A FAMOUS DUEL

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 8

A FAMOUS DUEL

THEiSHANNGN AND THE CHESAPEAKE. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. ; “ BRAVE BROKE’S ” TRIUMPH. ' Some pages 6f' historv ‘ were better “ blacked ”, out after the manner of an autocratic censorship. Among these is the narrative of the fratricidal war of a century, ago between England and the United States, the daugnterland of a few decades before, i But an appeal might be made that the'record should, be spared of tho duel between the Shannon and the Chesapeake. This is a tale which the British Navy cannot afford to forget: indeed, under whatever flag naval officers serve they cherish the memory’ of this single-ship contest, not only as a psychological study, but as an "incident of permanent professional value—being alike a fingerpost on-the path to a high standard of efficiency, and a perennial warning of the penalties of delay in warlike preparation. It was exactly a hundred years ago on Sunday, June.l, since the Shannon and Chesapeake met. The anniversary is a reminder of the fact that, thongli it is commonly said that nothing succeeds like success, frequently success is eo intoxicating •in its effects that it leads to disaster. In 1813 the British .fleet was supreme on the sens in an absolute sense; it had—or thought it had—no possible rivals even if fortune by some mischance consolidated against it. an improbable, if not an impossible, combination of enemies. The great, sea Powers, one after the other, had been crushed; even the mighty fleet of Napoleon had been humiliated and decimated. ' There was some excuse if the officers of the British navy felt that the glory of Trafalgar was still reflected upon them, and formed an invisible defence that none would dare to challenge. THE NEGLECT OF GUNNERY.

Tlie country was .in confident mood, and the sea service shared this optimistic feeling. There were many British ships of war, they wore well founded and well manned, and to all appearance the navy had attained the acme of efficiency. Never were so many spick and span ships seen on the seas under the . white ensign; every vessel was yachtlike in faultless naval .toilet, and the 6ail evolutions were a source of pride. British ships were things of joy to the eye—beautiful without and within. Only one detail was omitted—the practice of shooting. • Gunnery. was thought of little account by most commanding officers; they were confident of success if the hour struck for action. Fortunately for the history of the British people, there was one man who realised that the essential role of a man-of-war was not to look pretty, but to'fight and win. That man was Captain Philip Broke—“ Brave Broke”— the Percy Scott of his, day. i He had been in command ‘of the Shannon for about seven years when tlie chance of winning tho fame of centuries crossed hia path. The conscientious performance of liis duties and good luck bad brought him to the poetcaptain’e list in 1801, before he was twenty-five years of age, and then he had four years on shore, unemployed, eo he got married. Even when the war broke out again the Admiralty would give him no ship. Then ho was assigned to a small frigate, and finally in 1806 was appointed to the Shannon. As a French historian—himself a naval officer—lias recorded in torse phrases: “The Shannon captured the Chesapeake on Juno 1, 1813: but on September 14, 1806, when he took command of bis frigate, Captain Broke had [begun to prepare for the glorious termination to this bloody affair.” A SINGULAR MAN AND HIS REWARD.

Broke, indeed, sacrificed his own and his crew’s comfort and interests to fighting efficiency. It was the custom of the service to cast the guns loose only for battle. Broke • exercised his officers and men at them every day, except Saturday. He would take no prize if it meant sending a prize crew on board, - because this would disorganise his training routine. He even fitted the guns with sights, at his own expense, and cared not a jot that tho crew were so busy at quarters and target practice that his vessel could not compete with others in paint work or polished brass- He was regarded by his contemporaries as a singular man, and be was, and thereby won singular honour.

In company with tlie Tenedoa, Broke in the Shannon had been lying off Boston since April, blockading American ships, when the summer opened. . Two vessels had got away. These incidents and the knowledge that the British Navy had had some inglorious reverses eisewhere on the Atlantic coast chafed Broke. He knew tho Chesapeake remained in the harbour, and in order to tempt her to come out. the Shannon’s captain sent off the Tenedos on detached service, and forthwith forwarded to Captain Lawrence, of the American frigate, a punctiliously worded challenge to a duel. This is. a document of note. It set forth in detail tlie character of the Shannon, the size of her crew, the number of her guns, and supplied a mass of other information. It pronxised that every precaution would bo taken to ensure that no other British ship intervened to turn the odds against tho Chesapeake, and, finally, Broke added that, if he desired, he would sail with Lawrenoe under a flag of truce to any place “ you think safest from our cruisers,” hauling it down when both were ready to begin fighting: FIFTEEN MINUTES—AND Via TORY. It was a duel ■ between two ships of the same class, with the advantage in guns and the number of men in favour of the, American frigate. Broke could, however, count on something of greater value than terns or even guns—a ship[s company trained incessantly t-o their buttle duties. The Chesapeake, on the other hand, had only been in commission a few weeks, and the crew had recently been engaged in mutiny. A “ green ’’crew never yet won a victory against one trained and disciplined for war.

The challenge never reached I<awrenco, for while it was on its way into , the harbour the Cheterieake sailed out, followed by fifty or sixty boats with Americans on board,who were assured they were about to witness a further triumph of the Stars and Stripes, while other citizens remained ashore, preparing balls, and suppers for the anticipated victors. The duel lasted almost exactly, fifteen minutes, and then the Shannon bore off her crippled and riddled prize to Halifax., Lawrence was no coward, hut an officer with a splendid record, and he fought on the terms of the challenge, which he did not lire to read. When the Shannon stood out to sea, under easy canvas, Lawrence bore down on her with all sails set. He also tvas determined on a fair fight, and thought to lire to achieve yet another victory. Ho; had three ensigns flying, a largo white nag at the fore was inscribed ‘•Sailor’s Rights and Free Trade.” and everything seemed to have been planned to give confidence and courage to the ill-assortod crew, including somo British deserters. “AN UNASSUMING SIMP.” The Shannon’s men would have liked to make some sort of counter-demon-stration. Broke, kindly and human in his‘instincts, and usually the most considerate ol officers, would not even permit an extra ensign to be flown, much less i the mocking cheers to he answered. He addressed his men in firm, quiet tones. “ I feel sure you will do your duty.” he concluded; “remember, you have the blood of hundreds of your countrymen to avenge.” “ May we have three ensir, like she haa,” asked one

man, looking towards the- American frigate ns, with colours streaming, she drew up within 200 yards of the Shannon’s weather beam—a sight to please the ey e' of "any sailor . ■ No,'* answered Broke, “ wo have always been an unassuming ship.”' ! The fates wero against Lawrence. He came up bravely within about fifty yards from the "Shannon’s quarter, and liis enemy opened a deadly fire; the American replied as soon as she could bring lior weapons to bear, hut with less accuracy. As the two ship* moved on the water side by side, guns answered guns in quick succession. • j The Chesapeake had already suffered r no little damage when, having passed ahead, and attempting to haul her foresail up, she fell on board the ’ British ship, whoso starboard anchor hooked the larboard roizzen' chains of ••• her opponent.

What a scene the fight presented .a* tho two men-of-war, with big grin* and muskets dealing out death and destruction at closest quarters, clasped each other in mortal combat 1 Broke had foreseen the probable course' of events, and he had nis boarders ready. The instant an opportunity occurred he rushed on board the Chesapeake,, shouting, “Follow me who can,” he mounted the Shannon’s forecastle carronado and leapt on to tho quarterdeck of the American ship, a number of officers and men rushing after him. He was supported by the main deck boarders. From tho narrative of the survivors of the short but bloody fight, Captain Brenton, a contemporary officer, relates that “Captain Broke, followed by about sixty of his people, put, to death all that opposed hie passage round the gangway, and drove the Americans below, while tho bow guns of the Shannon, under the command of Lieutenant Wallis, made dreadful havoc on the main deck of the enemy. Mr Comahan, a midshipman of the Shannon, placed himself on her mainyard, whence, with musketry, he killed or wounded nearly all the men stationed in the main and mizzentop of the enemy.” Having cleared the quarterdeck, the British bluejackets, cheering as they rushed forward, united on the forecastle and drove most of the crew of the Chesapeake below.

A DASTARDLY ACT. It was during this period of the struggle that an incident occurred whirih ruined Broke’s career, and saddened Iris later years with intermittent but intense suffering. In making a charge along the larboard gangway, he spared an American sailor who pleaded for quarter'; the man instantly snatched up a cutlass and dealt Hia deliverer a heavy, blow on the back ot the' head, inflicting injuries, which nearly proved fatal. The infuriatecr British bluejackets cut the miscreant into pieces with the fierceness of an insatiable revenge. Another desperate rush, though the leader had fallen, completed the clearance of the foe, and Lieutenant "Watt proudly, bat hurriedly, hoisted eC British blue ensign at the gaff end ot the Chesapeake as the signal of victory* to the Shannon, for the two vessels had bv this time drifted apart. Then he had a thought that he would like to employ a white ensign which he had brought with him. He hauled ' down the blue flag with the intention of making the exchange. The men re- ' maining in the Shannon, still hearing j some firing, and thinking that the English party had, after all, been overpowered by the far superior numbers opposed to them, once more began to ply their guns. In fatal error they hit 1 and killea Lieutenant Watt and three of his men, and 60me others were wounded, before the white ensign could be broken, as a. sign that the struggle had, indeed, ended in victory. The final act was to convince the Americans, who had been driven into their hold, and were still firing, that the fight was over. Then, at 7 o’clock in. the evening, within fifteen minutes after the firing of the first gun, the pleasure boats began to turn back to Boston, grief stricken and dismayed, and a little later the Shannon with her dearly-bought prize sailed away.

300 CASUALTIES IN THE FIGHT. Captain Lawrence and his first lieutenant had been mortally wounded, ’the former dying on Jane 4, and being buried at Halifax two days later with the honours of war. Altogether the Chesapeake lost 92 officers and. men and over a hundred wounded. The Shannon had to mourn three officers and 23 men killed, while her captain, two other officers and 58 men were wounded Thus the record of this-over-memorable duel off Boston Lighthouse, in the closing months of this fratricidal war, was that nearly 300 men of the-two., ships were killed or wounded, or 20 men for every minute of the action. “Brave Broke” never again went to, sea. He sailed from England a virtually unknown naval captain in sturdy health; he returned home a hero when still a young man in years—on the sunny side of forty—but doomed to a life of pain, stoically suffered in silence. The descendant of an old Suffolk family, he was made a baronet, ancl later received the K.C.8.; honours and congratulations were showered on him, and his exploit was in every man’s mouth and beoame the burden of schoolboys’ song. In due course he was advanced—a mere matter of seniority—to the rank of rear-admiral, and died in London in 1841. He was buried in the Suffolk parish that gave him birth. His prize,.., after lying some years in Portsmouth harbour, was broken up; her timbers may still be seen in the Meon Valley; they now serve as the floors and walls of an old mill, and are as sound ’as over. Hi* name and title are no more, but he !■ represented by two grand-daughters—-one is the wife of Admiral Sir Lambton Loraine. Bart., and the other is married to James St Vincent, Lord do Saumarez, the grandson of Nelson V famous companion in arms.