hero tales from american history-第13部分

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of　the　vessel's　name　or　of　her　force；　save　only　so　far　as　they　felt　it。　The　firing　was　fast　and　furious；　but　the　British　shot　with　bad　aim；　while　the　skilled　American　gunners　hulled　their　opponent　at　almost　every　discharge。　In　a　very　few　minutes　the　Avon　was　in　a　sinking　condition；　and　she　struck　her　flag　and　cried　for　quarter；　having　lost　forty　or　fifty　men；　while　but　three　of　the　Americans　had　fallen。　Before　the　Wasp　could　take　possession　of　her　opponent；　however；　the　two　war　vessels　to　which　the　Avon　had　been　signaling　came　up。　One　of　them　fired　at　the　Wasp；　and　as　the　latter　could　not　fight　two　new　foes；　she　ran　off　easily　before　the　wind。　Neither　of　her　new　antagonists　followed　her；　devoting　themselves　to　picking　up　the　crew　of　the　sinking　Avon。

　It　would　be　hard　to　find　a　braver　feat　more　skilfully　performed　than　this；　for　Captain　Blakeley；　with　hostile　foes　all　round　him；　had　closed　with　and　sunk　one　antagonist　not　greatly　his　inferior　in　force；　suffering　hardly　any　loss　himself；　while　two　of　her　friends　were　coming　to　her　help。

Both　before　and　after　this　the　Wasp　cruised　hither　and　thither　making　prizes。　Once　she　came　across　a　convoy　of　ships　bearing　arms　and　munitions　to　Wellington's　army；　under　the　care　of　a　great　two…decker。　Hovering　about；　the　swift　sloop　evaded　the　two…decker's　movements；　and　actually　cut　out　and　captured　one　of　the　transports　she　was　guarding；　making　her　escape　unharmed。　Then　she　sailed　for　the　high　seas。　She　made　several　other　prizes；　and　on　October　9　spoke　a　Swedish　brig。

This　was　the　last　that　was　ever　heard　of　the　gallant　Wasp。　She　never　again　appeared；　and　no　trace　of　any　of　those　aboard　her　was　ever　found。　Whether　she　was　wrecked　on　some　desert　coast；　whether　she　foundered　in　some　furious　gale；　or　what　befell　her　none　ever　knew。　All　that　is　certain　is　that　she　perished；　and　that　all　on　board　her　met　death　in　some　one　of　the　myriad　forms　in　which　it　must　always　be　faced　by　those　who　go　down　to　the　sea　in　ships；　and　when　she　sank　there　sank　one　of　the　most　gallant　ships　of　the　American　navy；　with。　as　brave　a　captain　and　crew　as　ever　sailed　from　any　port　of　the　New　World。



THE　〃GENERAL　ARMSTRONG〃　PRIVATEER

We　have　fought　such　a　fight　for　a　day　and　a　night　As　may　never　be　fought　again！　We　have　won　great　glory；　my　men！　And　a　day　less　or　more　At　sea　or　ashore；　We　diedoes　it　matter　when？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tennyson。


THE　〃GENERAL　ARMSTRONG〃　PRIVATEER

In　the　revolution；　and　again　in　the　war　of　1812；　the　seas　were　covered　by　swift…sailing　American　privateers；　which　preyed　on　the　British　trade。　The　hardy　seamen　of　the　New　England　coast；　and　of　New　York；　Philadelphia；　and　Baltimore；　turned　readily　from　their　adventurous　careers　in　the　whalers　that　followed　the　giants　of　the　ocean　in　every　sea　and　every　clime；　and　from　trading　voyages　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth；　to　go　into　the　business　of　privateering；　which　was　more　remunerative；　and　not　so　very　much　more　dangerous；　than　their　ordinary　pursuits。　By　the　end　of　the；　war　of　1812；　in　particular；　the　American　privateers　had　won　for　themselves　a　formidable　position　on　the　ocean。　The　schooners；　brigs；　and　brigantines　in　which　the　privateersmen　sailed　were　beautifully　modeled；　and　were　among　the　fastest　craft　afloat。　They　were　usually　armed　with　one　heavy　gun；　the　〃long　Tom；〃　as　it　was　called；　arranged　on　a　pivot　forward　or　amidships；　and　with　a　few　lighter　pieces　of　cannon。　They　carried　strong　crews　of　well…armed　men；　and　their　commanders　were　veteran　seamen；　used　to　brave　every　danger　from　the　elements　or　from　man。　So　boldly　did　they　prey　on　the　British　commerce；　that　they　infested　even　the　Irish　Sea　and　the　British　Channel；　and　increased　many　times　the　rate　of　insurance　on　vessels　passing　across　those　waters。　They　also　often　did　battle　with　the　regular　men…of…war　of　the　British；　being　favorite　objects　for　attack　by　cutting…out　parties　from　the　British　frigates　and　ships　of　the　line；　and　also　frequently　encountering　in　fight　the　smaller　sloops…of…war。　Usually；　in　these　contests；　the　privateersmen　were　worsted；　for　they　had　not　the　training　which　is　obtained　only　in　a　regular　service；　and　they　were　in　no　way　to　be　compared　to　the　little　fleet　of　regular　vessels　which　in　this　same　war　so　gloriously　upheld　the　honor　of　the　American　flag。　Nevertheless；　here　and　there　a　privateer　commanded　by　an　exceptionally　brave　and　able　captain；　and　manned　by　an　unusually　well…trained　crew；　performed　some　feat　of　arms　which　deserves　to　rank　with　anything　ever　performed　by　the　regular　navy。　Such　a　feat　was　the　defense　of　the　brig　General　Armstrong；　in　the　Portuguese　port　of　Fayal；　of　the　Azores；　against　an　overwhelming　British　force。

The　General　Armstrong　hailed　from　New　York；　and　her　captain　was　named　Reid。　She　had　a　crew　of　ninety　men；　and　was　armed　with　one　heavy　32　pounder　and　six　lighter　guns。　In　December；　1814；　she　was　lying　in　Fayal；　a　neutral　port；　when　four　British　war…vessels；　a　ship　of　the　line；　a　frigate　and　two　brigs；　hove　into　sight；　and　anchored　off　the　mouth　of　the　harbor。　The　port　was　neutral；　but　Portugal　was　friendly　to　England；　and　Reid　knew　well　that　the　British　would　pay　no　respect　to　the　neutrality　laws　if　they　thought　that　at　the　cost　of　their　violation　they　could　destroy　the　privateer。　He　immediately　made　every　preparation　to　resist　an　attack；　The　privateer　was　anchored　close　to　the　shore。　The　boarding…nettings　were　got　ready；　and　were　stretched　to　booms　thrust　outward　from　the　brig's　side；　so　as　to　check　the　boarders　as　they　tried　to　climb　over　the　bulwarks。　The　guns　were　loaded　and　cast　loose；　and　the　men　went　to　quarters　armed　with　muskets；　boarding…pikes；　and　cutlases。

On　their　side　the　British　made　ready　to　carry　the　privateer　by　boarding。　The　shoals　rendered　it　impossible　for　the　heavy　ships　to　approach；　and　the　lack　of　wind　and　the　baffling　currents　also　interfered　for　the　moment　with　the　movements　of　the　sloops…of…war。　Accordingly　recourse　was　had　to　a　cutting…out　party；　always　a　favorite　device　with　the　British　seamen　of　that　age；　who　were　accustomed　to　carry　French　frigates　by　boarding；　and　to　capture　in　their　boats　the　heavy　privateers　and　armed　merchantmen；　as　well　as　the　lighter　war…vessels　of　France　and　Spain。

The　British　first　attempted　to　get　possession　of　the　brig　by　surprise；　sending　out　but　four　boats。　These　worked　down　near　to　the　brig；　under　pretense　of　sounding；　trying　to　get　close　enough　to　make　a　rush　and　board　her。　The　privateersmen　were　on　their　guard；　and　warned　the　boats　off；　and　after　the　warning　had　been　repeated　once　or　twice　unheeded；　they　fired　into　them；　killing　and　wounding　several　men。　Upon　this　the　boats　promptly　returned　to　the　ships。

This　first　check　greatly　irritated　the　British　captains；　and　they　decided　to　repeat　the　experiment　that　night　with　a　force　which　would　render　resistance　vain。　Accordingly；　after　it　became　dark；　a　dozen　boats　were　sent　from　the　liner　and　the　frigate；　manned　by　four　hundred　stalwart　British　seamen；　and　commanded　by　the　captain　of　one　of　the　brigs　of　war。　Through　the　night　they　rowed　straight　toward　the　little　privateer　lying　dark　and　motionless　in　the　gloom。　As　before；　the　privateersmen　were　ready　for　their　foe；　and　when　they　came　within　range　opened　fire　upon　them；　first　with　the　long　gun　and　then　with　the　lighter　cannon；　but　the　British　rowed　on　with　steady　strokes；　for　they　were　seamen　accustomed　to　victory　over　every　European　foe；　and　danger　had　no　terrors　for　them。　With　fierce　hurrahs　they　dashed　through　the　shot…riven　smoke　and　grappled　the　brig；　and　the　boarders　rose；　cutlas　in　hand；　ready　to　spring　over　the　bulwarks。　A　terrible　struggle　followed。　The　British　hacked　at　the　boarding…nets　and　strove　to　force　their　way　through　to　the　decks　of　the　privateer；　while　the　Americans　stabbed　the　assailants　with　their　long　pikes　and　slashed　at　them　with　their　cutlases。　The　darkness　was　lit　by　the　flashes　of　flame　from　the　muskets　and　the　cannon；　and　the　air　was　rent　by　the　oaths　and　shouts　of　the　combatants；　the　heavy　trampling　on　the　decks；　the　groans　of　the　wounded；　the　din　of　weapon　meeting　weapon；　and　all　the　savage　tumult　of　a　hand…to…hand　fight。　At　the　bow　the　British　burst　through　the　boarding…netting；　and　forced　their　way　to　the　deck；　killing　or　wounding　all　three　of　the　lieutenants　of　the　privateer；　but　when　this　had　happened　the　boats　had　elsewhere　been　beaten　back；　and　Reid；　rallying　his　grim　sea…dogs；　led　them　forward　with　a　rush；　and　the　boarding　party　were　all　killed　or　tumbled　into　the　sea。　This　put　an　end　to　the　fight。　In　some　of　the　boats　none　but　killed　and　wounded　men　were　left。　The　others　drew　slowly　off；　like　crippled　wild…fowl；　and　disappeared　in　the　darkness　toward　the　British　squadron。　Half　of　the　attacking　force　had　been　killed　or　wounded；　while　of　the　Americans　but　nine　had　fallen。

The　British　commodore　and　all　his　officers　were　maddened　with　anger　and　shame　over　the　repulse；　and　were　bent　upon　destroying　the　privateer　at　all　costs。　Next　day；　after　much　exertion；　one　of　the　war…brigs　was　warped　into　position　to　attack　the　American；　but　she　first　took　her　station　at　long　range；　so　that　her　carronades　were　not　as　effective　as　the　pivot　gun　of　the　privateer；　and　so　well　was　the　latter　handled；　that　the　British　brig　was　repeatedly　h