4 Portland, Maine, Press Herald, Wednesday, July 21, 1965 Blue Water Men - And Women - 185 American Marksmanship Claims British Vessel By FRED HUMISTON factory cruise, the Massachu- Bored with spending the sum- setts Congress sent her to the mer months working on the Grand Banks, to stand on and family farm, young Edward off in the track of the rich Preble, instead of returning to merchantmen bound from the Falmouth from school, ran West Indies to London and away to Newburyport and Europe. signed on aboard the privateer It was on the morning of "Neptune," 24 guns, Capt. Wil- June 9, 1780, that the fog lifted, liam Friend. to show, according to the log, a "This one voyage will cure "large ship to windward under him of making the sea his pro- English colors, standing down fession," his father, the Briga- before the wind for us, we being dier, remarked. "It'll do him to leeward. Looked as large as good." a 74; by the set of her yards, Edward was as bored with not a warship, yet she seemed life as a cabin-boy as he had willing enough for action been with farming, so he spent The Royal Navy didn't think as much time as possible on too well of the American fight- deck or in running about the ing abilities in the Revolution, rigging like an over-sized mon- and merchantmen were as quick key. He learned rapidly, es- to close as a man-of-war, often pecially as Capt. Friend was to their sorrow. But while, from indulgent, and even went so the British viewpoint, the Amer- far as to change the articles icans weren't much on the sea, to give the boy ordinary sea- they did offer just enough Britisher helmsman was killed man status. fighting to keep the well-disci- and before he could be replaced, A blank space developes in plined Royal Navy crews in the big merchantman fell off, the recorded career of Ed. trim. her bowsprit crashing over the ward Preble at the end of the The "Lobsterbacks" must Protector's quarter "Neptune's cruise, and we have been somewhat discon- The Americans lashed it fast: next hear of him receiving a certed when the awkward sail- maybe they amateurs, out midshipman's warrant aboard ing "Protector", instead of run- they were willing amateurs. the new Massachusetts State ning for it, stood on under sail, Boarders were called away, the ship "Protector," commissioned while the bosun piped all hands Yankees crowding aft. the ma- during the winter of 1779. to quarters. rines firing into the enemy The Britisher hove-to then, ports. THE "PROTECTOR," of the under fighting canvas of jibs Before the boarders could State Navy was a cross be- and topsails, ports triced up and mount, a huge swell broke the tween a light frigate or heavy guns run out, but as yet, not a lashings and as the enemy corvettee, and unhandy size shot was fired. swung, the "Protector" fired a for any man-of-war. The fact deadly raking broadside, which that she also carried 26 guns "PROTECTOR" came down brought down the mizzenmast didn't help her sailing quali- with the bone in her teeth, and set the main top-gallant ties any. luffed under the enemy lee afire. The blaze ran down the quarter and let go a broadside. After one brief and unsatis- rigging and the marines shot The British responded with down every Britisher who tried three hearty cheers and a to fight it. Sparks dropped in a broadside of their own. Then hogshead of paper cartridges both vessels ran down a reach and an explosion resulted that with the wind abeam, each blew off the whole quarterdeck firing a gun every few minutes The enemy ship began to sink at close range, making an al- rapidly by the stern and her mightly big noise, but few hits, people leaped overboard to es- for both sides were amateurs at cape the spreading flames. war. And the sides of the Brit- ish ship were so high that they THE "PROTECTOR'S boats found it difficult to bring guns were got away, even in a dam- to bear. However, with the aged condition, and managed to thick, rolling clouds of yellow- save 55 of the enemy, at least white smoke, the gunners failed half of them wounded. to notice, and kept right on The lost enemy ship turned shooting over the American's out to be the "Admiral Duff," tops. 36 guns, a West India letter-of- The marines in these tops, marque, London bound with unlike the American seamen, there," and if the history yet were not amateurs at fighting. to be written is any indication, On the contrary, they were he was in the thick of it. backswoods marksmen, many (To Be Continued) former rangers, and they cleared the enemy tops in first- rate time. Then they turned their attention to the decks and the guncrews. After about an hour, the