LAWRENCE
LAWRENCE
selected by Decatur as first officer of the picked
crew that successfully fired the PJiiladelphia,
captured and grounded in the harbor. He re-
turned to the United States with Commodore
Preble, and was commander of gunboat No. G,
1807-08. He was married in 1808 to a daughter
of Mr. Montand evert, a merchant of New York
city. He was first lieutenant on the Constitution,
and commanded the Wasp, Vixen and Argus,
1808-11, and was commissioned captain in 1811,
and assigned to the Hornet. Upon the outbreak
of the war of 1812 he joined the squadron cruis-
ing under Commodore Bainbridge on the coast of
Brazil, and he blockaded the British man-of-war
Bonne Citoyenne in the harbor of San Salvador,
and challenged her commander. Captain Greene,
to meet him in open conflict, pledging his honor
that neither the Cons^<Y»/iOU nor any other Amer-
ican vessel should interfere. This challenge the
British commander refused, alleging that lie was
" convinced that Commodore Bainbridge could
not swerve so much from the paramount duty he
owed his country as to become an inactive spec-
tator, and see a ship belonging to the very squad-
ron under his orders, fall into the hands of the
enemy."' The Constitution, to facilitate matters,
withdrew from before the harbor, but Captain
Greene did not risk the encounter, and on Jan. 21,
1812, Captain Lawrence was obliged to raise the
blockade on account of the arrival of the British
.ship of the line Montagu. He subsequently cap-
tured the British brig Resolution, with $25,000 in
treasure which he removed to the Hornet, after
Avhich he burned the brig. On Feb. 21, 1812, he
fell in with the British brig Peacock, Captain
Peake, while cruising off Demerara. He opened
fire, and bj' skilful manoeuvring he gained the
advantage of the weather gage. In a vain en-
deavor to wear, the Peacock was cauglit in her
quarter, and after a contest of fifteen minutes
struck colors and lioisted a signal of distress.
Notwithstanding every exertion was made to
remove the prisoners, the Peacock sunk with
thirteen of her crew, including Captain Peake,
and three of the crew of the Hornet, who were of
a rescuing party. On returning home, Captain
Lawrence was received with great distinction
and was i)resented with the thanks of congress.
He had been promoted post-captain during his ab-
sence, and shortly after his return he was offered
the conditional command of the frigate Constitu-
tion, which he respectfully declined. He then re-
ceived an unconditional appointment to command
tliat frigate, with directions to superintend the
navy yard at New York in the absence of Cap-
tain Ludlow. The next day, however, he received
orders to assume command of the frigate Cliesa-
j^eake, then lying at Boston, nearly ready for sea.
Pie accepted this appointment with reluctance, as
the ship liad become known among sailors as un-
lucky, and he found great difficulty in recruiting
a crew. On May 31, 1813, he received a challenge
from Captain Broke of the British frigate Shan-
non, which was then cruising off Boston harbor,
and in consequence of his former challenge to the
Bonne Citoyenne, Captain Lawrence promptly
decided to accept, although the Chesapeake
was unfitted for an engagement of the kind, her
crew being undisciplined and mutinous, while
the Shannon was a larger ship, with much heavier
armament, a well-trained crew, and noted for her
gunnery practice. On June 1, 1813, the Chesa-
peake put to sea, however, and was met by the
SJiannon. After manoeuvring for position, the
Shannon opened fire and both vessels almost simul-
taneously poured forth tremendous broadsides.
Mr. White, sailing-master of the Chesapeake, was
killed by the first shot and Captain Lawrence was
wounded in the leg, but insisted on remaining on
the quarter-deck. About three broadsides were
exchanged, which were terribly destructive. The
anchor of the Chesapeake fouled one of the after
ports of the Sliannon, which enabled the enemy
to board the Chesapeake. The crew could not be
made to repel the boarders, and Captain Law-
rence received a second and mortal wound from
a musket-ball. He was cai'ried to the wardroom,
and while passing the gangway and perceiving
the overwhelming danger to the Chesapeake, he
cried out to the faltering crew, " Don't surrender
the ship." The fate of the battle was, however,
decided, and Lieutenant Ludlow, himself des-
perately wounded, surrendered. As Lawrence
lay in distressing pain, lie noticed that the noise
of battle had ceased, and he ordered his surgeon
to go on deck and tell the officers not to strike
their colors. " They shall wave, said he, " while
I live." Neither ship was greatly injured, but
the mortality on both was great, the loss on
the Chesapeake amounting to 61 killed, including
both Lawrence and Ludlow, and 83 wounded,
while on the Shannon 20 were killed, and 57
wounded, including Captain Broke. Both ships
were taken to Halifax, N.S., where Lawrence and
Ludlow were buried with military honors, June
8, 1813. His body was restored to the United
States government, and the funeral was held at
Salem, Mass., Aug. 23, 1813, after which the body
was buried in Trinity church-yard. New York
city, where a monument was erected to his mem-
ory. On the stone in Trinity church-yard and on
the quarter-deck of the Constitution, the ship on
which he gained his promotion, the legend was
written, " Don't give up the ship." In the selec-
tion of names for places in the Hall of Fame for
Great Americans, New York university, made in
October, 1900, the name of James Lawrence was
one of the twenty nominated for a place in " Class
