Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-15
AMERICAN WARSHIP
CAPTURED IN THE WAR OF 1872 AND NOW FLIES THE ROYAL
BRITISH ENSIGN ON THE THAMES.

able one. Stephen Decatur had received
command of the frigate, and on the
evening of January IA, 1915, he sailed
into the lower bay. intending to PIT to
sea that night. The President, how
ever, grounded heavily on q sand bar,
breaking her rudder braces and strain
ing her seams SO badly that she COM
menced to leak rapidly. Part of her
false keel had also been carried away
Owing to a turn Of the tide it was
impossible to put back, SO she shaped
her course along the Long Island shore.
At daybreak four British ships were
discovered, and they gave chase, one
on each quarter and two astern At
noon the breeze fell. and though the
President had left the bulk Of the fleet
behind, one of the mcontinued to gair
upon her.
Aboard the President, which was al
most waterlogged, the crew We're occu-
pied in tightening the ship, cutting away
anchors, turning the water loose in the
butts. throwing overheard provisions,
spare boats and cables. while the men
aloft were wetting down the sails.
At o'clock. a light breeze having
sprung up, the largest vessel in the pur-
suing fleet began to come up rapidly.
opening with her forward battery. De-
cutur replied with his stern chasers.
This running fight continued for two
hours, and then the Englishman came
up and the two vessels sailed side by
side for an hour, firing occasional guns.
Decatur wished to come to close quar-
ters and had his boarders ready, but
this the Englishman avoided. Mean
while the ships astern were approach
ing. 1t afterward developed that in the
running fight the President had COM
pletely disabled her antagonist, the
Endymion. and finally left her drifting
and turning round helplessly.
At II o'clock that night two fresh
ships of the enemy crawled up within
gunshot. They were the Pomone and
the Tenedos, heavy frigates, and both
opened fire on the President at close
range, compelling Decatur to strike his
colOrs.
AS if to show that the Endymion had
not been crippled, Decatur was placed
on board of her. a cabin prisoner.
Among the officers killed on the Presi-
dent was Hamilton, a son of a late Sec
rotary of the navy, who had the honor
of conveying the news of the capture
of the Macedonian to Washington, and
had appeared at ball there given by
Dolly Madison wrapped in the colors of
the captured ship.
A~NNe~SNA
captain of the Majestic, who returned
it at once. and then he was taken to
Bermuda. There the President lay,
decked with British flags.
The courtmarshal in our navy which
investigated the loss of the President
exonerated Decatur, and Alexander
Murray. it's presiding chairman, said:
I'm this unequal conflict the enemy
gained a ship. but the victory was ours.
We fear we cannot express in a manner
| that will do justice to our feelings our
admiration of the conduct of Commo-
dore Decatur and&al under his COM
| mand.'
| Upon Decaturs return to this country
he was received as a hero and treated
to the ovations given victors upon their
home coming. The English regarded the
President as model of naval architec-
ture, and recommended her method of
construction to English ship builders.
She was taken to England after being
fitted on this side with new set of
nasts to replace the ones lost in a gale
two days after the battle off Long
Island.-New York Herald.