Part 8 (1/2)

The ”Ess.e.x” had been there but a month when the ”Ess.e.x Junior,” which was cruising in the offing in antic.i.p.ation of the arrival of the British s.h.i.+ps, signalled, ”Two enemy's s.h.i.+ps in sight.” Half the crew of the ”Ess.e.x” were ash.o.r.e enjoying sailor-men's liberty. Even if they all got aboard, it was fair to a.s.sume that they would be in no condition to fight should the Englishmen choose to violate the neutrality of the port by firing on them. Porter immediately fired a gun and hoisted the recall signal for all boats and men to return. The English captain, Hillyar, ran the ”Phbe” on the wind straight for the ”Ess.e.x,” the ”Cherub” following closely. But when they reached the anchorage, the ”Ess.e.x” was ready for action and the crew were at their stations. The ”Phbe” went around under the quarter of the ”Ess.e.x,” luffing up scarcely fifteen feet away. It was an exciting moment. Hillyar could see the men at their guns, and his ardor was perceptibly diminished. Had he given the order to fire then, he would have been raked fore and aft, and the tale of this last fight of the ”Ess.e.x” might have had a different ending.

As it was, he jumped upon the nettings, and said, with distinguished politeness,--

”Captain Hillyar's compliments to Captain Porter, and hopes he is well.”

Porter _was_ well, but he was in no humor to bandy compliments.

”Very well, I thank you,” he replied; ”but I hope you will not come too near, for fear some accident might take place which would be disagreeable to you.” And at a wave of his hand the kedge-anchors and grappling-irons were swung up to the yard-arms, ready to be dropped on the decks of the enemy. The men swarmed along the nettings, ready to jump aboard the Englishman as soon as she was close enough.

But Hillyar, not liking the looks of things, changed his tone considerably. He backed his yards hurriedly, and said in an excited manner,--

”I had no intention of getting aboard of you. I a.s.sure you that if I fall aboard it will be entirely accidental.”

”Well,” said Porter, ”you have no business where you are. If you touch a rope-yarn of this s.h.i.+p I shall board instantly.”

Porter then hailed Downes on the ”Ess.e.x Junior” and told him to be prepared to repel the enemy. The vessels were in a position to be almost at the mercy of the Americans. When the ”Phbe” ranged alongside, the crews could see each other through the ports, and laughed and made grimaces at one another. One young fellow in the ”Ess.e.x,” who had come aboard drunk, stood at one of the guns, match in hand. He saw one of the English jackies grinning at him. He was primed for a fight, and yelled across,--

”I'll stop your making faces, my fine fellow.” He leaned forward to apply the match to the vent, and was only saved from firing it in time by Lieutenant McKnight of the gun-division, who knocked him sprawling. Had that gun been fired, the ”Phbe” would have been taken.

There seems no doubt of Captain Hillyar's previous intention to try to take the ”Ess.e.x” as she lay, regardless of the neutrality. Captain Porter would have been justified if he had fired at that time.

But the Englishmen were willing to bide their time. Two more British s.h.i.+ps were expected, and they felt sure of their prey.

A strange state of affairs now ensued. The officers meeting on sh.o.r.e exchanged the proper courtesies, and strict orders were issued to the men, who for a wonder were restrained from fighting. Porter flew from his foremast a great white burgee, bearing the legend, ”Free Trade and Sailors' Rights.” Captain Hillyar soon hoisted one in reply, ”G.o.d and Country: British Sailors' Best Rights. Traitors Offend Both.” Porter then had another painted, and sent it to the mizzen, which read, ”G.o.d, Our Country, and Liberty. Tyrants Offend Them.”

These amenities had the effect of making the crew eager for a speedy settlement of the question. Once Captain Hillyar fired a gun in challenge; but upon Porter's accepting it, the Englishman sailed down to his consort the ”Cherub,” and Porter returned. The Englishman, in spite of his challenge, was not willing to fight a single battle.

Finally, Captain Porter, learning of the expected early arrival of the ”Tagus,” 38, the ”Racc.o.o.n,” and two other s.h.i.+ps, determined to put to sea and there fight it out with the two frigates as best he might. The next day, the 28th of March, 1814, a squall came up, and the ”Ess.e.x” lost one of her anchors and dragged the other out to sea. Not a moment was to be lost in getting sail on the s.h.i.+p, for he saw a chance to sail between the southwest point of the harbor and the enemy. Under close-reefed topsails Porter made a course which seemed likely to carry him just where he wanted to go, when a heavy squall struck the s.h.i.+p, carrying away the maintop-mast and throwing the men who were aloft on the top-gallant-yard into the sea.

This great misfortune at a time when there was at least a fighting chance of getting away put a different aspect upon the chances of the ”Ess.e.x.”

Both English vessels immediately gave chase, and Porter, failing to make his anchorage, ran for sh.o.r.e, to anchor there and fight it out to the last drop of blood. The ”Phbe” and the ”Cherub,” bedecked with flags, came booming down to where Porter awaited them, flying flags from the stumps of his maintop-mast and at almost every point where he could run a halyard.

At about four o'clock the ”Phbe” selected a position under the stern of the ”Ess.e.x,” and opened fire at long range. The ”Cherub” stood off her bow. The fire of the ”Phbe” was terribly destructive, and few guns from the ”Ess.e.x” could be brought to bear upon her. The ”Cherub” fared differently; and, finding her position too hot, sailed around and took up a position by her consort, where a tremendous fire was poured in. Captain Porter, with great difficulty, had three of his long 12-pounders hauled into his after-cabin, and at last succeeded in opening such a fierce and well-aimed fire that the enemy wore about and increased the distance between them. The ”Phbe” had three holes in her water-line, had lost the use of her mainsail and jib, and had her fore-main- and mizzen-stays shot away. Her bowsprit was badly wounded, and she had other injuries below.

But the ”Ess.e.x” was fighting against terrible odds. The springs on her cables were again and again shot away and the crew were being killed and wounded in great numbers. When the s.h.i.+ps of the enemy returned and opened a galling fire from such a position that it could not be returned by the ”Ess.e.x,” Porter determined to a.s.sume the aggressive. But when he attempted to make sail on his s.h.i.+p, he found that most of the running-gear had been cut away, only his flying-jib could be spread to the winds. But, nothing daunted, he cut his cable, and, spreading his tattered canvases the best way he could, made down for the ”Cherub” until within range of the cannonades, where he gave the Englishman such a drubbing that he took to his heels and got out of range altogether. The ”Phbe” managed to keep her distance, and with her long guns kept sending in broadside after broadside, which swept the decks of the doomed ”Ess.e.x” and mowed her men down like chaff. Captain Hillyar was taking no chances.

The slaughter on the ”Ess.e.x” was horrible. One gun was manned by three crews, fifteen men being killed at it. Men were dying like sheep; but those who remained at the guns, and even the wounded, had no thought of surrender. A sailor named Bissley, a young Scotchman by birth, lost his leg. He lifted himself, and said to some of his s.h.i.+pmates,--

”I hope I have proved myself worthy of the country of my adoption. I am no longer of any use to you or her; so good-by.” And before he could be restrained he pushed himself through the port into the sea and was drowned.

Mids.h.i.+pman Farragut acted as captain's aid, quarter-gunner, powder-boy, and anything that was required of him. He went below for some primers, when the captain of a gun was struck full in the face by a sixteen-pound shot, falling back upon the mids.h.i.+pman, spattering him with blood and tumbling them both down the hatch together. The blow stunned the mids.h.i.+pman for a moment; but when he recovered, he rushed again on deck.

Captain Porter, seeing him covered with blood, asked him if he were wounded.

”I believe not, sir.”

”Then, where are the primers?”

This first brought him completely to his senses. He rushed below again and brought the primers up. Captain Porter fell, stunned by the windage of a shot, but got to his feet unaided.

Though most other men would have surrendered the s.h.i.+p, Porter made up his mind to run her towards the sh.o.r.e and beach her broadside on, fight until the last and then blow her to pieces. An explosion occurred below and a fire broke out in two places. The decks were so covered with dead and dying that the men who remained upright could scarcely move among them.

The c.o.c.kpit would hold not another wounded man, and the shots which came in killed men who were under the surgeon's knife. Out of the two hundred and fifty-five souls who began the fight only seventy-five, including officers and boys, remained on the s.h.i.+p fit for duty. Many of the men, thinking the s.h.i.+p was about to blow up, had jumped overboard and had drowned or were struggling in the water in the attempt to swim to land.