An incident of the last war.
--At the entertainment given at
Philadelphia to the
Western Boards of Trade,
Commodore Stuart (Old Ironsides) was induced to narrate the following reminiscence:
Said the
Commodore--
‘
Since you have forced me to relinquish my natural modesty, I will do this much — I will narrate the anecdote correctly, as just told you by my friend.
The two ships were the
Cyane and
Levant sent to take the
Constitution.
They were both commanded by captains who had won distinction at
Trafalgar and the
Nile,
Captains Falcon and
Douglass.
After the
Constitution had taken both ships, and their captains were on board the
Constitution, a coolness existed between them, in consequence of the capture.
Each accused the other of bearing out of the action and leaving the brunt to his associate.
This question they agreed to leave to me, and I settled it in a moment. "It was you,
Captain Douglass," said I, to the
senior officer, "who first bore out of action." They were satisfied, and shook hands together.
While they were further discussing the matter, and deploring their defeat, said I, "gentlemen, did you expect to take the
Constitution with those two ships?
Why, you went on board of them this morning, and said they were in as good order as before the action.
Now, if you like, I will send you back to them, give you your men and officers, and
take you both over again. Take the
Constitution with two ships?
Why you couldn't do it with a dozen.
This is the
Constitution of the United States.
You may sink it, and sink us with it, but you couldn't
take it with all your
King's fleet." So afraid were the
British Admiralty of the
Constitution, that they dare not trust a single frigate alone, but compelled the
Levant to wait until the
Cyane was ready to sail in company.
’
