life preserving flour mill more than
fills the Scriptural prophecy of the
sword beaten into ploughshare and
spear into a pruning-hook.
The Rev DR.. Brighton visited this fa-
nous 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 Englishman 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
large cigar box, constructed Of the pol
lished 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 1 stood in the midst of
this peaceful scene 1 remembered that
beyond all reasonable doubt one of
| these planks Lawrence fell in the reek
| ing 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 lifes blood. Thus I
stood pondering, and still the busy hum
went on, wheat passing beneath the
stones. -four poured forth, and the
merry millers passed around their kind
ly smile and blithesome jests. Wash
in2tOn Post.