Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1912-08-15

ATE on the afternoon of August
10, n hundred years ago, Cap
tain Isaac Hull, II of Amegi-
cas- greatest nava command
ers, won a wager of a 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 1872,
and his country suffered a blow to it's
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
s%neeringly called the "fr-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-
ton of the Guerrero.
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 indomitab1e persever-
ance and most skillful ~seamanship,
putting into Boston for supplies.
Early in August the Constitution
started out again Of a hunt for the
enemy, and or August ~ a sail was
sighted that proved to be a British
frlgate which, from her maneuvers.
uyo evidently dociro,c Of onoaoino
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, n 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
were descendants of American sailors
who had suffered m%artyrdom 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
sides 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 now
ceased firing and made all prepare.
lions for an effective ~broadside, reload.
ing the guns carefully with round shot
and grape and training them upon the
British ship. The E~nglishmen 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:
LAS yet no order had come from thu
quarterback of the American frigate
and perfect quiet prevailed along he1
decks as the men stood by their guns
nearly all Of them barefooted anf
many stripped to the waist, ever ant
anon casting inQuiring glances at thei1
officers. At this moment a sho
struck the CONSTITUTIONS bulwark.
and threw innumerable splinters owe,
the first division of the gun deck
wounding several men. Observin,
the effect of this shot, the Englishme1
i, gave three cheers; but still the Amer
lean frigate remained silent. Firs
Lieutenant Morris now approache,
! the quarterback, where Captain HUI!
was coolly pacing back and forth, an,
said: The enemy has opened FIR
and killed two of our men. ShalTw
return .it?' Not yet, SIR was tn
response from the quarterback. an
y the men saw their mutilated shi.
mates hurried below to the surgeon
a table. while they stood silently a
their guns. in momentary %expectatfo
. of meeting a similar fate. Nothin
:, but the perfect discipline In the Amel
4 lean frigate restrained the impatienc
> of the gun crews and prevented thel
q from returning the E~nglishman's cal
9 ponading. Three times LieutenaI