1812	Laura and Diligent	139

the said Lieutenant Henry Ducie Chads, and the other surviving officers and ship's company to be most honourably acquitted. Rear-admiral Graham Moore was the president ; who, in returning Lieutenant Chads his sword, addressed him nearly as follows: " I have much satisfaction in returning you your sword ; had you been an officer who had served in comparative obscurity all your life, and never before heard of, your conduct on the present occasion has been sufficient to establish your character as a brave, skilful, and attentive officer. "

On the 8th of September, at 3 p.m., the British schooner Laura, of 10 carronades, 18-pounders, and two short nines, with 41, and of a complement of 60, men and boys, commanded by Lieutenant Charles Newton Hunter, while in the act of taking possession of her fourth prize, an American ship bound into the Delaware, then three leagues off in the north-west, discovered about three miles to leeward a large armed brig, with a French ensign and pendant. This was the French privateer Diligent, Captain Grassin, whose regular armament was 16 carronades, French 24-pounders, and two long 12-pounders, with a crew of at least 120 men ; but, owing to a recent gale, three of the guns had been shifted to the hold, and, from manning a prize or two, the crew of the brig had been reduced to 97 men. Having recalled her boat and men from the American ship, the Laura, with the wind from the north-east, bore up for the Diligent, whose name and fall force in guns and men, had been communicated to Lieutenant Hunter by the third prize he had sent away.

At 3 h. 55 m. p.m., being within musket-shot on the starboard and weather quarter of the Diligent, the Laura opened a fire from her bow guns, and received the broadside of the French brig. At 4 p.m. the two vessels got fairly alongside each other, and, while the Diligent manoeuvred occasionally to gain the wind, the Laura tried to prevent it by lulling, as well as she was able, her opponent's sails. At 4 h. 30 m, p.m. the Diligent set her courses and tried to tack, and the Laura put her helm down to effect the same object ; but, the wind falling light, both vessels missed stays, and, in paying off, became mutually engaged yard-arm and yard-arm. At 4 h. 45 m., having had her peak-halyards shot away, the Laura fell a little off the wind and fore-reached ; and the Diligent grazed the schooner's larboard quarter. Shortly afterwards, dropping astern, the brig caught the breeze, and, having the superiority of sailing, drew up on the weather quarter of the Laura. At this time, owing to the low firing of the two vessels, neither had materially suffered in rigging or sails. The Diligent, now in her turn, took the wind out of the Laura's sails, and ran her bowsprit over the starboard taffrail, with her jib-boom between the topping-lifts and through the mainsail. Here the brig held fast.

^ back to top ^