In March, 1813, Captain Broke sailed from Halifax in company with the _Tenedos_, Captain Hyde Parker. Captain Broke, finding that the _Constitution_ and _Chesapeake_ were in Boston Harbour, the former undergoing considerable repairs, sent Captain Parker away, in hopes that the latter would come out and fight him. The _Chesapeake_ was at this time commanded by a gallant officer, Captain Lawrence. Although Captain Broke captured several prizes, rather than weaken his crew, he destroyed them all, while he remained off the port waiting for the expected encounter. At length, having waited till the 1st of June, Captain Broke addressed a letter of challenge to Captain Lawrence, which begins: "As the _Chesapeake_ appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the _Shannon_ with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags;" and added, "You will feel it as a compliment if I say, that the result of our meeting may be the most grateful service I can render to my country; and I doubt not that you, equally confident of success, will feel convinced that it is only by repeated triumphs in `even combats' that your little navy can now hope to console your country for the loss of that trade it can no longer protect." The _Shannon_, having stood in close to Boston Lighthouse, with colours flying, lay to, when the _Chesapeake_ was seen at anchor. She shortly afterwards, under all sail, stood out of the harbour, accompanied by numerous yachts and a schooner gunboat, with several American naval officers on board. At half-past five in the afternoon the _Chesapeake_, with a large flag flying, on which was inscribed the words, "Sailor's rights and free trade," approached the _Shannon_, and soon afterwards, luffing up within about fifty yards of her starboard-quarter, gave three cheers. At 5:50 p.m. the _Shannon's_ aftermost main-deck gun was fired, and the two combatants exchanged broadsides. The _Chesapeake_, however, coming sharply up to the wind, in consequence of all the men at her helm being killed, was exposed to a shot from the _Shannon's_ aftermost gun, which took a diagonal direction along her decks, beating in her stern-ports and sweeping the men from their quarters. The _Shannon's_ foremost guns also did considerable damage. In a few minutes the _Chesapeake_ fell on board the _Shannon_, when Captain Broke, ordering the two ships to be lashed together, called away the main-deck boarders, and, followed by about twenty men, sprang on to her quarter-deck, which had been completely deserted. The British were, however, encountered on the gangways by some twenty-five or thirty Americans, who made but slight resistance, and being driven towards the forecastle, endeavoured to escape down the fore-hatchway, while others plunged overboard. The remainder threw down their arms and submitted. During this time the boarders were exposed to a destructive fire from the main and