The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2Headley, Joel Tyler
History
The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2
Headley, Joel Tyler
United States -- History -- War of 1812
being made, and the land sufficiently cleared, Burrows shortened sail
and bore down on the enemy. As the two vessels, approaching
diagonally, came within pistol shot of each other, they delivered
their broadsides, and bore away together. The Enterprise, however,
drew ahead, and Burrows finding himself forward of the enemy's bows,
ordered the helm down, and passing directly across his track, raked
him with his long gun from the cabin window. He then waited for him to
come up on the other quarter, when they again moved off alongside of
each other, firing their broadsides, till at length the main-top-mast
of the English vessel came down. Raking her again with his long gun,
Burrows took up his station on her bows, and poured in a rapid and
destructive fire.
The men serving one of the carronades being sadly reduced in numbers,
and unable to manage their piece, Burrows stepped forward, and seized
hold of the tackle to help them run it out. Placing his feet against
the bulwark to pull with greater force, he was struck in the thigh by
a shot which glanced from the bone and entered his body, inflicting a
mortal, and exceedingly painful wound. He refused, however, to be
carried below, and laid down on deck, resolved, though writhing in
excruciating agony, to encourage his officers and men by his presence
so long as life lasted.
In forty minutes from the commencement of the action the enemy ceased
firing, and hailed to say he had struck. The commanding officer
ordered him to haul down his flag. The latter replied they were nailed
to the mast, and could not be lowered till the firing ceased. It was
then stopped, when an English officer sprang on a gun, and shaking
both fists at the Americans, cried, "No--no," and swore and raved,
gesticulating, in the most ludicrous manner till he was ordered
below. This, together with the awkward manner of lowering colors with
levers and hatchets, drew peals of laughter from the American sailors.
Lieutenant Burrows lived till the sword of the English commander was
placed under his head, when he murmured, "I die contented." This
vessel, which proved to be the Boxer, was terribly cut up, but the
number of killed was never ascertained, as they were thrown overboard
fast as they fell. She had fourteen wounded, while the loss of the
Americans was one killed and thirteen wounded.
After this the Enterprise, under Lieutenant Renshaw, cruised south, in
company with the Rattlesnake, both having many narrow escapes from
British men of war. The former captured, off the coast of Florida, the
British privateer, Mars, of fourteen guns. Soon after she was chased
by a frigate for three days, the latter often being within gunshot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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