The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-08-18
FIRST NAVAL BATTLES.
INTERESTING HIsToRICAL INCIDENTS IN
CONNECTIoN WITH THE NAVY.

|
dates the commencement to open hos
tllities between the American colo
nists and Great Brittany, was more Of
a romantic private nature than a reg
ular naval engagement. The affair,
though comparatively insignitica ut in
proportions. was nevertheless one of
the most daring and brilliant exploits
of the revolutionary war, and from
this event we may date the creation
and establishment of the American
navy On the 9th of, May. 1775,
an armed British schooner, the Mar
garetta, was lying in the port of Ma
chias, Maine, with two sloops under
her convoy that were loading with
lumber on behalf of the Kings gov
ernment.
The news of the oattle of Lexing-
ton had just been received at Machi
as, and those who had brought the
joyful intelligence were enjoined to
be silent as plan to capture the
Margaretta was projected by some
of the more spirited inhabitants of
the place. The next day, being Sun
day, it was hoped that the officers of
the Kings cutter might be seized
while in church, but The scheme fail
ed in consequence of those engaged.
Captain Moore, commander of the
Margaretta, saw the intention of the
assailants and, with his officers, es
capped through the windows of the
church to the shore, where they made
signals and were soon under prOtec
ton of the cutters guns. The alarm
was now taken, springs were gotten
on the Margaretta's cables, and few
harmless shots were fired over the
town by way of intimidation. After
a little delay, the cntter was dropped
down about three miles below the
town. Here she was followed by the
townspeopie, was summoned to sur
render and fired Oh from high bank,
which her own shot could not reach.
The cutter again weighed, and run
ming into the bay at the confluence of
the two rivers, came to anchor.
A BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT.
The following morning four young
men took possession of one of the
lumber sloops and, bringing her
alongside of wharf. gave three
cheers as a signal for volunteers On
explaining that their intentions were
| to make an attack on the Margaretta,
a party of about thirty five determin-
Ell, athletic men We're soon collected.
Aiming themselves with fire arms and
axes, and throwing a small stock of
provisions into the sloop, these spirit
ed freemen made sail on their craft
with a light breeze from the north
west When the cutter observed the
approach of the slOop with the armed
patriots aboard. she weighed anchor
and crowded all sail to avoid a con
tiict that was very undesirable, as her
commander had not yet been apprised
of all the facts that had recently oc
Cured near Boston. In jibing, the
cutter carried away her main boom,
| but, continuing to stand on, she ran
into Holmes Bay and took spar out
of vessel lying there to replace her
| damaged main boom. While these
repairs were being made, the sloop
hove in sight and the cutter stood out
to sea in hopes of avoiding her. The
wind now freshened and the sloop
proved to be the better sailor with the
wind on the quarter. So anxious was
the cutter to avoid a collision that
Captain Moore now cut away his
boats; but finding this Intellectual and
that his assailants were fast closing
with him, he opened fire, the cutter
having an armament of four light
guns and fourteen swivels. A man
was killed on board the sloop, which
Immediately returned the fire with
small cannon. This discharge killed
the man at the cutters helm. and had
the effect of clearing her quarter deck.
The cutter now broached tC, when
the sloop gave a general discharge
Almost at the same instant the two
vessels came foul of each other. A
short conflict now now took place
with small arms. Captain Moore
threw hand-grenades with consider
able effect in person. He was imme
diately after shot down when the
crew of the sloop boarded and took
possession of the Margaretta.
OUR REGULAR CRUISERS.
The loss of life in this affair was
not very great, though twenty men on
both sides are said to have been kill
ed and wounded The force of the
Margsretta, even in men, was much
the greater There was originally no
commander In the sloop, but previ-
Ously to engaging the cutter. one Je
remiah OBrien was selected for that
station. This affair may be termed
the Lexington of the seas, for, like
that celebrated land conflict, it was a
rising of the people against regular
force, and was characterized by
| long chase, bloody Struggle and a
| triumph for the patriotic cause. 1t
was also the first blow struck on the
water after the war had actually com
menced The first regular cruisers
were commissioned by congress in
February, 1776. and constituted the
squadron of Commodore Ezekiel Hop,
kins, of Baltimore, the first comman-
der in chief, or admiral, of the United
States Navy. This squadron consist
ing of the frigate Alfred, twenty four
guns (this WAS the first vessel to hoist
the regular national flag, the Stars
and stripes''l Columbus, twenty; Do
| ria, fourteen: Cabot, fourteen: Provi
dence, Il; Hornet, ten; Wasp. eight;
and Fly, dispatch boat. With this
force Commodore Hopkins got to sea
on the 18th of February, 1776. Moth
ing of importance occurred until the
fleet reached the Bahama, where the
squadron had been ordered to rendez-
vous. Here Commodore Hopkins de
termiDed to make descent on New
Providence where it was reported a
considerable amount of military stores
We're collected. For this purpose
body of three hundred men, sailor,
marines and landsmen. under the
command of Captain Nichols, the
senior officer OF the service, were put