The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-27
NOW AN ENGLISH MILL.
Capt. Lawrence's Frigate, the Chesapeake,
Stands in vickan, Hants.
(Washington Post. \

In the spring of 1918. the Chesapeake
James Lawrence put in command. Pre-
vious to this Lawrence had proved him.
self an efficient officer while in comm and
of several frigates. About the last of
May the British frigate Shannon. Cap
tain Brooke, appeared at anchor at the
outlet OF the bay, evidently inviting an
attack; in fact. Captain Brooke sent a
challenge to Lawrence to meet him in
mortal combat. Prompted by the ardor
which peryaded the service, Lawrence
promptly accepted the challenge with
out sufficient by examinin his strength.
With new and inexperienced crew he
weighed anchor and sailed to meet the
enemy.
The Shannon, observing the Chesa-
peaks approaching immediat ely prepared
for action. On June i, 1918, the ships
engaged. The first broadside from the
Shannon either killed or wounded many
of the Chesapeske's most prominent off
cers; the sailing master was instantly
killed, and Lieutenant Ballard, Lieuten-
duu 0IOWA duu Ohptt1u AhWIuO6 severe
ly wounded at the same time. A SEQ
ond and third broadside, besides adding
TO the destruction of her officers, SO dis
abled the chesapeake in her rigging that
her quarter deck fell ON the Shannon g
anchor. This accident may be con-
sidered as deciding tbs contest; an op-
portunity was given the enemy to rake
the Chesapeake. and finally to board her.
Captain Lawrence, though severely
wounded, still kept on deck. In the act
of summoning the b0arders q musket
ball entered his body and brought him
down. AS he YVES carried below he is
sued that last heroic order: Dom It give
up the ship!" But it was too late to re-
trieye what was lost, the Shannon sail
ors leaped, 200 strong, on board the YES
sci, and after short but bloody strug-
gle, raised the enemy's flag.
The Chesapeake was taken to England,
and In 1890 her timber WAS sold to john
Prior, miller, of Wickham, Hants. MIR.
Prior pulled down his old mill and erect
ed on the spot a new one from the Ohesa-
peake timbers, which he found admirably
adapted for the purpose. The deck beams
were 80 feet long and IS inches square,
placed unaltered, horizontally. in his
mill. The purlins of the deck were
about IL feet long, and served without
alterations for joists. Many of the tim
bers ssili bear the marks of the Shan
mons grapeshot, and in some places the
balls are deeply imbedded in the pitch
pine. The transformation of a san
culinary warship into peaceful and life
preserving -four 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
famous mill few years ago, and gives
the following description of it: "Noth-
ing shiplike or of the sea was discerni-
BILE 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 'ChesapeakesMi1l' 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 ruerrily going,
but as | stood in the midst of this peace
full scene remem bered 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 a shot, while nearby the young and
brave Ludlow poured out his life IS
blood. Thus I stood pondering, and
still the busy hum went on, wheat pas
sing beneath the stones, flour poured
forth, and the merry millers passing
around their kindly smile and blithe-
some jests.