File:The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes (1887) (14762853204).jpg

Identifier: boysof1812othern00sole (find matches)
Title: The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Soley, James Russell, 1850-1911
Subjects: United States. Navy
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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the men at their quarters, and to cause or sufferno noise or confusion, but to load and fire as fast as possible,when it could be done with certain effect. As the commodore approached, his guns loaded and his gun-ners ready and waiting, he stood in the lee gangway to speakthe Vengeance, and demand her surrender to the UnitedStates of America. But at that instant she opened a fire fromher stern and quarter guns directed at his spars and rigging.Truxtun gained a position on her weather quarter, and returnedthe enemys salute ; and now for five long hours of the tropicalnight the battle raged, a running fight, the two vessels keepingside by side within pistol-shot. The Constellations gunners,bearing in mind their orders, planted one hundred and eightyshot in the enemys hull; but their guns were light, and theycould not inflict a fatal wound upon the great frigates heavyside. But the slaus^hter on the Frenchmans decks was fearful,for fully one third of his crew lay killed or wounded. Three
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HOSTILITIES WITH FRANCE. 101 times his flag -was struck during the battle, but in the darknessof the night it was not seen, and there was no cessation of thecombat. At last, about an hour after midnight, the enemy was si-lenced, and no answer came from his fifty guns. Both shipswere still under way, the Vengeance sheering off; and Trux-tun, knowing that the fight was over, was^ about to follow heras well as his torn and ragged sails would enable him, when helearned that all the rigging of the mainmast had been shot away,and that the mast was tottering. The men were called to repairthe rigging and secure the mast; but it was too late, they couldnot save it. The officer of the maintop was James Jarvis, theyoungest midshipman on board the ship. With him was anold blue-jacket, who told him of the danger they were inbecause the mast must surely go. But little Jarvis had beenstationed by his captain in the top, and he only answered : I cannot leave my station ; if the mast goes, we must gow

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