“When the vessels ran foul of each other the crew of the Wasp were greatly excited and could no longer be restrained. With wild shouts they leaped into the tangled rigging and made their way to the deck of the Frolic, carrying dismay to the hearts of its surviving crew. All of those who were able had rushed below to escape the raking fire of the Wasp, excepting an old sailor who had kept his place at the wheel during the terrible fight. A few surviving officers were standing on the quarter-deck of the Frolic, most of them wounded. They threw down their swords in token of surrender, when Lieutenant Biddle, who led the boarding party, pulled down the British flag with his own hands.
“A great part of the Frolic’s men were killed or wounded; not twenty persons on board had escaped unharmed. It was at a quarter past twelve that Lieutenant Biddle hauled down the Frolic’s flag—just forty-three minutes after the fight began. Her total loss of men was over ninety, about thirty of whom were killed outright or died of wounds.”
“Were there as many killed and wounded on our vessel, the Wasp?” asked Edward Leland.
“No,” replied the captain; “five of her men were killed, two in her mizzen-top and one in her main-top-mast rigging, and five were wounded, chiefly aloft. She, the Frolic, had been desperately defended; no men could have fought more bravely than Captain Whinyates and his crew. On the other hand, the Americans had done their work with coolness; the accuracy with which they fired was remarkable, and, as the contest had been mainly one of gunnery, they won the victory. When the two vessels separated both masts of the Frolic fell, and tattered sails and broken rigging covered the dead, with which her decks were strewn.
“Lieutenant Biddle was given charge of the prize, and the vessels were about parting company when the British ship of war Poictiers, seventy-four guns, Captain Beresford, appeared on the scene. Two hours after Jones had won his victory his crippled vessel and more crippled prize were recaptured by the Poictiers.”
“And all these brave men were made prisoners, weren’t they, papa?” sighed Elsie.
“Yes; but they were soon exchanged, and Congress voted them prize money for their capture, and promoted Captain Jones and Lieutenant Biddle. The press lauded Jones. Delaware, his native State, voted him thanks, a sword and a piece of silver plate. The Corporation of New York City voted him a sword and the freedom of the city. Congress gave him the thanks of the nation and a gold medal, and appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars to Jones and his companions as a compensation for the loss of their prize by recapture.”
“I’m glad of that,” said Elsie, with a sigh of satisfaction, “for I’m sure they deserved it.”
“There were some stirring songs made to commemorate the Wasp’s battle with the Frolic, were there not?” asked Grandma Elsie, sitting near.
“Yes, mother,” replied the captain; “they were sung everywhere, and by boys in the street. I think I can recall a stanza of one given by Lossing in his ‘Story of the United States Navy’: