| Source - Not The Wasp And Bream |
Text taken from A History of American Privateers:
The Wasp Captain E. Ewing (or Ervin) also was a Salem privateer that was captured by an English cruiser, but not until she inflicted some injury on the enemy's commerce. She was a sloop mounting only two guns. After sending a schooner into Mathias, she was chased July 31 (by another account June 9, 1813) by the British man-of-war Bream, mounting ten guns. Realizing the helplessness of giving battle to the cruiser, Captain Ewing made every effort to escape. The Bream gave chase, and for nine hours kept the Wasp in sight and gained on her. When in easy gunshot, the English opened a heavy fire which the Americans returned as well as they could for forty minutes, when they surrendered. The British lieutenant* commanding the Bream treated his prisoners with exceptional courtesy. *Charles Hare
No comments:
Post a Comment