CHAPTER XII.

Cruise of the Constitution-Action with the Cyane and Levart-Chased by a British fleet-England's views of neutral rights and the law of nations-Her honor and integrity at a discount-Singular escape of the Constitution-Recapture of the Levant under the guns of a neutral port-Lampoons on the English squadron for its contemptible conduct-Decatur-Capture of the President-The Hornet captures the Penguin-Chased by a ship of the line-Narrow escape-Cruise of the Peacock-Review of the American Navy-Its future destiny.

NAVAL warfare did not cease with the peace, for it was a long time before all our cruisers received notice of it.

The old Constitution, when Bainbridge gave up the command of her in 1813, was put on the stocks to undergo repairs, and did not get to sea again till 1814, when, under the command of Captain Stewart, she cruised southward, without meeting any vessel of her own size. She took the Nector, a war schooner of fourteen guns, and a few merchantmen, and returned to Boston. On the 17th of December she again put to sea, and cruised off the coast of Portugal.

1814.

Feb. 20,

CRUISE OF THE CONSTITUTION.

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Not meeting with the enemy, Captain Stewart, on the 20th of February, 1815, stood off south1815. west towards Madeira, and in the afternoon made two strange sail. He immediately started in pursuit of the nearest, hoping to overtake her before she could join her consort. The moment, however, the stranger discovered the Constitution, he stood away under every stitch of canvass he could spread. The Constitution also "set studding sails alow and aloft," and under a perfect cloud of canvass, bowled along at a tremendous rate. At length the main royal mast of the latter gave way in the strain, which gave the stranger so much the advantage that he effected a junction with his consort. The two then hailed each other, "came by the wind, hauled up their courses," and cleared for action. They were the Cyane, carrying thirty-four guns, and the Levant, twenty-one-the crew of the former numbering one hundred and eighty men, the latter one hundred and fifty-six.

They maneuvered for some time to get to the windward, but finding this impossible they awaited the approach of the American, who had now set his colors. It was a bright moonlight night, and the two English vessels presented a beautiful spectacle, as they lay rising and falling on the long swell, gallantly turned at bay. As the Constitution approached, they cheered, and fired their broadsides.

No answer was given. In stern and ominous silence the invincible frigate moved on, and ranging up about three hundred yards distant from the Cyane, delivered her broadside. So ready and eager were the men to fire, that when the order was given, the whole broadside was like the report of a single gun. She had taken her position to windward, and so as to form with the two vessels nearly an equilateral triangle, and in this masterly position flung her heavy metal against both alike. From the first gun the action became fierce and the cannonading incessant. After the lapse of fifteen minutes the fire of the enemy slackened, and Captain Stewart, unable to see their whereabouts, from the cloud of smoke that enveloped his ship, ordered the cannonading to cease till it passed off. In three minutes it lifted and rolled away before the wind, and he saw that the vessels had changed their position, the Levant being abeam, while the Cyane was evidently endeavoring to cross his wake and give him a raking fire. Instantly delivering a broadside to the vessel abeam, he by one of those sudden and prompt movements on which the fate of a vessel or an army often turns, threw his mizen and main sails flat aback, "shook all forward," let fly his jib sheet, and backed so swiftly astern* that the vessel was compelled to tack or be raked herself. While * Vide Cooper.

CYANE AND LEVANT.

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doing this the other ship attempted to cross his bows for the same purpose. The Constitution was again too quick for her, for as if by magic the yards swung round to the hearty "Yo, heave oh!" of the sailors the sails filled, and bowing to the breeze, she shot ahead, compelling the vessel to ware under a tremendous and raking broadside, which cut her up so terribly that she had to run out of the action to repair damages. He had scarcely delivered this crushing blow when he was told the largest ship was waring. He instantly gave orders to ware also, and crossing the enemy's stern, raked her as he passed. He then ranged up along side, when she struck, and Lieutenant Hoffman was put in command of her.

The Levant, in the mean time, having repaired her rigging, hauled up again to seek her consort, when she met the Constitution coming down. She immediately bore away, receiving as she did so, a raking broadside. The Constitution followed in her wake, firing, and following so close that the ripping of the enemy's planks, as the shot tore through them, could be distinctly heard on her decks. This, of course, could not be endured long, and a gun was soon fired to leeward, in token of submission.

The loss of the enemy, in this action, was between sixty and seventy, while that of the Constitution was only fifteen. The latter, however, was hulled thirteen times, showing very accurate firing by moonlight.

1915.

The masterly manner in which Captain Stewart handled his vessel, so that, large and unwieldy as she was, he thwarted every maneuvre to rake him, and raked both his enemies successively, proved him to be a thorough seaman and an able commandThe Constitution proceeded with her two prizes to Port Praya, in St. Jago, where she arrived the 10th of March. The next day while Lieutenant Shubrick was walking the quarter-deck, he heard one of the prisoners, a midshipman, exclaim: "There is a frigate in the offing!" This was followed by a low subdued reprimand from an English captain. Shubrick's suspicions were awakened, and he looked earnestly seaward. A heavy fog lay close on the water, diminishing into a haze as it left the surface, so that the spars of a ship could be seen, while her hull was obscured. Through this he saw the dim outlines of the sails of a large vessel, evidently standing in, and immediately went below and reported the circumstance to Captain Stewart. The latter ordered him to call all hands and make ready to go in chase of her. Shubrick had scarcely given the orders when he saw the sails of two other vessels above the fog. Stewart gave them one glance and saw immediately they were heavy men-of-war. Though in a neutral port, and by the law of nations safe from attack, he was well aware that it would not avail him. So low had the honor of the English nation sunk in the estimation of indepen