Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/375

 LAWRENCE

LAWRENCE

selected by Decatur as first officer of the picked crew that successfully fired the PJiiladelphia, captured and grounded in the harbor. He re- turned to the United States with Commodore Preble, and was commander of gunboat No. G, 1807-08. He was married in 1808 to a daughter of Mr. Montand evert, a merchant of New York city. He was first lieutenant on the Constitution, and commanded the Wasp, Vixen and Argus, 1808-11, and was commissioned captain in 1811, and assigned to the Hornet. Upon the outbreak of the war of 1812 he joined the squadron cruis- ing under Commodore Bainbridge on the coast of Brazil, and he blockaded the British man-of-war Bonne Citoyenne in the harbor of San Salvador, and challenged her commander. Captain Greene, to meet him in open conflict, pledging his honor that neither the Cons^<Y»/iOU nor any other Amer- ican vessel should interfere. This challenge the British commander refused, alleging that lie was " convinced that Commodore Bainbridge could not swerve so much from the paramount duty he owed his country as to become an inactive spec- tator, and see a ship belonging to the very squad- ron under his orders, fall into the hands of the enemy."' The Constitution, to facilitate matters, withdrew from before the harbor, but Captain Greene did not risk the encounter, and on Jan. 21, 1812, Captain Lawrence was obliged to raise the blockade on account of the arrival of the British .ship of the line Montagu. He subsequently cap- tured the British brig Resolution, with $25,000 in treasure which he removed to the Hornet, after Avhich he burned the brig. On Feb. 21, 1812, he fell in with the British brig Peacock, Captain Peake, while cruising off Demerara. He opened fire, and bj' skilful manoeuvring he gained the advantage of the weather gage. In a vain en- deavor to wear, the Peacock was cauglit in her quarter, and after a contest of fifteen minutes struck colors and lioisted a signal of distress. Notwithstanding every exertion was made to remove the prisoners, the Peacock sunk with thirteen of her crew, including Captain Peake, and three of the crew of the Hornet, who were of a rescuing party. On returning home, Captain Lawrence was received with great distinction and was i)resented with the thanks of congress. He had been promoted post-captain during his ab- sence, and shortly after his return he was offered the conditional command of the frigate Constitu- tion, which he respectfully declined. He then re- ceived an unconditional appointment to command tliat frigate, with directions to superintend the navy yard at New York in the absence of Cap- tain Ludlow. The next day, however, he received orders to assume command of the frigate Cliesa- j^eake, then lying at Boston, nearly ready for sea. Pie accepted this appointment with reluctance, as

the ship liad become known among sailors as un- lucky, and he found great difficulty in recruiting a crew. On May 31, 1813, he received a challenge from Captain Broke of the British frigate Shan- non, which was then cruising off Boston harbor, and in consequence of his former challenge to the Bonne Citoyenne, Captain Lawrence promptly decided to accept, although the Chesapeake was unfitted for an engagement of the kind, her crew being undisciplined and mutinous, while the Shannon was a larger ship, with much heavier armament, a well-trained crew, and noted for her gunnery practice. On June 1, 1813, the Chesa- peake put to sea, however, and was met by the SJiannon. After manoeuvring for position, the Shannon opened fire and both vessels almost simul- taneously poured forth tremendous broadsides. Mr. White, sailing-master of the Chesapeake, was killed by the first shot and Captain Lawrence was wounded in the leg, but insisted on remaining on the quarter-deck. About three broadsides were exchanged, which were terribly destructive. The anchor of the Chesapeake fouled one of the after ports of the Sliannon, which enabled the enemy to board the Chesapeake. The crew could not be made to repel the boarders, and Captain Law- rence received a second and mortal wound from a musket-ball. He was cai'ried to the wardroom, and while passing the gangway and perceiving the overwhelming danger to the Chesapeake, he cried out to the faltering crew, " Don't surrender the ship." The fate of the battle was, however, decided, and Lieutenant Ludlow, himself des- perately wounded, surrendered. As Lawrence lay in distressing pain, lie noticed that the noise of battle had ceased, and he ordered his surgeon to go on deck and tell the officers not to strike their colors. " They shall wave,'' said he, " while I live." Neither ship was greatly injured, but the mortality on both was great, the loss on the Chesapeake amounting to 61 killed, including both Lawrence and Ludlow, and 83 wounded, while on the Shannon 20 were killed, and 57 wounded, including Captain Broke. Both ships were taken to Halifax, N.S., where Lawrence and Ludlow were buried with military honors, June 8, 1813. His body was restored to the United States government, and the funeral was held at Salem, Mass., Aug. 23, 1813, after which the body was buried in Trinity church-yard. New York city, where a monument was erected to his mem- ory. On the stone in Trinity church-yard and on the quarter-deck of the Constitution, the ship on which he gained his promotion, the legend was written, " Don't give up the ship." In the selec- tion of names for places in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, made in October, 1900, the name of James Lawrence was one of the twenty nominated for a place in " Class