I See Dead People on the Water

The other day I was in Portland for an appointment and had some time to kill, a lot of time as it turned out. Normally I would grab a book somewhere and find some place to sit in the shade and read it. But it was hot, I didn't have a book and I wasn't all that interested in shopping or eating or whatever else one does in Portland. So I went to the cemetery. Yes, I know that is an odd thing to do but I had a purpose. Ever since I read about the fight of the HMS Boxer and the USS Enterprise I have wanted to find where their captains were buried but never seemed to have the time or been with people who would indulge my historical geekiness (is that a word?) by walking through old cemeteries reading headstones.

For those who aren't familiar with every naval engagement between the United States and Britain between 1775 and 1814 the Boxer and Enterprise fought their duel in September of 1813 in the waters between Popham and Monhegan. The Boxer had been patrolling along the Maine coast capturing merchant ships and sending them to Halifax, Nova Scotia to be sold for the prize money. The Enterprise, a veteran of the battles with the Pasha of Tripoli, was cruising the same waters looking for the Boxer (and possibly to remind some of the locals that they weren't supposed to be shipping goods to Canada or other British ports). There are differing accounts of how they came to find each other, one historian says that the Boxer was pretending to chase an American merchant ship into the Kennebec as cover for their smuggling activities when it was spotted by the Enterprise who was using Damariscove Island as a hiding place. Other accounts hold that the two ships were looking for each other and finally met when Maine fishermen informed the Enterprise that they had just seen Boxer near Phippsburg, at the mouth of the Kennebec. It was reportedly a clear day and spectators found vantage points along the shore from Pemaquid Point all the way to Portland. The Portland Observatory with its high tech French telescope was able to witness much of the action and reported it play by play to the crowd on the ground.

It was a brutal fight that lasted for almost an hour. The 29 year old British Captain Blyth was killed in the first exchange of fire. Eventually the Enterprise dismasted the Boxer, captured her and brought her to Portland as a prize. Enterprise's own captain, 28 year old William Burrowes, died of his wounds on the way into port but not before refusing to accept the sword of Boxer's dead captain because he had fought so bravely. The crews of the Boxer and Enterprise buried their respective captains side by side in the East End Cemetery in Portland, almost at the foot of the Portland Observatory and later held a reception in their memory.

I don't know what if anything there is anything to learn from this episode but I can't help but wonder when I am at Pemaquid Point or out past the mouth of the Damariscotta River near Damariscove Island what it must have looked like to see these two sailings ships fire and maneuver with murderous intent so near shore while the citizens of Bristol watched from shore. Equally as fascinating to me is how two enemies who had been hell bent on the other's destruction could put that aside to pay respects to their two young captains and to bury them next to each other.