Pike lived to direct his troops, for a moment thrown into disorder, "to move on." This they now did under Colonel Pearce; and, proceeding towards the town, took possession of the barracks. On approaching it, they were met by the officers of the Canada militia with offers of capitulation. At four o'clock the troops entered the town.

The loss of the British, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, amounted to seven hundred and fifty; the Americans lost, in killed and wounded, about three hundred.

During the remainder of the spring, the war continued along the Canada line, and on some parts of the sea-board; but nothing important was achieved by either power. The Chesapeake Bay was blockaded by the British, and predatory excursions, by their troops, were made at Havre-de-Grace, Georgetown, &c. Several villages were burnt, and much property plundered and destroyed. To the north of the Chesapeake, the coast was not exempt from the effects of the war. A strict blockade was kept up at New York. The American frigates United States and Macedonian, and the sloop Hornet, attempted to sail on a cruise from that port, about the beginning of May, but were prevented. In another attempt, they were chased into New London harbour, where they were blockaded by a fleet under Commodore Hardy, for many months. Fort George, in Canada, was taken by the Americans. Sackett's Harbour was attacked by one thousand British, who were repelled with considerable loss.

CHAPTER XI.

Loss of the Chesapeake-Terrible Carnage-Death of Lawrence-Buried at Halifax by the British with the Honours of War.

"Don't give up the ship."

On returning to this country, after his victorious career already recorded, Captain Lawrence was received with distinction and applause, and various public bodies conferred on him peculiar tokens of approbation. While absent, the rank

of post-captain had been conferred on him, and shortly after his return, he received a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, offering him the command of the frigate Constitution, provided neither Captains Porter nor Evans applied for it, they being older officers. Captain Lawrence respectfully declined this conditional appointment for satisfactory reasons, which he stated to the Secretary. He then received an unconditional appointment to that frigate, and directions to superintend the navy-yard at New York in the absence of Captain Ludlow. The next day, to his great surprise and chagrin, he received counter-orders, with instructions to take command of the frigate Chesapeake, then lying at Boston, nearly ready for sea. This appointment was particularly disagreeable to him. He was prejudiced against the Chesapeake, both from her being considered the worst ship in our navy, and from having been in a manner disgraced in the affair with the Leopard. This last circumstance had acquired her the character of an unlucky ship-the worst of stigmas among sailors, who are devout believers in good and bad luck; and so detrimental was it to this vessel, that it had been difficult to recruit crews for her.

The extreme repugnance that Captain Lawrence felt to this appointment, induced him to write to the Secretary of the Navy, requesting to be continued in the command of the Hornet besides, it was his wish to remain some short time in port, and enjoy a little repose in the bosom of his family; particularly as his wife was in that delicate situation that most calls forth the tenderness and solicitude of an affectionate husband. But though he wrote four letters to the secretary, he never received an answer, and was obliged reluctantly to acquiesce.

While lying in Boston roads, nearly ready for sea, the British frigate Shannon appeared off the harbour, and made signals expressive of a challenge. The brave Lawrence immediately determined on accepting it, though conscious at the time of the great disparity between the two ships. The Shannon was a prime vessel, equipped in an extraordinary manner, for the express purpose of combating advantageously

one of our largest frigates. She had an unusually numerous crew of picked men, thoroughly disciplined and well officered. She was commanded by Captain Broke, one of the bravest and ablest officers in the service, who fought merely for reputation.

On the other hand, the Chesapeake was an indifferent ship, with a crew, a great part of whom were newly recruited, and not brought into a proper discipline. They were strangers to their commander, who had not had time to produce that perfect subordination, yet strong personal attachment, which he had the talent of creating wherever he commanded. His first-lieutenant was sick on shore; the other officers, though meritorious, were young men; two of them mere acting lieutenants; most of them recently appointed to the ship, and unacquainted with the men.

The most earnest endeavours were used, by Commodore Bainbridge and other gentlemen, to dissuade Captain Lawrence from what was considered a rash and unnecessary exposure. He felt and acknowledged the force of their reasons, but persisted in his determination. He was peculiarly situated: he had formerly challenged the Bonne Citoyenne, and should he decline a similar challenge, it might subject him to sneers and misrepresentations. Among the other unfortunate circumstances that attended this ill-starred battle, was the delay of a written challenge from Captain Broke, which did not arrive until after Captain Lawrence had sailed. It is stated to have been couched in the most bland and courteous language; minutely detailing the force of his ship; and offering, if the Chesapeake should not be completely prepared, to cruise off and on till such time as she made a specified signal of being ready for the conflict. It is to be deeply regretted that Captain Lawrence did not receive that gallant challenge, as it would have given him time to put his ship in proper order, and spared him the necessity of hurrying out in his unprepared condition, to so formal and momentous an en

counter.

After getting the ship under way, he called the crew together, and having ordered the white flag to be hoisted, bearing

the motto, "Free trade and sailors' rights," he, according to custom, made them a short harangue. While he was speaking, several murmurs were heard, and strong symptoms of dissatisfaction appeared in the manners and countenances of the crew. After he had finished, a scoundrel Portuguese, who was boatswain's-mate, and acted as spokesman to the murmurers, replied to Captain Lawrence in an insolent manner, complaining, among other things, that they had not been paid their prize-money, which had been due for some time past.

The critical nature of the moment, and his ignorance of the dispositions and characters of his crew, would not allow Captain Lawrence to notice such dastardly and mutinous conduct in the manner it deserved. He dared not thwart the humours of men, over whose affections he had not had time to acquire any influence; he therefore ordered the purser to take them below and give them checks for their prize-money, which was accordingly done.

It was on the morning of the 1st of June that the Chesapeake put to sea. The Shannon, on seeing her come out, bore away, and the other followed. At 4 P. M. the Chesapeake hauled up and fired a gun; the Shannon then hove-to. The vessels manœuvred in silence till within pistol-shot, when the Shannon opened her fire, and both vessels, almost at the same moment, poured forth tremendous broadsides. The execution in both ships was terrible, but the fire of the Shannon was peculiarly fatal, not only making great slaughter among the men, but cutting down some of the most valuable officers. The very first shot killed Mr. White, sailing-master of the Chesapeake, an excellent officer, whose loss at such a moment was disastrous in the extreme. The fourth-lieutenant, Mr. Ballard, received also a mortal wound in this broadside, and at the same moment Captain Lawrence was shot through the leg with a musket-ball; he however supported himself on the companion-way and continued to give his orders with his usual coolness. About three broadsides were exchanged, which, from the closeness of the ships, were dreadfully destructive. The Chesapeake had three men shot from her helm successively, each taking it as the other fell; this of course

produced irregularity in the steering, and the consequence was, that her anchor caught in one. of the Shannon's afterports. She was thus in a position where her guns could not be brought to bear upon the enemy, while the latter was enabled to fire raking shots from her foremost guns, which swept the upper decks of the Chesapeake, killing or wounding the greater portion of the men. A hand-grenade was thrown on the quarter-deck, which set fire to some musket-cartridges, but did no other damage.

In this state of carnage and exposure, about twenty of the Shannon's men, seeing a favourable opportunity for boarding, without waiting for orders, jumped on the deck of the Chesapeake. Captain Lawrence had scarcely time to call his boarders, when he received a second and mortal wound from a musket-ball, which lodged in his intestines. Lieutenant Cox, who commanded the second division, rushed up at the call for the boarders, but came just in time to receive his falling commander. He was in the act of carrying him below, when Captain Broke, accompanied by his first-lieutenant, and followed by his regular boarders, sprung on board the Chesapeake. The brave Lawrence saw the overwhelming danger; his last words, as he was borne bleeding from the deck, were, "Don't give up the ship!"

Samuel Livermore, Esq., of Boston, who, from personal attachment to Captain Lawrence, had accompanied him in this cruise as chaplain, attempted to revenge his fall. He shot at Captain Broke, but missed him: the latter made a cut at his head, which Livermore warded off; but, in so doing, received a severe wound in the arm. The only officer that now remained on the upper deck was Lieutenant Ludlow, who was so entirely weakened and disabled by repeated wounds, received early in the action, as to be incapable of personal resistance. The comparatively small number of men, therefore, that survived on the upper decks, having no officer to head them, the British succeeded in securing complete possession before those from below could rally. Lieutenant Budd, who had commanded the first division below, being informed of the danger, hastened up with some men,