The Shannon and the Chesapeake
Today marks the Battle of Boston Harbor, fought during the War of 1812. The USS Chesapeake was captured by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Shannon on June 1, 1813. Captain of the Shannon Philip Broke wrote to challenge the American frigate to leave the harbor for ship-to-ship combat: “As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags… Favour me with a speedy reply. We are short of provisions and water, and cannot stay long here.”
Captain Lawrence of the Chesapeake never received the challenge but instead set out to meet the British frigate on the first day of favorable weather. The ships were evenly matched but Lawrence’s crew proved ill-prepared. His ship was quickly disabled and boarded, and 71 men died in the ten minutes of ensuing hand-to-hand combat. The Chesapeake was taken as a prize in what became the first major naval victory for the British in the War of 1812. The British memorialized the event in The Shannon and the Chesapeake which parodies the American Revolutionary success sung in The Constitution and Guerrière.