orld, and
so decided to confine the war entirely to land. It was Bainbridge who
brought about a change of this unwise policy by impassioned pleading, to
the everlasting glory of the American navy. Hull resigned the
Constitution to him, after his victory over the Guerriere--it was really
for fear that Bainbridge would get command of the ship that Hull had
sailed from Boston without orders--and Bainbridge sailed for the South
Atlantic, and captured the British frigate Java, after a terrific fight,
in which he was himself seriously wounded. This was his last fight,
though the years which followed saw him in many important commands. For
sheer romance and adventure, his career has seldom been excelled.

Another hero of the war of 1812, whose name is associated with a deed of
imperishable gallantry, was James Lawrence. He had entered the navy as
midshipman in 1798, at the age of eighteen, and served in the war
against Tripoli, first under Hull and then under Decatur, and
accompanied the latter on the expedition which destroyed the
Philadelphia. But the deed by which he is best remembered is his fight
with the British frigate Shannon. In the spring of 1813, he was assigned
to the command of the frigate Chesapeake, a vessel hated by the whole
navy because of the bad luck which seemed to pursue her. Lawrence
accepted the command reluctantly, and proceeded to Boston, where she was
lying, to prepare her for a voyage.

A crew was secured with great difficulty, most of them being foreigners,
and his officers were all young and inexperienced. What the crew and
officers alike needed was a practice cruise to put them in shape to meet
the enemy, and Lawrence knew this better than anybody, but when the
British frigate Shannon appeared outside the harbor with a challenge for
a battle, Lawrence, feeling that to refuse would be dishonorable,
hoisted anchor and sailed out to meet her.

The Shannon was one of the finest frigates in the English navy, manned
by an experienced crew, and commanded by Philip Broke, one of the best
officers serving under the Union Jack. The ships ranged up together and
broadsides were delivered with terrible effect. Lawrence was wounded in
the leg, but kept the deck. Then the ships fouled, and Lawrence called
for boarders, but his crew, frightened at the desperate nature of the
conflict, did not respond, and a moment later he fell, shot through the
body. As he was borne below, he kept shouting, "Don't give up the