Naval battles, ancient and modern (1883) (14764986375)

Identifier: navalbattlesanci00ship (find matches)
Title: Naval battles, ancient and modern
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Shippen, Edward, 1826-1911
Subjects: Naval battles
Publisher: Philadelphia (etc.) J.C. McCurdy & co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



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States. This squad-ron was commanded by Captain Broke,of the Shannon, 38, an officer of greatmerit and experience, who had under him the Belvidera,■^6, Captain Byron, another excellent officer, the Africa,64, and the ^olus, 32. On the 9th of July, off Nantucket, they were joinedby the Guerriere, 38, Captain Dacres. This squadron,on the 16th, fell in with and captured the United Statesbrig Nautilus, 14, which, like all the brigs of that day,was overloaded with men and guns ; she threw her gunsoverboard, and made use of every expedient to escape,but with no avail. At 3 p. M. on the following day, when the British squad-ron was off Barnegat, and about twelve miles from theshore, a strange sail was seen in the southeast, orwindward quarter, standing to the northeast. This ves-sel was the United States frigate Constitution, 44, Cap-tain Isaac Hull. When the war broke out he was inthe Chesapeake, engaged in getting a new crew. Hav-ing on board about four hundred and fifty souls, he sailed
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.^.^- CONSTITUTION. 433 on the 12th of July. His crew was entirely new, draftsof men coming on board up to the last moment. Hullwrote, just before sailing, that the crew are as yetunacquainted with a ship-of-war, as many have but latelyjoined and have never been on an armed ship before.We are doing all that we can to make them acquaintedwith their duty, and in a few days we shall have nothingto fear from any single-decked ship. On the 17th, at 2p. M., Hull discovered four sail to the northward, headingto the westward. An hour after, the wind being verylight, the Constitution made more sail, and tacked ship,being in eighteen and a-half fathoms. At four p. m. theConstitution discovered a fifth sail, which was theGuerriere. At about six oclock the wind shifted andblew lightly from the south, bringing the American shipto windward, and she immediately wore, with her headto the eastward, set studding-sails and stay-sails, and athalf-past seven beat to quarters, intending to speak thenearest