The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-08-18

place in the course of the afternoon
and the following morning, after q
very insignificant resistance. Nearly
a hundred cannon and large quan
tity of other stores fell into the hands
of the Americans. On this occasion
the first that ever occurred in the
regular American navy, the marines
under Captain Nichols command
appear to have behaved with spirit
and steadiness that have ever distin
guished that corps
After retaining possession of the
place for few days, Commodore
Hopkins left New Providence on the
18th of March, bringing away the
governor and one or two men of note
with him, as prisoners, and shaping
his course to the northward, arriving
off the east end of Long Island early
in April.
SEVERE ENGAGEMENT
About one o'clock of the morning
OF the 9th Of April, the squadron be
ing little scattered, a large ship
was discovered steering toward the
Alfred. The wind was light and the
sea quite smooth, and about two
o'clock, the stranger having gone
about, the Cabot closed with her and
hailed. Receiving no reply the Cabot
fired a broadslde into the stranger.
The first discharge of this little vessel
appears to have been well directed
and somewhat astonlshed her larger
adversary, bat her metal was alto
gether too light to contend with an
enemy like the one she had assailed.
In a few minutes she was compelled
to haul her tacks and get from un,
der the guns of her big antagonist,
having had her captain severely
wounded, her master killed and a
number of her men injured
The flag ship Alfred now took the
place of the Cabot, ranging hand
sOmely alongside the enemy and de
livering her fire at short range with
terrible effect. Soon after the Provi
dence got under the stern of the
English ship and poured in a raking
fire, and the Doria also was enabled
to come near enough to take a hand
in the fight The Columbus was kept
at distance for want of wind. After
a smart cannonade of an hour or
more the wheel rope of the Alfred
was shot away which caused the ship
to broach to, by which accident the
enemy WAS enabled to rake her with
effect, Being satisfied. however, that
victory was impossible against such
odds, the English commander, profit
ing by this accident to the Alfred.
put his helm and brought all the
American vessels astern. Sailing
better than any of the American
squadron: most of which were deep
laden as we'll as dull sailers in con
sequence of the cannon and stores
which they had captured at New
Providence and taken on board, the
enemy slowly but steadily gained on
his pursuers. By SIX O'clock the
ships got so far to the eastward that
Commodore Hopkins felt apprehen
sive that the firing would bring out
the formidable English squadron,
then lying at Newport, against him,
and seeing little chance of overtaking
the chase he made signals for his yes
sells to haul by the wind. The Eng
lish vessel, that engaged the American
on this occasion, proved to
be the Glasgow corvette of 20 guns,
Captain Howe, with a crew of one
hundred and fifty men. In every
thing but the number of her men the
Glasgow was probably the superior
to any one in the American fleet, but
her close encounter with and escape
from SO many vessels reflected great
credit upon her commander She
was a great deal cut up, notwith-
standing, and had fourteen men Kill
ed and wounded On the other hand,
both the Alfred and the Cabot suffer
ed materially, the former from having
been raked and from lying close
vessel SO much her supe
sior III force. The Alfred and Cabot
lost % men killed and wounded.
The result of this first essay of the
regular American navy, when an.
caused much exu?tation in
the country. The affair was repre-
sented as a sort of victory. But in a
short time, when the facts became
known, public opinion went as far
IN the opposite extreme. Captain
John Hopkins, the commander of the
Cabot, was court martialed for risk
ing the lives of his crew by recklessly
ranging alongside a vessel so much
larger than his own. On the 10th of
October, congress passed a vote of
censure ON Commodore Hopkins, the
commander In chief, and on the End
of January, TIT, by vote of con
gress, Commodore Hopkins was for
mally dismissed from the service. No
commander,in chief was subsequently,
appointed by congress, the senior
officer of the navy, Captain James
Nicholson, ranking first on the list.
PAUL JONES APPEARS.
About this time October, l776)
one of the most distinguished and
daring officers known in the annals
OF American naval history began his
famous career in the service of the
American navy. This gallant and
fearless officer was none other than
the celebrated Captain John Paul
Jones, or Paul Jones, as he was usu
ally called. Paul Jones was an Eng
lishman by birth, and had been an
officer in the Kings service. But
early in the history of the struggle
for American Independence, Paul
lones resigned his kings commission
and entered the American service.
receiving commission from congress
as first lieutenant and placed in com
mand of the brig Providence, twelve
guns,
In October, 1776, Paul Jones was
promoted to the rank of captain in
the regular navy, ranking the eigh
teenth on the list, and he was put in
command of a small squadron to
cruise on the coast OF Nova Scotia,
with the double view of distressing
the British trade and liberating about
one hundred Americans who were