ii4 Naval War of 1812 



crew were exercised at the great guns, small arms, 

 and single stick. And I may here mention the fact 

 that I have never been on a ship where the crew of 

 the old Essex was represented but that I found them 

 to be the best swordsmen on board. They had been 

 so thoroughly trained as boarders that every man 

 was prepared for such an emergency, with his cut 

 lass as sharp as a razor, a dirk made by the ship's 

 armorer out of a file, and a pistol." n 



On August 1 3th a sail was made out to wind 

 ward, which proved to be the British ship-sloop 

 Alert, 1 6, Captain T. L. O. Laugharne, carrying 20 

 eighteen-pound carronades and 100 men. 12 As soon 



11 James says: "Had Captain Porter really endeavored to 

 bring the Minerva to action we do not see what could have 

 prevented the Essex, with her superiority of sailing, from 

 coming alongside of her. But no such thought, we are sure, 

 entered into Captain Porter's head." What "prevented the 

 Essex" was the Minerva's not venturing out of the convoy. 

 Farragut, in his journal, writes: "The captured British offi 

 cers were very anxious for us to have a fight with the 

 Minerva, as they considered her a good match for the 

 Essex, and Captain Porter replied that he should gratify 

 them with pleasure if His Majesty's commander was of their 

 taste. So we stood toward the convoy, and when within gun 

 shot hove to and awaited the Minerva, but she tacked and 

 stood in among the convoy, to the utter amazement of our 

 prisoners, who denounced the commander as a base coward, 

 and expressed their determination to report him to the Ad 

 miralty." An incident of reported "flinching" like this is 

 not worth mentioning; I allude to it only to show the value 

 of James' sneers. 



12 James (History, vi, p. 128) says "86 men." In the 

 Naval Archives at Washington in the "Captains' Letters" 

 for 1812 (vol. ii, No. 182) can be found inclosed in Porter's 

 letter the parole of the officers and crew of the Alert signed 



