New-York tribune., 1908-07-14
CHESAPEAKE RELICS.
Story of the Capture of the Flag OF Famous
Warship.

s or the Chesapeake, the Amer
TO, fr,eate which Captain Phnp 1s1a
p,tish frigate Shannon captureu U - c.iobe
ro,,sed much interest says Inc AN 1 : tr+er-
Tt storv of the flag of the Cnesapeah ~ ono
Inc S'U 80 .,art from its connection Win ono
% 70 ,oost historic frigate actions III 'ne IN
=. ,.oI warfare II is now faded thoueH
in good condition, but this httle pi1 oA s,,aar
fng with its one red and white stripe uu - -
ters caused through a trihing mistake the ueatN
-, 30, II was after Captain Broke and MS
noardtng marty had made themselves masters oi
the Chesapeake that the incident occuTleu- -
two ships had drawn little apart, ana 'hOse
manning In the Shannon were astonlshed 10 see inc
Stars and Stripes above the Brlush IL"
Never doubling that the boarders had been over
powered they opened fire again But the hags
came down with a run, and were sent up agaln III Ia
the reverse order, the British top. Lieutenant
Watt of the Shannon, had got the halna1ds tam
gled in making the first hoist he paid IoF ms ms
mistake with mis- life, for the upper part OF ms ms
head was carried away By grapeshot, ana 9 4Se 1be
possession of Midshipman Samuel Grandy a1ter
the action the subsequently, became commander
and be bequeathed 1t to his son. Its subsequent
history is well authenticated down TO 4Sn. %hen f
dlebrook the dispersion of whose collection
brought it once more into the auction room
relics is not remarkable. and the greater part OF
ngW sTTce are Institution n @ Capture Of the Ches
peake, number of important papers were dis
signal books In one letter addressed to Captain
Samuel Evans, who preceded Captain Lawrence in
command OF the vessel IT stated that american
vessels OF war appearing off Sandy Hook will be
known, for the present, by American ensign
hoisted at each masthead, and large black ball,
either suspended at the flying jibboOm end or the
mizzenpeak, can be most easily dfstinsu uisted'
Another letter, dated from the Navigation Depart
ment. November IL 1875 instructed the captain mot
to interrupt any British unarmed vessels Con
fdential signals relating to public and armed prt-
ships. TO which was attached a piece OF lead
in order that the papers might be sunk before the
ship taken, were also found
Captain Lawrence Of the Chesapeake, NOR
tally wounded in the first few moments Of the ac-
the fight lasted the fate of the confidential docu-
ments probably forgotten Then il came about
that two signal books as well as the list already
mentioned fell into the hands of the British. Her
log passed into the possession Of the first lieutenant
OF the Shannon, who lived to be admiral Of the
feet. Sir Provo Wallis and who died in his 1O1st
was ended Captain Broke tainted from the pain Of
his wounds and the command OF the Shannon de
taken into the Chesapeake by Lieutenant Falktner.
Other relics Of the fight that Sir Provo Wallis pos
sessed were piece OF wood from the captured
ship and a portrait of Broke The fgurehead of
the Shannon was preserved when the vessel was
broken up IN 1889 at Chatham. indeed It de-
served be- for the victory OF Captain Broke'S
frieate came time when the prestige OF the
British sea force had fallen very low Only few
weeks before the duel between the chesapeake and
taken British and this within a decade Of
Trafalgar Broke however. was one of the officers
same principles as Nelson He had been seven
wears in command Of the Shannon before he sent
his famous challenge 70 Lawrence of the Chesa-
peake and every morning Of every year, whenever
n had been possible. his had been exercised
the guns for an hour and half. and twice week
he had carried out guunArv practice IT there
fore with confidence that he looked forward to
the meeting with the Americans. That they on
their side equally hopeful is shown by the
of irons for the wrists Of their captives ready
opened on deck