Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-09-27


ers, won a wager of hat from
Captain James Richard Dacres Of the
British navy. In addition to the hat,
the Englishman lost the first action
between frigates in the war OF 1879,
and his country suffered blow to its
pride and prestige from which it was
long in recovering A few days later
the Constitution, one of the vessels
which the British commanders had
sneeringly called the ''fir-built Yankee
frigates flying a piece of striped bunt-
ing at their mast-heads," appeared off
Boston lighthouse gaily decked with
flags and proudly passed up the har-
Dor to tell of the capture and destruc-
tion of the Guerriere.
Only month before this momen-
tous engagement Captain Hull had
had an exciting experience with the
Guerriere and her consorts, the Bevi.
dere and Eeolus. These three vessels
pursued the Constitution for more
than &C hours and Captain Hull es-
capped only by indomitable persever-
ance and most skillful seamanship,
putting into Boston for supplies.
Early IN August the Constitution
started out again on a hunt for the
enemy, and on August 19 sail was
sighted that proved to be a British
frigate which. from her maneuvers,
was evidently desirous of engaging.
When the vessels were three miles
apart Captain Hull sent down his
royal yards, reefed his topsails and
sent the crew to quarters. This crew
was remarkably disciplined and drill.
ed at the guns, and more than that,
scarcely man of them but had
score to settle with the English. On
the bare backs of most of them were
the scars made by the lashes of the
brutal English press gangs, and many
were descendants of American sailors
who had suffered martyrdom in the
British prison ships during the Revo-
luton. Hull himself kept in mind the
fact that his father died in pest ship
from the cruel treatment he had re-
ceived.
Hull Wanted the Hat.
Soon after o'clock, the two fri.
gates exchanged Intellectual broad
sides while manenvering for position
and constantly drawing closer. About
6 o'clock Hull. becoming impatient,
ordered the Constitution to be steered
directly for the enemy and rapidly
closed upon his port quarter BY the
orders of Hull the Americans now
ceased firing and made all prepare.
tions for an effective broadside, reload.
ing the guns carefully with round shot
and grape and training them upon the
British ship The Englishmen were
to be seen working their guns stead
lily, and their frequent cheers were
plainly heard. What followed Is thus
told by Edgar s. Maclay in his His
tory of the Navy:
"As yet no order had come from the
quarterback of the American frigate.
and perfect quiet prevailed along her
decks as the men stood by their guns,
nearly all of them barefooted and
many stripped to the waist, ever and
anon casting inquiring glances at their
officers. At this moment shot
struck the Constitutions bulwarks
and threw innumerable splinters over
the first division of the gun deck,
wounding several men. Observing
the effect Of this shot, the Englishmen
gave three cheers; but still the Amer
ican frigate remained silent. First
Lieutenant Morris now approached
the quarterback. where Captain Hull
was coolly pacing back and forth, and
.aaid: The enemy has opened fire