Year: 1875

THE FIRST BATTLE OF ADMIRAL FAR.
RAGUT.


After lying some weeks at Nooka-
heevah, the Essex and the Essex,
Junior, sailed for Valparaiso, where
Captain Porter was desirous of meet
ing the English frigate Phoebe, which
had been sent in search of him; but
when the vessel at last appeared off
the port, she was, most unexpectedly
to Captain Porter, accompanied by
the Cherub, sloop-of-war Of twenty.
eight guns and one hundred and eigh-
ty men, while the Phoebe carried for
ty'six guns and a crew of over three
hundred men.


| For six weeks the hostile ships ma
neuvered in and around the port of
Valparaiso, the Essex being found to
outsail the enemy, so that she could
easily have escaped, but Captain Por-
ter preferred instead to fight the
Phoebe, if he could engage her singly ;
this, however, Captain Hillyar care
fully avoided, being evidently under
orders not to engage the American
ship except with the aid of the Cher
ub, fact which shows with what re-
spect English seamen now regarded
the American navy, for never before
this war had such thing been known
as that an English ship would avoid
a fight with an enemy of equal force.
But in this case the importance of
capturing the Essex, and the doubt
full result of meeting her with sin
gle ship and equal force, were so ap-
parent, that the enemy showed a war
mess very rare in the English marine.


After waiting several weeks for a
fair fight, and learning that a num-
Der Of English men-of:war were daily
expected at Valparaiso, Captain Por-
ter finally concluded to sail; but be-
fore he was quite ready to put to sea,
a heavy wind from the south made
the Essex drag her anchors to the
mouth of the harbor, which runs
north and south. Nothing remained
but to make sail, with the hope of
clearing the enemy's ships, which
we're lying near the point of angles at
the western extremity of the port.
But this is very dangerous head
land, squalls often coming off in heavy
puffs, and just as the Essex was short
ening sail when passing the bluff, a
squall struck the ship, carrying away
the maintopmast, throwing a number
of the crew overheard, and efectual-
ly crippling the vessel.


Under these severe circumstances,
Captain Porter could only stand be-
fore the wind to the northeastern side
Of the harbor, where he cast anchor
within half a mile of Chilian bat
terry, this being in neutral water and
protected from attack, as one would
think, by the law of nations. But
Captain Hillyar, entirely regardless
| of this circumstance, or Of the honor
shown by Captain Porter in not at
tacking him on similar occasion, at
once took advantage of the disabled
condition of the Essex to place his
vessel astern of the American frigate
| where he could pour in terrific rak-
ing fire, and at the same time be
scarcely touched by her guns. The
Cherub also hauled across the bow of
the Essex, but finding that the for
ward guns of her Antagonist could
play upon her, took up a position
near the Phoebe. The most Captain
Porter could do was to run three long
twelves through the stern ports, and
| these were trained with such effects
on the enemy, that in half an hour
they we're oblidged to move out of
range to repair the injuries received.
Three times during the first fight the
Essex was veered around by springs
or hawsers drawing on the cable
from the stern, with the purpose of
getting her broadsides to bear, but in
each case the springs were shot away,
and the batteries of the Essex proved
of little use.


After repairing, the English ships
sailed down and took position on the
quarter of the Essex, where she could
not get any of her guns to bear. To
stand their fire without making any
return was very CALLING, and although
such were the injuries she had suffer-
ed in her rigging, the fying;jib was
the only sail that could be hoisted on
the Essex to make her pay off before
the wind, it was spread, and the
Cship gradually bore down to board
the Phoebe. The American crew =,
under the perfection of discipline, and
not in the least disheartened, now
! opened a tremendous fire, which soon
drove the Cherub out of range of her
| guns and forced her to remain at a
distance. The Phoebe also kept out
Of reach of the Essex, having lead
| ing wind and content to blaze away
with her. long eighteens, which wrought
great execution on the decks Of the
American ship. Fifteen men fell in
succession at one of the guns of the
Essex.


Every expedient for saving thieves
sci had now been tried in vain. She
was helpless before the tremendous