The Chesapeake Is Taken
The British had cleared the upper decks of American resistance and most of the Chesapeake's crew had taken refuge on the berth deck. A musket or pistol shot from the berth deck killed a British marine, William Young, who was guarding the main hatchway. The furious British crewmen then began firing through the hatchway at the Americans crowded below. Lieutenant Charles Leslie Falkiner of the Shannon, who had commanded the boarders that rushed the main-deck, restored order by threatening to blow out the brains of the next person to fire. He then demanded that the Americans send up the man who had killed Young, adding that the Chesapeake was taken and "We have three hundred men aboard. If there is another act of hostility you will be called up on deck one by one - and shot." Falkiner was given command of the Chesapeake as a British prize-vessel.
The engagement had lasted just ten minutes according to Shannon's log, or eleven minutes by Lt. Wallis' watch. Broke in his official despatch, more modestly, claimed fifteen minutes. Shannon had lost 23 men killed, and had 56 wounded. Chesapeake had about 48 killed, including four lieutenants, the master and many other of her officers, and 99 wounded. Shannon had been hit by a total of 158 projectiles, Chesapeake by 362. In the time the batteries of both ships were firing the Americans had been exposed to 44 roundshot, whilst the British had received 10 or 11 in reply (these are figures for shot which would have produced casualties or material damage, some of the Chesapeake's shot was fired low, bouncing off the Shannon's side at waterline level). Even before being boarded Chesapeake had lost the gunnery duel by a considerable margin. Captain Lawrence had been mortally wounded by fire from Shannon’s fore-top and was carried below before the Chesapeake was boarded. His last order upon being wounded was "Don't give up the ship!" A large cask of un-slaked lime was found open on Chesapeake’s forecastle and another bag of lime was discovered in the fore-top. British sailors alleged the intention was to throw handfuls into the eyes of Shannon’s men in an unfair and dishonourable manner as they attempted to board, though that was never done by the Chesapeake’s crew, and the historian Albert Gleaves has called the allegation "absurd," noting, "Lime is always carried in ship's stores as a disinfectant, and the fact that it was left on the deck after the ship was cleared for action was probably due to the neglect of some subordinate, or petty officer."
Shannon’s midshipmen during the action were Messers. Smith, Leake, Clavering, Raymond, Littlejohn and Samwell. Samwell was the only other officer to be wounded in the action. Mr Etough was the acting master, and conned the ship into the action. Shortly after the frigate had been secured, Broke fainted from loss of blood and was rowed back to the Shannon to be attended to by the ship's surgeon.
After the victory, a prize crew was put aboard the Chesapeake. The commander of the prize Lt. Falkiner had a good deal of trouble from the restive Americans, who outnumbered his own men. He had some of the leaders of the unrest transferred to the Shannon in the leg-irons that had, ironically, been shipped aboard the Chesapeake to deal with expected British prisoners. The rest of the American crew were rendered docile by the expedient of a carpenter cutting scuttles (holes) in the maindeck through which two 18-pounder cannon, loaded with grapeshot, were pointed at them. The Shannon, commanded by Provo Wallis, escorted her prize into Halifax, arriving there on 6 June. On the entry of the two frigates into the harbour the naval ships already at anchor manned their yards, bands played martial music and each ship Shannon passed greeted her with cheers.
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