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combat, which lasted an hour, the king's packet Princess-Charlotte remained a silent spectator of the scene ; and, as soon as the vessels were disengaged from each other, she tacked and stood to the southward. " On the 5th of September, at daylight, as the British brig-sloop (late gun-brig), Boxer, of 12 carronades, 18-pounders, and two sixes, Captain Samuel Blyth, was lying at anchor near Penguin point, a few miles to the eastward of Portland in the United States, the American gun-brig Enterprise, of 14 carronades, 18-pounders, and two nines, Lieutenant-commandant William Burrows, was seen in the south-south-east. At 7 h. 30 in. p.m., leaving her surgeon, two of her midshipmen, and an army officer, a passenger, on shore at Manhegan, " shooting pigeons, " the Boxer got under way, and, at 8 h. 30 m., hoisting three English ensigns, bore up for the Enterprise, then standing on the larboard tack. At 9 a.m. the latter tacked and stood to the southward. At 9 h. 30 m., when the two brigs were about four miles apart, it fell calm ; and at 11 h. 30 m. a breeze sprang up from the southward, which placed the American brig to windward. At 2 p.m. the Enterprise made sail on a wind, to try her rate of sailing with the Boxer ; and, in half an hour, having clearly ascertained his advantage in this respect, as well as that the Boxer was inferior in size and force, Lieutenant Burrows hoisted three American ensigns, and firing a shot of defiance, bore up to engage. At 3 h. 15 m. p.m. the Boxer, being on the starboard tack, fired her starboard broadside, and immediately received the larboard broadside of the Enterprise in return ; the two brigs then not more than half pistol-shot apart. In the very first broadside, an 18-pound shot passed through Captain Blyth's, body, and shattered his left arm. The command of the Boxer then devolved upon her only lieutenant, David M'Creery. At about the same time a musket-ball fired from the Boxer mortally wounded Captain Burrows. At 3 h. 30 m. p.m. the Enterprise, now commanded by Lieutenant Edward R. M'Call, ranged ahead, and, rounding to on the starboard tack, raked the Boxer with her starboard guns, and shot away her main topmast and foretopsail yard. The American brig then set her foresail, and, taking a position on the starboard bow of her now wholly unmanageable antagonist, continued pouring in successive raking fires until 3 h. 45 in., when the Boxer surrendered. The Boxer was much cut up in hull and spars, and, out of her 60 men (12 absent) and six boys, lost, besides her commander, three men killed, and 17 men wounded, four of them mortally. The Enterprise suffered very little injury in her hull and spars ; but her rigging and sails were a good deal cut. Out of her 120 men and three boys, the American brig lost one man killed, her commander, one midshipman (both mortally), and 11 men wounded, one of the latter mortally. ^ back to top ^ |
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