File:The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes (1887) (14764908432).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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h generally went unarmed, and which he could pro-tect and succor if they found themselves in any danger; and hewould find also numbers of British whalers wiiich were fittedout as privateers, carrying from five or six to twenty guns, towhom the Americans that they might meet would fall an easyprey. To assist the first and to capture and destroy the secondwas now Porters object. Sooner or later, he thought theenemys Government would no doubt hear of his depredations,and send out ships-of-war to capture him. But in those daysof slow communication between distant places it would takea long time to accomplish this, and meanwhile the bold Ameri-can would be able to carry everything before him; and evenwhen the enemy arrived in force, he was prepared to take hischances either in flight or in battle as circumstances mightrequire. The original plan, as I have said already, was for theEssex to. go to the Pacific with two other vessels,—the Constitution under Commodore Bainbridge, and the Hor-
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THE CRUISE OF THE ESSEX. 215 net under Captain Lawrence. She was to start alone from theDelaware when the others sailed from Boston, and the threeships were to rendezvous near the coast of Brazil. The Essex went first to the Cape de Verde Islands. Proceeding thenceto the westward on his way to the appointed place of meeting,Captain Porter fell in with an enemys brig-of-war, the • Noc-ton. The Nocton was a small ship for the Essex tofight, and Porter woidd not order the guns to be fired at her,supposing that she would surrender. But she began to manoeu-vre to get into a raking position, thinking that perhaps shemight fire one broadside and then escape in the confusion. SoPorter concluded to make short work of her, and coming closealongside he poured a voile) of musketry upon her decks. Thiswas enough, and the Nocton immediately struck. She wasa stanch vessel, and therefore Porter sent her to the United Statesin charge of one of his lieutenants. It was a fortunate capture,for the brig

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