The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-27

ships were lying side by side, one head
ing in. the other out the bow of one
by the stern of the other. tie starboard
side of the Scraps closely touching the
gtarboard side of the Richard. In the
hope that the Richard would drift clear,
Captain Pearson now dropped his port
anchor. In vain! No bulldogs ever
chung TO foes with more tenacity of
grip than did those two ships in deadly
Erapple joined together. The Richard
and the Scraps were fast locked for
good. and the two ships swung to the
tidal current. the wind being again
almost entirely killed. In that position
they lay for the next two hours, or I'M
til the battle was over.
As the Englishman had not hitherto
engaged on the starboard side, the port
shutters had not been opened. and the
close contact of the two ships rendered
Il impossible to open them then. The
Scraps men were therefore compelled
60 fire through them. blowing off the
port lids. 1t was necessary for the
men on both ships to extend the long
handles of the hammers and sponges OF
the guns through the ports into the
other ship in order to properly load
their own cannon. Badinage of char
acter easily 10 be imagined passed back
and forth between the two crews,
though nothing interrupted the steady
and persistent discharge of the bat
teries. The battle below was literally
q hand TO hand conflict with great
guns, all the advantages in number and
size being with the English.
At this juncture Il new note was add
ed TO the conflict. Jones. whose eyes
were everywhere in the battle, OBJ
served a black shadow come darling
athwart the two lighting ships, shut
ting off the moonlight. 1t was the Al
Nance.
"Ah." he said to himself. "Landais
has seen the folly of his disobedience
and has come to our assistance"
AS the American ship. with her
French captain and half English crew,
doomed up between him and the bright
moon he thought of course that she
would range down upon the unengaged
side of the Scraps and with few
broadsides compel her TO strike at
once. But no, the Alliance under full
sail stood on. Her men were at quar-
tiers, ports triced up, lanterns lighted.
She was passing the bow of the Sera-
pts now Why did she not fire? The
insane and treacherous Landais held
steadily on until he was standing
sauarely across the stern of the Rich
ard. New she was drawing past as
ant
God! What was that?
Jones was we'll nigh petrifed with
establishment when at short range the
Alliance poured in raking broad
side, of which the Richard received the
brunt. though it was apparently dis
charged impartially at the two ships.
As Landais drew past the stern the
helm of the Alliance was shifted. She
swung parallel to the Richard, poured
ia another broadside. circled the Rich
ard forward and raked her again. The
last discharge was a frightful one. The
shot at close range swept the crowded
decks Of the American ship, which
seemed actually to culver and finch
at this treRcherous blow. This broad
side did much damage, killing and
voundias many on the forecastle
among them Midshipman CasweII, nor
tally. Shrieks, groans and cries OF
startled surprise and dismay rose with
Increasing volume from the ship.
The Alliance, the Alliance
I'VE are betrayed! We are betray
cdr
The English have got the ship
came from every side in wild confu
sion.
This is the Richardr' shouted Jones
Rt the top of his voice at the first fire
SHold y0ur fire. Show the private sig
mails there" he cried hastily to the
faithful Brooks; but the Alliance paid
no attention to these and other warn
ing cries. AS the three broadsides
we're delivered by the American frig
ate the men in their perfectly eXcusa
bic terror at this treacherous blow il
the back actually began to break from
their quarters and leave the guns
That was never to be thought of un
der any circumstances.
Back shouted Jones promptly
Back 70 your quarters, every moth
er's son of you! Shoot the first maj
that flinches from the guns"' DALE
and De Weibert and the midsbipmar
CALAMITY seconded his orders. and the
Alliance. sailing away toward the Pal
las and delivering no more shot upoI
them, the conflict was resumed. Tha
the men could be got to the guns agar
after this frightfully unsettling at
tack was supreme testimony to TIT
quality of their officers and to thei
own as well.
Indeed. upon the part OF the Scraps
the battle had never been intermitted
The 18 FOUNDERS of her main battery
had simply silenced and dismounted
knocked to pieces and put out of actor
nearly all the ~ Founders on the mail
deck Of the Richard. The starboart
side of the American had been beatel
In and the port side beaten out b.
the heavy fire at close range until tn
British were literally firing through
a hole, the shot hurting through til
air and falling harmlessly in the wa
ter far on the farther side. The TN
derpinning of the upper decks of th
ship was of course nearly knocked t
pieces. Why the decks did not fal
in and the whole thing collapse was
mystery.
There had been no fighting at al
on the berth deck since the bursting o
the three guns, but poor little Payn
had hung grimly to his post. One b.
one the men of the guarding squat