[Public-list] Master and Commander

[Gordon Laco]

Hi there - 

My copy of the surgeon's report shows him rated as Coxswain, and that he was
wounded in the right arm by a musket ball, and in the left by a grape shot.
Near the end of the boarding portion of the action there was a discharge by
one of Shannon's quarterdeck carronades that actually caused the larger
portion of the wounds and deaths suffered on "our" side.  Aboard Shannon the
gunners did not anticipate that their compatriots would advance as rapidly
as they did.

O'Brian's novel is of course fictional but his accounts of both the
Constitution vs Java and Shannon vs Chesapeake fights are the best I have
read.

While shooting the film I provoked fights with my American colleagues to
trim them a little when they brought up the fledgling US Navy's early
victories in the War of 1812 and taunted me with them.  My smug response was
to point out that in frigate to frigate fights the Royal Navy was never
beaten by the US when the odds were even. And when they WERE even odds the
RN won. Check it out...

Did I start another fight??

Gord #426 Surprise





> Great  great grandfather was William Stack.Some reports say he was wounded
> by friendly fire while on board the Chesapeake.
> Peter Amos
> Tait Tait #478
> 
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