File:The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes (1887) (14764898112).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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ar Wasp, which left the Delaware on the loth of Octoberunder the command of Capt. Jacob Jones. She had been outonly five days, when one Sunday morning she fell in with theBritish brig Frolic, convoying a small fleet of merchantmen,somewhere to the eastward of Albemarle Sound. At the firstsign of battle the convoy made off under a press of sail. It wasblowing fresh at the time, with a heavy sea. so that the shipscame into action under short canvas. At eleven oclock in the forenoon the •• Frolic hoisted Span-i.sh colors, but Captain Jones knew that this was a ruse ; andas he came down to windward of her and hailed, she displayedthe English flag and opened the battle. The ships were veryclose, so that in spite of their pitching and tossing the firingtold severely on both sides ; but the Americans, following thesame wise rule of aiming low that Truxtun had put in practice ^ This was really the third victory, counting the unimportant action between the Essex and the Alert as the first.
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THE FIRST SLOOP ACTION. 181 in the • Constellation, fired while the engaged side of their shipwas going down with the swell, and the enemy fired while theirswas rising ; so that the ^^ Frolics wounds were on her decksor in her hull, and the Wasps chiefly aloft. In a few min-utes the Americans main-topmast fell, followed by his gaff andmizzen-topgallant-mast. Nevertheless, Captain Jones succeededin placing himself on the port bow of the Frolic, where heraked her with terrible effect, and man after man fell upon herdecks, dead or dying, until her fire began to slacken. By thistime the masts of the Wasp were almost unsupported, somuch of the rigging had been cut away; and the captain, fear-ful lest the enemy should escape him, prepared to board notwith-standing the heavy sea. Presently the ships fell foul, the Frolics bowsprit runningover the quarter-deck of the • Wasp, which was just the posi-tion most favorable for accomplishing the captains purpose.The men were eager to board, and

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