American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-11-21

~ OhO GU years ago, Cdt
tain Isaac Hull, one of Amer
as greatest naval command
ers, won a wager of a hat fror
Captain James Richard Dacres OF tn
British navy. In addition to the hat
the Englishman lost the first actiol
between frigates in the war Of 1872
md his country suffered a blow to it,
pride and prestige from which it wa.
Yong in recovering. A few days latel
the Constitution, one of the vessels
which the British commanders had
~sneeringly called the "fr-built Yankee
trlgates flying a piece Of striped bunt.
ing at their mast-heads," appeared of
Boston lighthouse gaily decked with
nags and proudly passed up the har.
Dor to tell Of the capture and destruc.
,.don of the Guerriere.
Only a month before this momen-
tous engagement Captain Hull had
had an exciting experience with the
? Guerrero and her consorts, the Bevi.
dere and Eeolus. These three vessels
pursued the Constitution for more
than sc 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 10 a sail was
sighted that proved to be a British
frigate which, from her
was evidently DESTROYS 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 a man of them but had a
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
wore 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 a pest ship
from the cruel treatment he had re-
ceived. |
Hull Wanted the Hat.
Soon after 4 o'clock the two fri
gates exchanged Intellectual broad
while maneuvering 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 O
ceased firing and made all prepare
lions for IN effective broadside, reload.
Ing the guns carefully with round shot
and grape and training them upon the
ship The Englishmen were
to be cen working their guns stead.
and their frequent cheers were
heard. What followed is thus
told by Edgar 8. MacIay in his His
tory of the Navy:
LAS yet no order had come from the
luarter-deck Of the American frigate,
and perfect quiet prevailed along her
1ecks 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
At this moment q shot
the Constitutions bulwarks l
md threw innumerable splinters over 1
he first division of the gun deck, :
vounding several men. Observing {
he effect of this shot, the Englishmen
ave three cheers; but still the Amer
can frigste remained silent. First &
Morris now approached
quarterback, where Captain Hull b
coolly pacing back and forth, and
aid: The enemy has opened fire i
nd killed two Of our men. Shall we Z
eturn it?' Not yet, SIR was the +
esponse from the quarterback, and Y
he men saw their mutilated ship
mates hurried below to the surgeons Il
able, while they stood silently at Il
heir guns in momentary expectation y
meeting a similar fate. Nothing Il
,ut the perfect discipline in the Amer. n
frigate restrained the impotence v
4 the gun crews and prevented them @
returning the Englishman's eau a.
npad,ng. Three times Lieutenant q