"Yes, we fired one gun, and only one, but it wasn't until after Commodore Barron had ordered the flag hauled down. Just as the ensign reached the taffrail one gun was fired from the second division of the ship, and it was discharged by means of a coal brought from the galley in the fingers of Lieutenant Allen, the officer of the division."
"Of course the Leopard stopped firing as soon as our colors were lowered, and Commodore Barron immediately sent a boat on board the British ship to say that the Chesapeake was at the disposal of the English captain. The latter sent two of his officers to muster the American crew, and the three men who were claimed to be deserters from the Melampus, and one from the Halifax, were taken away. Commodore Barron then sent another note to the captain of the Leopard, saying that he was ready to give up his ship. The latter declined to take possession of the Chesapeake and sailed away, and there was nothing for us to do but return to Hampton Roads.
"Three of our crew were killed on the spot, and eighteen were wounded, eight of them badly and ten slightly. Twenty-one round shot struck the Chesapeake's hull, and her lower rigging was badly cut up by grape-shot. She was in no condition to go to sea; we went to Norfolk and in a few days a part of the crew was discharged. I was one of those sent away, and so you see my voyage up the Mediterranean was a very short one.
"One of these days, and it won't be a very long time either, we'll have to go to war with England, and just show her what our ships can do in fighting trim. The Leopard had a great advantage over us in having a perfectly trained crew, while ours had had no training at all. Give us a chance, and we'll teach the British a lesson they won't forget very soon."
I may as well continue the history of this affair by telling how it turned out. The unfortunate deserters were taken to Halifax, where they were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be hung. The three Americans were reprieved, on condition that they should re-enter the British service. The deserter from the Halifax, who was really an English subject, was hung. One of the three Americans who had been impressed into the Melampus died in the British service; the other two, after five years of captivity, were restored to the deck of the ship from which they had been taken.
There was great excitement all through the country when the news of the affair between the Leopard and Chesapeake became known. For a while local politics were forgotten, and all party lines were set aside. Meetings were held in all the leading cities, in which the feelings of the public were expressed in very vigorous language. There was an almost universal demand for an immediate declaration of war against Great Britain.
He was just fairly stowed away when Haines came. Page 225.
Our government complained to the British government, and the latter promptly replied by half apologizing for the occurrence and declaring that the British admiral had exceeded his orders. He was removed from the command of the squadron in American waters, ostensibly as a punishment for his conduct, but not long afterwards he was given a similar command on a more important station. Captain Humphreys of the Leopard was also removed, and the British government appropriated a sum of money for the families of those who had been killed on board the Chesapeake.