Escaping the British Squadron

By Olivia (age 13) and Elijah (age 7) Miera

FINALIST (ages 9-13) Winter/Spring Writing Contest 2024

14-year-old midshipman Harvey Anderton leaned against the bulwark of the USS Constitution and gazed out over the ship’s side, where the sun shone brightly as it dipped lower in the sky. A gentle breeze blew through the ship, flapping the sails overhead and a salty spray splashed up as a wave smacked against the hull. He sat there thinking as he watched an egal fly overhead and circle briefly before diving into the water.

“Beautiful out there isn’t it?” a voice behind him broke into his thoughts causing him to turn. His friend Llewellyn Clayden, also a young midshipman, came and stood beside him. 

Harvey nodded and they both fell silent for a few moments.

“Llewellyn?”

“Hmm” he answered.

“How did you come to be aboard this ship?”

Llewellyn thought for a moment. “Well,” he started, “My father was killed during the Revolutionary War and my mother died from influenza.  My brother Malcolm who took to the sea on a merchant ship was all I had left of my family. Then one day, he never returned.  I later found out that he had been kidnapped by the British navy, to fight against Napoleon.” sadly he gazed over the horizon at the sinking sun.

“Oh, I’m sorry” Harvey said quietly.

“I had no one to turn to, so I joined the navy hopping to find my brother while fighting the British – it doesn’t seem like I will though.”

 Silently they stood deep in thought.  1812 had found America at war with England and Harvey wondered what this war would bring. England had already stopped the trade between France and America and started capturing American sailors and forcing them to serve in the British navy. After that, war had begun, and America had once again found itself fighting England. 

“Sail ahoy!” A shout from the rigging shattered their thoughts. They jumped up as captain Issac Hull strode to the quarter deck.

“Where away?” He called to the mast head look out.

“Two points off the larboard bow, sir!”

Issac Hull snapped the telescope open and brought it to his eye.

“Four ships sir!”

“They are warships. They could be Rodgers’ Squadron. We need to ascertain if they are the enemy or ours. If they are ours, we need to meet up with them. Mr. Morris! All hands about to make sail for them.” Hull commanded.

“Aye sir,” First Lieutenant Moris replied.
“Mr. Clayden! Run up the colors!” Captain Hull shouted.

“Aye sir!” Llewellyn answered and jumped into action. Within a few seconds he had the flag fluttering overhead.

“Mr. Morris,” Captain Hull said quietly. “Pass the order to beat to quarters.”

 “Aye sir, - We shall beat to quarters!”   

The drumbeat rolled out as men scrambled about the decks and rigging getting to their battle stations. The wind caught in the sails as they unfurled, sending them closer to the ships in the distance.

Harvey snatched up a telescope and brought it to his eye. Sure enough, four sails were visible in the pale light of the evening.

 

********

Harvey watched the sun become a dim glow below the horizon.

“Llewellyn, look! A fifth ship, off the starboard bow!” he shouted in surprise.

“Starboard bow ahoy! A fifth ship sir.” The lookout cried.

“It is too far off to distinguish any signals. Continue closer. I am determined to get near enough to make the night signal. If the ships cannot answer it, haul off. Stay far enough away so we have the ability to flee if they are the enemy.” Captain Hull said, snapping the telescope shut. Then, addressing his Lieutenant he said, “Bring us about eight miles from the ships.”

“Aye sir!” 

********

 

As darkness soon came over the six ships, unsureness and suspense settled over them.

“It is getting too dark to identify them sir,” Harvey said to the captain.

“Very well, it is 10:00 p.m. We are 8 miles away from them. We will try the Private Signal. If they cannot answer it, we shall presume them to be the enemy. Mr. Brixton, the Private Signal if you please!”

The Private Signal was made, and they watched and waited for a reply from the other ships in the distance.

“It has been nearly an hour sir. It seems that they cannot answer it.” Lieutenant Morris told the captain.

            “They must be the enemy. Helmsman, haul off!” Captain Issac Hull commanded.

The helmsman grabbed the wheel, and with great speed, turned it. The rudder turned, and more sails were hoisted up and untied. After a few minutes, the Constitution had turned around and made full sail square away.  

A few hours later Harvey and Llewellyn stood at the stern looking at the five British men- of- war ships through telescopes. The two midshipmen saluted as captain Hull came up beside them.

“The closest ship sir is hauling off and pursuing us!” Harvey informed the captain.

“Yes. I see that. It also looks like it is signaling the other ships. We need to maintain our course and speed.” Hull replied.

Harvey once again looked through the telescope.  At that moment the ship broad, on the stern starboard to him erupt in a flash of light and a cloud of smoke. A deafening blast carried a deadly cannon ball.  It sailed through the rigging, narrowly missing the mizzen mast.

He dropped to the deck as a second ball was released from the enemies’ cannons. His heart hammering in his chest, Harvey awaited the splintering crack of the ball penetrating the ships’ hull. Thankfully, it fell short splashing into the water. He rose up on shaky legs, thanking God for protecting them.

Hour after hour they sailed, the enemy hot in pursuit. As they sailed the wind started to diminish, bringing the Constitution to almost a complete stop.  

            “We are losing the wind!” someone shouted as the choppy waves became small ripples.

            “They are gaining on us. What should we do, Sir?” another asked the captain.

            “Wet the sails to capture any bit of breeze. Also cut ports through the stern so we can fire at them without turning and losing wind. Throw heavy items overboard to lighten our load. Mr. Anderton!” the captain called. “Call Mr. Morris to the quarter deck.”

            “Aye sir.” Harvey said. He went below deck where the Lieutenant was and found him talking to the sailing master next to the cannons. As he approached him, he saluted respectfully.

            “Excuse me sir, but the captain sent me to call you to the quarter deck.”

            “Thank you, Mr. Anderton. I will come right now,” he said.

            Harvey saluted and withdrew to return to his friend, Llewellyn who still stood at the stern looking through the telescope.

There, Captain Hull and Lieutenant Morris quietly discussed plans.

“Sir, we could try kedging with the boats and anchors.” Lieutenant Morris suggested. 

“Brilliant; order all the boats to be lowered down then. Have them row six hundred feet out, drop the anchor, and the seamen can pull the Constitution to the anchor.”

“Aye sir. All hands-on deck!”

Everyone scrambled about the deck, untying ropes and lowering the boats down.

“Harvey, help me with this boat over here!” Llewellyn called, running over to a covered boat.

After a few minutes they had the boats uncovered and flipped over. Sailors clambered into the boats and grabbed the oars before being lowered towards the water.

“Lower away on the mizzen! Mr. Camden, bring up the starboard side.”

            SPLASH! The boats reached the water, and the sailors quickly paddled out across the water. They dropped the anchor then started to reel in the boat towards it.  The ship creaked and groaned as the ropes tightened and the ship started forward. 

            “This is most strange; those British seem to be copying our every move! Look, they are bringing all the boats from the ships to the ship in the lead. Now they have the wind and are towing their ship also!” someone shouted.

            “We will never get away! We might as well surrender now.” A sailor said in frustration.

            “No! Don’t give up men! Stay strong. God can deliver us from the enemy.” The captain encouraged his men.

            “We can never do it.” another said.

            “You are right. We can never do it. But GOD can do it, and he will help us get away from the enemy if He wants!” The captain said again. “Faster men!”

            Hours dragged on as the perpetual chase continued. 

            More cannons were fired from the enemies’ guns, their shots splashing into the water.

            “I am not sure that we will get away from them.” The captain said. “Mr. Anderton, pass the word to clear the decks for battle.”

            “Aye sir.” Harvey said.

            The red light of the morning shone through the ship as the decks were cleared for battle. The gunners stood ready at their cannons, and the seamen and officers armed themselves with their weapons. All loose items on the decks were gathered up and put below deck, and sand was poured onto the floor.

            “The sky is red.” Llewellyn said to Harvey as he emptied another bag of sand onto the floor.

            “Yes. What about it?” Harvey asked.

            “Haven’t you heard the saying? ‘Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning sailor take warning.’”                                                                                    

            “No. What is it supposed to mean?”

            “I am not exactly sure,” Llewellyn said, “But I think it has to do with the weather and how the sky is red before a storm.”

            “Hmm, that is interesting.” Harvey said grabbing a bag and dumping it onto the deck. “Come on, this is the last bag. Let’s go report to the lieutenant.”

            “Alright.”

            They reached the steps and began to climb to the top deck.  Gunners were ramming the wadding into the barrels of the cannons. Two men pulled a cannon by the ropes to the port that they cut out of the stern.

 “On the up roll,” the lieutenant shouted, “Fire!”

The gunner jerked the rope, and a deafening crash sounded as the cannon recoiled. Thick smoke poured out of the cannon’s mouth. The two midshipmen walked up to the lieutenant coughing, waving a hand through the smoke as they went.

“Mr. Clayden, Mr. Anderton have you finished?” Lieutenant Morris asked.

“Yes sir,” they answered.

“Good, you may go down and eat now.”

“Thank you, sir.” They said saluting. They went down below, ducking so as not to bang their heads on the low roof.  Entering through a low doorway, they appeared in a small room where a few other midshipmen were eating and hanging out. They got their food and took their place next to them. Harvey frowned; their meal consisted of a piece of hardtack, lobscouse, and a bit of fresh fish that they caught a few days before, as well as a mug of not so fresh water.

“You would think we could use this hardtack for shot if we ran out of cannon balls.” One of the midshipmen joked, gnawing on his hardened piece. They all laughed. The nibbled edges of the hardtack showed signs that they were not the first to eat it. Llewellyn took a drink of his water and grimaced at the water’s sour taste. After eating their meager meal, they sat around talking.

“I heard someone say that they think one of the ships is the HMS Guerriere.”  One of the midshipmen said.

“What makes them think that?” Harvey asked.

“Well, they heard that the Guerriere was in this area.” The midshipman said. “I think the ship in the lead is the Guerriere, because-”

 A deep rumble cut him off in midsentence.

“W-what was that?” the youngest midshipman asked.

“I did see some big storm clouds forming broad on the bow.”

They looked at each other then jumped up and scrambled to the deck. They noticed that the sky was significantly darker. The wind had picked up and the captain had ordered that the boats be brought in. After hours and hours of rowing, dropping the anchor, then pulling the ship to the anchor the sailors were exhausted. They ran to the ships side and gazed out towards the darkening cumulonimbus clouds. A sudden flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder.

“It’s a squall! Should we sail away from it, Sir?” the helmsman asked.

The captain thought for a moment. “No.” he said, “Sail strait for it.”  The captain called the lieutenant over to talk to him quietly. Captain Hull talked in hushed voice, conversing his plans to Lieutenant Morris.   

Harvey tried to listen, but he only caught a few sentences above all the noise.

              “So far, the British have been copying all our moves. If we hoist the sails, we can get them to…” That was all he heard because the bells started to ring indicating that it was 10:00 p.m. After a few minutes the lieutenant smiled, nodded, then turned to the men.

            “Topmen,” the captain shouted. “Reef the sails!”

            Everyone looked at him questioningly.

            “Quickly, boys!” he shouted again.

             The topmen sprang into the rigging. They shinnied up the ropes and ladders until they reached the yards. Climbing out onto the yards, they pulled up the sails and tied them up.

            “Why did he give that order?” Harvey asked Llewellyn. “We are trying to get away from them, not let them catch up to us.”

            Llewellyn only shook his head.

            “Look!” a sailor shouted. “The British are copying us again. They are reefing their sails too!”

            “Men!” Captain Hull said. “Seeing that the British have been copying our moves, I thought that we could trick them into thinking that we have a good reason for reefing the sails. As you see, they have fallen into the trap. They will be almost at a complete stop, so when the squall reaches us, quickly let the sails down. If I am correct the wind will get to us first and we will be able to get away.”

“Huzzah!” A great shout went up from the sailors.

“Topmen, to your stations.” Captain Hull said.

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the ship as the sailor’s shouts faded into the thunder. The topmen in the rigging waited for the captain’s order to lower the sails. The storm clouds blew closer as the Constitution came to a standstill. Suddenly the storm broke upon them. The wind ripped at the yards, threatening to blow them off.

“Lower the sails!” Captain Hull shouted.

Momentarily, the sails were let down and the wind caught in them, filling them with the wind. The Constitution began to plow through the ocean full sail at twelve knots.

“Sir! I think we will get away!” Llewellyn shouted.

“It may be.”

As the Constitution pulled miles ahead of the British squadron, the five English ships gave up.

As the ships turned the lookout cried, “Look men, they are turning around!”

            “Three cheers for Captain Hull!”

            “Hip, hip, Huzzah!”

“Hip, hip, Huzzah!”

“Hip, hip, Huzzah!”

“We did it Llewellyn,” Harvey turned to his friend, “We escaped the British Squadron!”