The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-31
THE TIMES DISPATCH RICHMOND VA SUNDAY MAY ST. 1908.
plisled the object OF Ills attack, to find
out the calibre OF their guns.
w. IT. Lynch, with His Little Fleet,
Nescucs the French Corvette irony.

plisled the object OF Ills attack, to find
out the calibre OF their guns.
w. II. Lynch, with His Little Fleet,
Nescucs the French Corvette prony.
On the night Of November 4, 1861,
during the gale the French corvette
Prony, Of six guns and a crew or
about 100 mon and officers, went
ashore Mt Ocracoke Inlet. coast OF
North Carolina. and fired rockets and
signal guns every half-hour. Captain
Lynch, lying inside, heard these Sig
nails of distress, ond when daylight
came and he saw this steamer lying
In the breakers. although 1t was ut
great risk to go.outsidc, with the cne-
my's gunboats patrolling the coast, lie,
with that feeling that alone permeates
the breast OF the sailor. to risk lie
to save life. sent two OF his small
gunboats out, to the 1'renchmnn and
brought all ashore safely. and sent
them to Norfolk where the crew and
one officer were uuartercd on the re-
ceiving ship United States. while the
other officers went to the hotels. AT
that time the writer was one OF those
twelve midshipmen 'on the States. and
speaks from personal knowledge. But
before going into the hospitality shown
by the officers Of the States to these
castaway Frenchmen, we desire to
call attention to the conduct OF the
United States naval officers. as told by
the captain Of the PROXY. at page by,
Official Reports of the Union and Con-
federate Navies, Commodore Colds
boro. reports to the department at
Washington. Speaking of the crew OF
the PROXY he says: They were brought
from Ocracoke to Norfolk by an armed
steamer of the insurgents. q regret
to say he complained to ms that our
vessels, which had communicated with
him seward and were still not far OF,
Gid not respond to his signals OF dis
tress, although repeated every half
hour during the night, gun and hre-
works.)
In the same volume. that is volume
s. we find the report of Captain X
werden, of the United States Navy. to
Commodore Goldsboro in which he
says:
on the morning of the 5th inst 1t
was reported to me that two steamers
of the enemy were in sight outside OF
the inlet to the southwest. 1 at once
the steamers Underwater
Putnam. Ceres and ferry boat Ellen
and tug o. M. Petit to capture them.
They did not discover the enemy, but
instead the French side-wheel steamer
of war, the Prony. inside the breakers
ashore at Ocrncoke. They were not
able to render assistance, and return
ed to this anchorage next morning.
That anchorage was Hatteras inlet
Now they could render no assistance.
Why? On account of heavy seas; yet
Lyach's small boat could weather
that sea and take off these men. But
we leave the humanity of the situation
to the public to judge. Lynch. at the
risk of his vessels being captured.
went to the rescue. The United States
gunboats, with no such fear. refused
to go. Well, with 14O Frenchmen,
none of whom could speak English.
and twelve midshirmen. none Of whom
could speak French. to entertain them.
on the frigate United States. say old
frigate, for this old battered hulk had
once echoed to the tread of Decatur.
and had sustained her reputation when
she fought and captured the Mace
DOMAIN, English frigate. In the War OF
lsl2. Like an old man. she was now
but hulk, but like young man, she
mad once done excellent duty. Well, |
We got along all right until dinner
time came, when we wondered was
there ever such a fool as this French |
officer. never calculating what wc |
would have done in France. We had |
a couple of French dictionaries aboard, |
bat while they may be all right in
N''SSt y 'tASs re IiOl worth a Olfne III |
practice. Our caterer. Dan Lee, came
on deck and announced dinner
Midshipman Trigg approached the
French officer with what he had Just
gotten from the French and English
feSicon, and what he said to the officer
sounded something like la Denier apre.
BIT with his Irish brogue. it fell BARN
less on the French officer. and he sim
ply smiled. Midshipman Mcdaniel, our
poet, put his finger to his mouth and
pointed to the hatch. but no go: that
Frenchman could not be moved by any,I
such tactics. What could we do? The
indications were starvation; with plen-
" In sight. Just then a hail. ship
ahoy!' and In Few minutes the
French Consul was aboard. AMI it was