Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/676

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
640
LAWRENCE
LAWRENCE

York for two years. For twenty years he was president of the Bank of the state of New York, and an officer in various insurance companies. In 1856 he retired to his country-seat at Flushing.


LAWRENCE, Eugene, author, b. in New York city, 10 Oct., 1823. He was educated in part at Princeton, and graduated at New York university, studied law at Harvard, and practised for some time in New York city, but abandoned law for literature, and spent some time in the libraries of London and Paris. He has contributed to cyclo- paedias and magazines, presented papers before the New York historical society, and published "Lives of the British Historians" (New York, 1855); " Historical Studies " (1877) ; and " Literary Prim- ers " (1880). Among his contributions to periodi- cal literature are many articles advocating the ex- tension of the public-school system and a higher range of gratuitous instruction. For many years he has been engaged on a " History of Rome.'


LAWRENCE, George Washington, physician, b. in Plymouth, Pa., 4 July, 1823. He was gradu- ated at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1846, and then went to Balti- more, Md., but later removed to Nicholas, Cal. Subsequently he returned to Maryland and located in Catonsville, but in 1859 settled in Hot Springs, Ark., where he was made medical examiner and resident physician. While in the west he was ap- pointed assistant surgeon-general of California, and during the civil war he served in the Confed- erate army as inspector of hospitals in the Central Army of Kentucky, then as medical director of the 3d corps of the Army of the Mississippi, and finally as chief surgeon of the bureau of conscription in the trans-Mississippi department. Dr. Lawrence has made a specialty of chronic blood and nervous diseases and skin affections. He is a member of several medical societies, and, besides papers in professional journals, has published a " Report on the' Climatology of Arkansas."


LAWRENCE, James, naval officer, b. in Bur- lington, N. J., 1 Oct., 1781 ; d. at sea, 6 June, 1813. He receWed an appointment as midshipman in 1798, and was made acting lieutenant in two years, though he did not receive his commission until 1802. He joined the squadron that was engaged in the war with Tripoli, and distinguished himself while commanding a gun-boat, and also as second in command of Decatur's daring and successful expedition to de- stroy the captured frigate "Philadel- phia" under the walls of Tripoli. Lawrence spent nearly five years in desultory warfare on the Barbary coast. In 1808 he was 1st lieuten- ant of the " Con- stitution." and then in command of the "Argus," " Vixen," and " Wasp." He was promoted to cap- tain in 1811, and

placed in command of the "Hornet." After war with Great Britain was declared,

he made a cruise on the coast of Brazil. He blockaded the British man-of-war " Bonne Citoyenne" in the port of San Salvador, and challenged her captain to meet him at sea, but failed to bring on an action, and was driven off at the end of a fortnight by a ship of the line. Irrita- tion at having been passed over by the recent pro- motion of Capt. Charles Morris may have led Law- rence to seek for distinction in this manner. A few weeks later he fell in with the " Peacock " brig- of-war off Demerara. Both vessels manoeuvred for the weather-gage. Finding that he could weather the enemy, Lawrence tacked, and broadsides were exchanged at short range. The "Peacock" at- tempted to wear, and the " Hornet," running down on her quarter, poured in a heavy fire, which crip- pled her and compelled a surrender in less than fifteen minutes. She soon sank, drowning several of her crew and three men of those that were sent from the " Hornet." Lawrence had a slight ad- vantage in weight of metal, and a greater in the superior accuracy of his fire, as shown by the con- dition of his opponent. The " Peacock " lost her captain and nearly one third of her crew, while the " Hornet " had only one man killed and two wounded. Lawrence gained considerable reputa- tion by this victory, and was sent to^Boston to take command of the frigate " Chesapeake." A few days after his arrival a challenge was sent in by Capt. Broke (q. v.), of the British frig- ate " Shannon," which was then cruising in the of- fing. A fair meet- ing was promised, and it was pointed out that he could not hope to get to sea in the pres- ence of the Brit- ish squadron. In

view of his previous action in challenging a British ship, and his imperative orders

to proceed to sea, Lawrence was unable to decline a combat when, on 1 June, 1813, he sighted the " Shannon " and ran out to meet her. About thirty miles off Boston he came up with her, and went into action in gallant style. After a few broadsides, the " Chesapeake" fouled her opponent, Lawrence fell mortally wounded, and nearly every officer with him was soon shot down. Broke saw that the men were flinching from their guns, and led his boarders to the " Chesapeake's " deck. The crew of the " Chesapeake " could not be brought up to repel them. Those stationed on deck fought desperately, but in disorder, and the ship was soon in the hands of the enemy. Several incidents of the action show that the crew of the " Chesapeake" lacked discipline. They were newly shipped and imperfectly trained. The " Shannon " was noted for excellent gunnery practice, and her captain had supplied sights for the guns at his own expense. In size and armament there was not much disparity between the ships. Neither was much injured during the brief action, but the " Chesapeake's " loss was 47 killed and 99 wounded, while the " Shannon's " total loss was only 85. Of the "Chesapeake's " wounded, 14 died in a few days, among them Capt. Lawrence, and Ludlow, his 1st lieutenant. Both ships were taken to Halifax, where Lawrence was buried with military honors. There was much exultation in England over a victory that seemed to restore the prestige of the British navy. Capt. Broke, who had been severely wounded in boarding the " Chesapeake," was made a baronet, and received other marks of distinction. The