Bushnell's Turtle...

Bushnell's Turtle was the world's first submersible with a documented record of use in combat. It was built in Connecticut in 1775 by David Bushnell as a means of attaching explosives to enemy ships in North American harbors during the Revolutionary War. Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull recommended the invention to General George Washington. Even though the commander-in-chief had doubts about this new vessel's effectiveness, he provided funds and support for the development and testing of the machine. The Turtle would later be used in New York Harbor in the late summer of 1776 in a failed attempt to sink British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship, the HMS Eagle.

I have posted a passage (below), from my novel: "Then...A Patriot I'll Be" describing the mission that was employed for the Turtle on that very attempt to sink the Eagle...

Washington knew that the British had gained valuable experience in amphibious landings, and were now quite proficient at the maneuver. After all, twice they had successfully landed troops by boat for an impending attack; the first was Bunker Hill, and most recently, their near perfect invasion of Long Island. He figured that the best way to defend an attack from across the river would be to launch an offensive of his own. Washington was aware that an inventor named David Bushnell had just last year created a bizarre craft that could help the Continental Army in their offensive against the British ships in the river. This vessel was designed to submerge under the surface of the water and using the propulsion of a one man crew inside the craft, make its way undetected to the underside of the enemy’s warship. Once there, the submersible could use stealth to affix an explosive to the hull of the ship that was designed to explode and bring the enemy vessel to the bottom.

The vessel was named the “Turtle”, due to its appearance as such. In reality, the outside was put together almost like a hogshead for carrying some sort of liquid. It had wooden planking that was curved and held together with metal bands, much like a barrel was constructed. It was then pitched and tarred like a regular vessel to keep the water from seeping inside. The only light penetrating into the small craft would be from six thick glass windows mounted in a small turret that the lone pilot would look out of while navigating toward and away from his target. When the vessel would submerge, he would unfortunately be left in the dark.

In navigating through the water, the pilot of the Turtle would use a series of pumps to add and release its watery ballast; thus allowing the vessel to submerge beneath the waves and rise again from below the surface. Inside the round ship, the pilot would operate various pedals and cranks to enable the craft to move both horizontal and vertical. These cranks and pedals were directly connected to propellers outside of the Turtle. Once the tiny submersible had successfully navigated its way under the hull of the enemy ship, the pilot would operate a crank above his head and this would in turn rotate a corkscrew. The screw was designed to penetrate the underbelly of the enemy ship and connect an explosive device to the hull. A delay was used once it was in place, and after the Turtle had cleared the scene, the explosives were designed to go off, ripping a hole in the bowels of the ship.

It was the evening of September sixth and the time for employing the Turtle had come. The man chosen to pilot the vessel during its trial attack was a patriotic fellow named Ezra Lee. He had enough experience with the Turtle that he felt he could fulfill the mission with success.

Sitting at anchor at the mouth of the East River, bobbing gently in the soft waves of the bay was Admiral Howe’s very own flagship; the HMS Eagle. It was decided that this very ship would make an excellent first target for the Turtle. Once again, John Glover’s amphibious Marblehead unit was employed for their maritime experience. Under the cover of darkness, these men boarded longboats and using their rowing skills, towed the Turtle as far out into the harbor as they could without being noticed. Once it was decided that the longboats could go no further, the Turtle was set adrift under its own power, which of course meant the sole navigational efforts of Ezra Lee. It took some time, but Lee eventually arrived un-noticed at the stern of the Eagle. He took in more ballast and submerged deeper under the calm waters. Once he had descended to the proper depth, he moved his tiny craft into position under the massive ship’s hull. So far, the plan was unfolding without a glitch.

Back at Fort Washington, we were oblivious to the saga unfolding beneath the hull of Admiral Howe’s ship. We were more interested in the reports of the British movement toward Newtown Creek. In particular, we were concerned about the impending attack that was inevitably coming our way. I was atop my post engaging in conversation with my mates. We were talking amongst ourselves about the mischief we had just gotten into on our excursion into New York City to scout for British agents. Francis had started off the conversation with how he couldn’t get the image of that poor dead drunkard we had found in the street out of his mind. “Drowning in filth and waste”, he exclaimed; “what a horrible way to go”. We all agreed that it must have been unpleasant, though hopefully he was passed out sleeping when it happened. If he was lucky enough for it to unfold that way, he wouldn’t have endured any of the discomfort during the act. Jessie of course still held firm in his stance that the man deserved none of his sympathy. “Since he had chosen to live the life of a filthy drunkard, it was appropriate that he died in the filth he helped to create”, he casually exclaimed. This is where the conversation began to turn ugly. Thomas, the son of a preacher barked out at Jessie, “You do not know this man’s life! He could’ve been a good man that fell onto some bad times! How dare you judge this man without knowing him or his background”! Jessie returned a disinterested look back toward his angered friend and replied, “I’ll judge who I please, as I please. It was obvious that the drunk’s own stupidity and bad judgments brought upon his death”.

“Stupidity and bad judgment”, questioned Thomas in a tone that clearly showed his disbelief for what Jessie had just said? “Are you serious in your choice of words”, the puzzled preacher’s son again questioned his friend? Jessie looked at him and replied, “If I said so, then I must be as serious as you think me to be”. Thomas tried to remain still for a moment trying to calm down before saying or doing something rash. Unfortunately he couldn’t do so, and unleashed his fury upon Jessie. “You can’t be serious”, he exclaimed! “How can you judge a man on supposed stupidity, when your very stupidity almost got us all killed”? “What are you talking about”, replied Jessie? “I am talking about your foolishness and poor judgment in dealing with the bread girl in the city, you fool”, yelled out Thomas! “Don’t you remember”? Jessie was just about to angrily reply to Thomas when a thunderous explosion rattled the earthen walls we were posted on and interrupted the two quarrelling mates!

BOOM! The explosion came from the direction to the east of Manhattan, but it was clearly audible from my location at the fort. The thunderous roar shook me to the core, and I assumed the rest of my mates didn’t fare any better. In response to the explosion, we all jumped back down as close to the ground as we possibly could in an effort to take cover from what we thought was a bombardment from the enemy. I was sure that our battle was finally to begin; but I would later find out that I was wrong. The ruckus wasn’t caused by cannon fire or a massive battle occurring on the eastern shores of the island. In fact, the explosion was caused by none other than Ezra Lee in his submersible Turtle.

Apparently, the Turtle’s mission was going rather well, up until Lee had successfully navigated her under the hull of the Eagle. As he positioned himself under Admiral Howe’s massive flagship, he began his business of drilling a hole into the underbelly to attach his explosives. He at first tried unsuccessfully, as when he attempted to operate his corkscrew, the tip of his device locked in on a metal fitting that was constructed on the bottom of the ship. He didn’t have enough power to drill into the metal object hindering his path and had to abort the first attempt at his sabotaging efforts. Lee only took a moment or two to regain his composure, and went right back to work on his mission. Once again, he submerged unnoticed and made his way to another section of the warship’s belly with the hopes of a better outcome than his last attempt. On this second attempt, he had the similar problem to his first attempt. He once again was not able to drill through the hull of the ship. However, he couldn’t devote too much time to this attempt, as the Turtle was quickly running out of breathable air, and Lee was soon forced to surface his vessel.

No sooner had he released his ballast and came up from beneath the waves for a refreshing breath of air, he noticed that a group of British longboats had been deployed and were making their way to his location. Realizing that his endeavor may not have been as un-noticed as he had thought it had been, Lee and his small craft began to engage in a hasty escape. Noticing that the longboats were gaining on him faster than he was able to flee in his vessel, he decided that he had to perform some other maneuver to put some distance between the Turtle and the enemy. The only course for his escape was to set off the timed charge and release his explosive device into the open water, hoping the British longboats would attempt to seize the unknown floating device. If it was timed right and went well, the British boats would reach the explosive just as the charge ran out, causing the device to go off; therefore blowing up the pursuing enemy along with it.



Wisely, the British boatmen didn’t follow the bait and retreated back from whence they came to avoid the suspicious “package” now floating in the water. Although they didn’t suffer the wrath of the explosive, their feared retreat allowed Lee and his Turtle to get safely back to Manhattan and away from the enemy. Eventually, the Turtle’s “torpedo” drifted with the tide and wound up in the East River. When it detonated there, the explosion was loud enough for us to easily hear it from Fort Washington. Some of the men along the fort’s wall even attested that they saw the massive plumes of water that the explosion caused. I didn’t see such plumes myself, but I believe that those men were truthful in explaining their encounter.



What the Turtle looked like at the time of it's use




Inside view of how the Turtle was controlled





Battle of Long Island...

In honoring the anniversary of the Battle of Long Island, which happened on this day in 1776, here is a passage from my novel, "Then...A Patriot I'll Be". It recounts the series of events that unfolded throughout the battle from the point of view of one of the soldiers present in Manhattan during the time...

On the front lines, the Brooklyn defenders that had been enduring massive cannon fire were now about to realize how truly dire their situation was. The five thousand or so British soldiers that had stayed behind to feign the attack on the center of the continental position had stormed the Gowanus Pass and sent the militia forces gathered there in a heavy retreat. As the combined line of red coats and Hessians advanced closer to the American stronghold, General Putnam sent out his distress signals to General Washington that he was under attack. These pre-agreed upon signals were bundles of wood and brush that were to be lit ablaze so that they could be seen from Washington’s position on Manhattan.

Per Putnam’s orders, General Stirling had taken almost two thousand men with him to challenge the enemy in the direct front of the continental defenses. More cannon fire erupted from both sides, as the American’s now had their artillery engaged. Musketry rattled as the two forces clashed at the front of the engagement. The British fired vicious volleys into Stirling’s advance troops, only to receive just as fierce musket fire in return.

Not pleased with how well the Americans were faring while going toe to toe with their regulars, the British officers ordered a massive bayonet charge, as it was a known fact that the continent soldiers were fearful of the bayonet. The orders were given and the regulars charged into the open battlefield toward the Americans. The result however, was much like Bunker Hill, as the Continentals opened fire and drove the British back to their lines. Dissatisfied with this result, the regulars were ordered once again into another bayonet charge. This charge didn’t fare any better than the first one, and the British were once again forced back in a barrage of musket and cannon fire.

Just as the Americans believed that they had the upper hand in the engagement, the fearsome Hessians formed in the center of the British lines and their artillery began to concentrate on hurling devastating grape shot into the American lines. The apple sized projectiles launched from the gun tubes and cut through the continental forces gathered to the front. Many men were either killed outright, or maimed to the point that they would later die from their grisly injuries. Believing the Hessian troops were going to follow up the bombardments with a massive charge, Putnam ordered more continentals to be sent from the redoubts to reinforce Stirling’s men. Upon seeing the increasing numbers of American troops arrive, the Hessian foot soldiers wisely pulled back to safety while allowing their cannon to decimate the continental forces before them at a safe distance.

The engagement was beginning to appear as a stalemate, and the Americans were confident that they were holding their own against the superior trained British. Unfortunately, this elation wouldn’t last much longer though, as once General Howe had decided the American’s were fooled into their false security of winning a battle long enough, the true signal of the attack was given. Howe had his men that had been hidden since navigating the Jamaica Pass finally rise up out of the tall grass. He then ordered one of his field pieces to fire a booming volley of round shot into the left flank of the American defenses. This was the signal to the Hessians in the center to once again resume their frontal attack. The Hessians would fare much better this time, as the Americans now weren’t just fighting them off. Suddenly, they also had to contend with the ten thousand regulars that appeared out of nowhere on their left flank.

As the battle roared on, massive amounts of casualties began to pile up on both sides. Although the odds were against them, the Americans were holding up better than Howe expected them to be. Canon fire continued to thunder over both sides and the musket smoke drifting across the battlefield blurred the vision of the two sides during the melee. The rattling of musketry was loud enough that both sides had a hard time hearing the commands of their officers. In the midst of this confusion, both sides were prone to defectors, and many men managed to flee out of fear.

As the British continued to pour in their seemingly endless resources of men and munitions, it was clear to the Continental leaders that they wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer. They had fought the good fight, but now it seemed that a retreat was all but inevitable. John Sullivan tried his best to muster his men up and orchestrate an orderly retreat, but by the time he began it was too late. The Hessians had broken through the lines and were now climbing over the defenses of the fortifications from the front. From the left, Howe’s men had been so proficient in their surprise attack that the whole of the left side of the American defenses had completely collapsed and began to run away on their own. By now, hand to hand fighting was occurring throughout the American defenses. Not skilled in the art of bayonet warfare, the Americans could only swing their muskets as clubs in defense against the highly trained bayonet wielding Hessians and regulars. The result was that many continental soldiers and American militia were slaughtered where they stood and fought bravely. There were reports that even the men that surrendered were hacked to bits by the non-quarter granting, blood thirsty Hessian soldiers.

Most of the men that were in the defenses were successfully evacuated to the American position at Brooklyn Heights. This was due to the brave actions and exquisite command of John Sullivan; although he couldn’t quite save himself. He was captured by the British during the retreat.

Washington finally arriving to Brooklyn Heights, realized how outnumbered his American troops were and ordered more reinforcements from Manhattan. Once again, luck looked upon me favorably, and I was still not ordered to the front lines. However, I could now hear the action more clearly from across the river and it sounded quite fierce. Judging from the sounds getting increasingly louder and frequent, I could tell that the battle must have been growing in size and intensity.

General Stirling had been holding his own with his men on the main of the American line’s right flank. In fact, they had been holding off the regulars so efficiently that some of the men in his line believed that they would actually drive the British back. Unfortunately for Stirling, a detachment of British Marines had joined the fray and along with a line of Hessians attacking on his left flank, began to push the Americans back instead. Wisely, Stirling began to fall back, but noticed that the British had gotten around him and were now closing in on his rear. His only means of escape was through an area of marshy swamp land that would lead him to Brooklyn Heights, and the assistance of the reinforcements that were located there. In a desperate retreat, he ordered his men into the marsh. Stirling himself stayed behind with close to three hundred of his men to cover the retreat of the main of his troops. Bravely, he was able to hold the regulars off until it was no longer possible to stop the British advances. He then ordered the remainder of his men to retreat by any means necessary. Of course this meant through the marshland toward the heights.

The men broke off in all directions in their attempt to flee the charging British regulars and bloodthirsty Hessians. Many men were either cornered or not able to swim the marshland and were forced to surrender. Unfortunately, most of these men would later perish inside the rotting British prison hulks that would soon be anchored in the bay. Stirling himself had no interest in surrendering to the British. He made a daring attempt to break through the enemy’s lines, but soon found himself surrounded by the Hessians and seeing he had no other choice, promptly surrendered to them.



Map of the Battle of Long Island (showing British and American Positions)



Propaganda For The Cause...

This broadside was printed from an engraving created by none other than Paul Revere. It depicts the "Boston Massacre", which occurred on March 5th, 1770. The "evil" and "murderous" expressions on the soldiers, as well as Captain Preston (brandishing his sword) were a sharp contrast to what actually happened that night. However, Revere's engraving served just fine as "anti-British" propaganda. It was intended to infuriate the American colonists into thinking that the British soldiers had "joyfully" fired their muskets into an "innocent" crowd; thus fueling the colonial passion toward joining the Patriot cause against England.
In reality, the British soldiers were heckled and harassed by the gathered colonial mob, and were being pelted with rocks, snow, ice, and hit with sticks as well. One of the soldiers was knocked down in this melee, and when he made it to his feet, was said to have fired into the crowd. Although Captain Preston ordered the men to stand down, and even tried to knock the barrels of the muskets safely out of the way, disorder took over, and the line of British soldiers haphazardly fired into the crowd. This was in sharp contrast to the orderly firing of a volley as depicted in the broadside. Unfortunately, the result was five American colonists killed. Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Crispus Attucks, Samuel Maverick, and Patric Carr were all victims of the "Boston Massacre".



Graves of the Boston Massacre victims (as well as Christopher Snider, an earlier casualty of the conflict); interred in the Granary Burial Ground in Boston



Unbearable Heat At Fort Washington...

The following is a passage from the novel, "Then...A Patriot I'll Be". It touches on the unbearable heat that Revolutionary War soldiers were forced to endure during the summer of 1776...

 

The true severity of the heat showed its grizzly face one day at the very end of July. It was one of the hotter days that I remember during my New York City deployment. As usual, I had been assigned to my post on the top of the earthen wall in preparation for an attack. The heat was so unbearable, that several of the troops stationed atop the walls were simply falling asleep at their posts due to the warmth from the mid day sun. The sergeant had ordered me and another fellow to stand down from our posts and follow him. Apparently, he needed some extra men to assist with the water crew, as the temperatures were so intense that day. I wasn’t happy to be given the burden of carrying around a yoke on my shoulders weighed down with water buckets, but I figured that it would get me off the walls and out of the sun’s grasp for a few hours. I ventured into the fort where I met up with the remainder of the fill in water crew and retrieved the necessary supplies to carry the water from a small freshwater river nearby to the trenches that I had been stationed at.

Making our way back into the trenches from the river, we proceeded to get to the business of dispersing water to the parched and dehydrated troops that were on post atop the walls. This employment went on for about one hour, when I came upon a small group of soldiers that were at their positions, lying as stoic as one would expect a soldier on post to be. “Step down for water lads”, the sergeant that was with me yelled to the group. Usually, the response was instant, and a stampede of soldiers would come running to collect their bounty of cool refreshing water before there wasn’t any left. After a moment of not getting any response, the sergeant again bellowed, “Come get some water before it is offered up to someone else”. Still, there was no response. Now the sergeant was getting upset and felt a bit disrespected by the soldiers ignoring of his commands. He climbed up onto the walls and pulled on one of the men’s shoes. The shoe came off in a hurry, but the man that it belonged to still didn’t budge. “Put that damn yoke down Mr. Crane and come up this wall at once”, the sergeant ordered to me! I instantly released myself from the yoke and climbed up onto the wall.

There before us were three men, that appeared to be sound asleep, although I was pretty sure right away that they weren’t. “Give me a hand waking these drunken miscreants Mr. Crane”, the sergeant once again commanded. “They’ll soon learn the punishment for passing out drunk at their posts”! The sergeant then picked up one of the “sleeping men’s” muskets and nudged him violently with it. Of course, the man didn’t budge one instant. I dropped down on my knees and attempted to roll the man over. Upon performing this action and seeing the man’s horrific opened eyed gaze, it was obvious to me (as well as the sergeant) that this man had died while on post. His body was already stiff from death, and from noticing the pool of perspiration still present around him, it was obvious that the man had died due to the heat. The sergeant performed the same task on the man next to the deceased one, and the outcome was identical. That man had perished due to the heat as well. There was one more body left to flip and discover that he was also indeed dead. I leaned over and moved this third body onto its back to take a look at its face to know for sure that he was dead. As I turned him over, I noticed his face. It looked as the other ones had at first, but then I noticed something. I could see this man’s lips moving slightly. Upon putting my ear to his mouth, I could hear the faint breaths that he was taking. “This man is still alive”, I yelled to the officer that was with me! The sergeant crawled over to this man and noticed immediately that he had somehow survived long enough for us to notice him.

The two of us dragged him down from the wall and propped him in a sitting up position at the base of the man made trench. “Get this man some water”, the sergeant ordered to me! Of course, I brought the bucket to the man and pulled out my own silver tankard from my haversack. I filled it handsomely with the water and put it to the dying man’s lips. Tipping the cup, the water flowed into his mouth and down his gullet. His eyes flickered as if the water was beginning to save him from the brink of death. I pulled the tankard away to allow him to swallow what was in his mouth, and poured the remainder of its contents over his head in an effort to cool the poor man down. Finally, the man groaned as the cool water flowed down his shoulders and wetted his overheated body. Thankfully, it appeared that we had got to him just in time and saved him from the certain death that his mates had suffered. Then, the man took a small breath, and closed his eyes. The sergeant and I looked at each other shocked as the man let out a deep guttural growl from the inside of his throat and flopped over onto his side; now as dead as the other two of the men we had found.

I fell back onto the ground with my back propped up against the base of the wall, exhausted. Deeply saddened by what I had just witnessed, I almost began to tear. However, I held it in as to remain stoic in the presence of an officer. I was admittedly bothered that we weren’t able to save this man. Perhaps if we were to have found him earlier, he would have fared much better. During my reflecting of what had just happened, the sergeant crawled over to my position, seemingly as tired as I now was. He then told me that we had done all we could for the man before us, and that I should be proud of my actions. “Now continue the water detail for the remainder of this section of wall Mr. Crane”, he told me. “From there, you are excused to return back to your station and rest at your post”. The sergeant did not follow me for the remainder of my water duties that day. He had to perform the grizzly task of putting together a burial detail to commit the bodies of the three deceased men to the earth.



Monument Representing the Modern Day Site of Fort Washington



Birth of the "Green Dragoon"...

On this day in 1754, Banastre “Bloody Ban” Tarleton is born...

In December 1775, Banastre Tarleton sailed from Great Britain to North America, where rebellion had recently broken out, triggering what would become the American Revolutionary War. Tarleton sailed with Lord Cornwallis as part of an expedition to capture the southern city of Charleston, South Carolina (during the first attack on the city). The British failed in taking this city during this expedition. He soon after joined the main British Army in New York to serve under General Howe. Tarleton was later part of a scouting party sent to gather intelligence on the movements of American General Charles Lee in New Jersey. On 13 December 1776, Tarleton surrounded the tavern that Lee had been staying in at Basking Ridge, New Jersey. He forced Lee, still in his night clothes, to surrender by threatening to burn the building down.

Tarleton soon earned command of the British Legion. This was a mixed force of cavalry and light infantry troops. This group earned the nickname, “Tarleton’s Raiders”. He proceeded at the beginning of 1780 to South Carolina, rendering valuable services to General Clinton in the operations which culminated in the eventual capture of Charleston.

On 29 May 1780, Tarleton, with a force of 150 mounted soldiers, overtook a detachment of 380 Virginia Continentals led by Abraham Buford. Buford refused to surrender or even to stop his march. Only after sustaining heavy casualties did Buford finally order the surrender. According to American accounts, as the American’s brought out the white flag of surrender, Tarleton’s horse was struck by a musket ball and fell. This gave the loyalist cavalrymen the impression that the rebels had shot at their commander while asking for mercy. Enraged, the loyalist troops charged at the Virginians. The loyalists attacked, carrying out "indiscriminate carnage never surpassed by the most ruthless atrocities of the most barbarous savages." Tarleton's men stabbed the wounded where they lay, and butchered many of the men that were begging for quarter. In the end, 113 Americans were killed and another 203 captured, 150 of them, so badly wounded that they had to be left behind. The British called the affair the Battle of Waxhaw Creek, while the Americans called it the "Buford Massacre", or the "Waxhaw Massacre."

Tarleton became the most feared officer in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The treatment of Patriot prisoners of war by Tarleton and his loyalist troops in the Southern Campaign led to the coining of the phrase, “Tarleton’s Quarter”; which came to define the British brutality experienced by the Americans during the last years of the war …



Colonel Banastre Tarleton



Where to find "Then...A Patriot I'll Be"

Remember, my newest novel, "Then...A Patriot I'll Be" can be purchased through Amazon.com for Kindle, as well as all Kindle related apps. Here is the link to the purchasing page:

http://www.amazon.com/Then-A-Patriot-Ill-Be-ebook/dp/B008DW4LXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345403143&sr=8-1&keywords=then+a+patriot+i%27ll+be

"Huzzah! Her Sides Are Made of Iron"...

On this date, two hundred years ago, the USS Constitution battled and defeated the British warship HMS Guerrierre. It was during this battle that the USS Constitution is said to have received her famous moniker..."Old Ironsides"...


At 2.00 p.m. on August 19, the USS Constitution sighted a large ship to leeward, and bore down to investigate. The weather was cloudy, and the wind was brisk. The strange ship proved to be the British warship, HMS Guerriere, whose crew recognised Constitution at about the same moment. Both ships prepared for action. As the Constitution closed, the Guerrierre slowed as best they could to fire a broadside, which fell short, and then ran before the wind for three quarters of an hour with the Constitution on her quarter. The British warship then yawed several times to fire broadsides at the Constitution, but the Guerrierre's broadsides were generally inaccurate. The Constitution fired back, and a give and take of cannon fire resulted; many of which hitting their intended targets. During this fight, a sailor aboard the Constitution witnessed the Guerrierre's cannon balls bouncing harmlessly off the thick wooden sides of the American ship, and is said to have joyously exclaimed, "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" This is the instant when the the Constitution received her famous moniker, "Old Ironsides".
Once the range had closed to within a few hundred yards, the Constitution's Captain Isaac Hull ordered extra sail (the foresail and main topgallant sail) to be set, to close the distance quickly. The Guerrierre's Captain James Richard Dacres ordered his ship toward the American ship as well. Now the two ships began to exchange broadsides at "half pistol-shot",with the Constitution to starboard and Guerriere to port.
 After fifteen minutes of this exchange, during which Guerriere suffered far more damage than the Constitution due to the American frigate's larger guns and thicker hull, Guerriere's mizzenmast fell overboard to starboard, acting like a rudder and dragging her around. This allowed Constitution to cross ahead of Guerriere, firing a raking broadside which brought down the main yard. Hull then brought the ship to cross Guerriere's bow again, firing another raking broadside, but the manoeuvre was cut too close and the Guerriere's bowsprit became entangled in the rigging of the Constitution's mizzenmast. On both ships, boarding parties were summoned, while musket fire broke out from each ship, however, only the narrow bowsprit provided a way to cross between the ships, and in the heavy sea, neither side could venture across it.
Some of the gunners aboard Guerriere fired at point-blank range into Hull's stern cabin, setting the American ship on fire briefly, but the flames were soon extinguished. The two locked ships slowly rotated clockwise with the current until they broke free. Not soon after, The Guerriere's foremast and mainmast both snapped off at deck level, leaving her helpless and rolling heavily in the churning sea. Captain Dacres attempted to set sail using only the bowsprit to bring his ship before the wind, but it too had been damaged and broke. The Constitution meanwhile ran downwind for several minutes, repairing damage to the rigging, before once again wearing and beating upwind to return to battle.
As the Constitution prepared to renew the action, the Guerriere fired a shot in the opposite direction of the Constitution. Sensing that this was an attempt to signal surrender, Captain Hull ordered a boat to take a Lieutenant over to the British ship. When the Lieutenant walked onto the Guerriere and asked if Guerriere was prepared to surrender, Captain Dacres responded "Well, Sir, I don't know. Our mizzen mast is gone, our fore and main masts are gone-I think on the whole you might say we have struck our flag."
Captain Dacres was escorted aboard the Constitution. Captain Hull refused to accept Dacres' sword of surrender, saying he could not accept the sword from a man who had fought so gallantly. Hull wanted the Guerriere towed in as a prize ship. The Constitution lay by the Guerriere during the night but at daybreak it was obvious that the Guerriere could not be salvaged. The prisoners and the American salvage parties were brought aboard Constitution and at three o'clock in the afternoon, the Guerriere was set on fire, and soon blew up.



The USS Constitution and the HMS Guerrierre Engaging in Battle



"Then...A Patriot I'll Be" Facebook Page Has Been Started...

If you find this blog enjoyable, please take a look at my facebook page I designed as a forum to discuss the novel, as well as other postings and rantings about important events in early American History...

http://www.facebook.com/ThenAPatriotIllBe?ref=hl

Precursor To The Purple Heart...

On this day in 1782, George Washington creates the "Badge For Military Merit", a decoration consisting of a purple heart shaped piece of silk, edged with a binding of silver. The word "Merit" was stitched across the front of the heart. The badge was awarded to a soldier for any "singularly meritorious action". The wearer of the badge was permitted to pass by any guard or sentry without being challenged. The soldier that received the badge also had their name and regiment entered into a "Book of Merit". It is possible that this was the precursor to today's modern Purple Heart...

Admiral Richard Howe Lives No More...

On this day, 1799, Great Britain mourned the loss of Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe. Admiral Howe was the commander of the British Navy in the North American theatre during the American Revolutionary War, until his resignation in 1778. We was the brother of the British General Sir William Howe, commander of the British Army in the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. Both considered themselves members of the Whig party, the Howe brothers considered themselves agents of peace appointed by the crown to achieve a peaceful resolution to the war, and as such were both respected by the American colonists for their semi sympathetic stances. Admiral Howe was present at the famed peace talks with American delegates for the Second Continental Congress in 1776, although a peaceful
resolution was not agreed upon.

Smuggling Could Prove A Profitable Business...

The following passage is from the novel, "Then...A Patriot I'll Be". It is a first hand account of how even the "loyalist" population in the American colonies benefited from the "vile" practice of smuggling goods against the strict shipping policies of England...

Big business at the time for Boston merchants and ship owners was of course moving their cargoes at will, unfettered by scrupulous laws from the motherland.  At one time, shipping was as wide open and as free as the sea itself, though that was no longer the fact. As the royal noose tightened, and more and more duties and taxes were placed on their precious cargoes, it was getting much harder for these honest businessmen to make their livings, and of course, increase their fortunes. A plan would have to be devised, and in a hurry, if business was going to go on as usual.

      Smuggling had been occurring for some time throughout the colonies. Between colonial officials collecting payment for turning a blind eye to the trade or owning stakes in smuggling vessels themselves, and Britain not having the resources in place to effectively stop this business, smugglers went about their trade, and much money was made. This practice had steadily increased as more and more duties and taxes were placed on the backs of honest merchantmen. I could tell you first hand that these smugglers were very much welcomed by some. Even the “loyalist” Crane family was supportive of this silent trade. The vessels would come in to harbor late in the evening under cover of darkness, or simply unload their illegal cargoes on an empty beach near the cape and disperse the contents from there. Not subject to the fines and taxes of the legal ships, these goods could be purchased cheaper than goods rightfully brought into port. No one was innocent from playing a part in this most “wicked practice”. As much of a loyalist as my grandfather was, even he couldn’t resist purchasing “tax free” rum, and unaccounted for crates of tea for use in the tavern. He did preach his love for king and country, but he was a businessman first, and profits were his driving force. Not to mention, chocolate was expensive if purchased legitimately, and grandfather (as well as the rest of my family) did enjoy sitting around the table at home eating those sweet brownish shavings.



Shop Owners Wait On Shore For Smuggled Goods To Arrive



USS Constitution's Maiden Voyage...

200 years ago today, the USS Constitution left Boston Harbor for the first time...

In Boston, Captrain Isaac Hull takes Constitution to sea, intending to cruise off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Ship's Surgeon Amos Evans records in his journal: "Got under weigh [sic] at 5 o'clock A.M. and passed the light house about 6. Stood N.E., wind S. & W. and pleasant. Saw at one time 50 sail of vessels, most of them small. Lost sight of land in the afternoon. Spoke a ship from Ireland with passengers."