Show nnn A LOST SEA BATTLE f IGHT NEVER BEFORE RECORDED BROUGHT TO LIGHT listorlan Maclay Learns of Naval Action Ac-tion Occurring In 1779 in Which Yankees Were Defeated by Scotch Vessel New YorkEdward Stanton Mac ijr author of tho History of the oiled Stales Navy and American rtvateers announces that ho recent discovered In the archives in Edin irgh Scotland tho record of a naval coon In which an American ship fig red that was never mentioned in any merican history I The combat was between the ankee privateer Skyrocket and the cotch vessel Sharp and occurred In IW Mr Maclays story of tho action illows t A sea fight between an American al a Scotch armed vessel which ems never before to havo been re srded In American annals has Just < been brought to light by the discovery In the library archives of Edinburgh Scotland of a copy of a letter from the commander of the Scotch craft to his employers The name of the Scotlnn boat was the Sharp Capt Archlbalt llogg owned by merchants In Glasgow while the name of tho Yankee craft was Skyrocket Sky-rocket Capt Burke a brig mounting 1C guns and manned by more than 120 1II0nan armament and complement that made the Skyrocket more formidable I formid-able than many of the regular Amor lean warships In those days Tho Sharp according to the letter of Capt Hogg was armed with 14 carriage guns six of them 12pounders besides i six swivels Tho only note there Is of the Skyrocket Sky-rocket in American records Is the bare mention of her name in Em mons Statistical History of tho United States Navy which was published in 18EO but the most Important feature of tho Scotians armament was that six lof the carriage gun were carronndes I J that a now weapon In those das and ono thl at at first carried consternation to ll1 < nIall will bo seen In n let ter t from en Cnill UogK Tho cnrronfttlo was a gun of large bore hwlll a IIhntlr range but ISTIA I > I IlI1Iashln power It was claimed and with truth that the Hniiuhln roue ut a pounder carronade at hart range WitS equal to that of n 2a pounder III I fact the In jentlon which took Its nDmo flom tho lawn of Carron Prance was mitj ns much of an ndvnnco In oidnnnco In those days as Is the rifled shot of to clay ocr lice told round shot of 40 years ago In Cnpl Hoggs report of this action Is had tho first account of tho effect of thisB now gun In actual battle It appears that the Sharp was bound i on a voyage to Jamaica but had I scarcely proceeded beyond sight of tho Irish coast when she was attacked by i la hostile craftwhether nn American I or Frenchman Capt Hogg was unable to state lie reported On the 17th Maiih 1770 being a little to the westward of Tulkor a cutter privateer passed the Sharp sho dogged up till tho 18th at night when she attempted to board us I balled her with a broadside which made her crew cry out In a most horrible man I her but did not understand what sho said She immediately sheered off and I saw no more of her Six days after this encounter or on March 24 while tho Sharp was stand Ing off from the Old Head of Kins dale Capt Hogg discovered a sail ahead of him steering westward About two oclock In tho afternoon the stranger which afterward proved to bo tho Skyrocket by her superiority of sailing managed to gain the weath ergage of the Sharp and then working work-ing her way to an advantageous position posi-tion of the Sharps quarter woro ship and crowding on all sail camo up with I the Scotchman at little after four pm inDown Down to this time neither craft had showed colors When Capt Hoggs Called and asked What ship Is that and where do you hall from tho an I I ewer was From America upon which tho American unfurled his flag and delivered a broadside Tho Skyrocket Sky-rocket then displayed the 13 stripes and returned tho fire smartly According to Capt Hoggs report tho battle lasted four glasses or two hours when tho privateer thought proper to sheer off crowding on all sail Bogg says that ho gavo chase but was soon left astern It appears from this same record that previous to the Skyrockets action ac-tion with the Sharp the former had captured the British merchantman Betsy Capt McArthur The Betsy was from Clydb bound for Oporto when she was overtakeen by the Yankee and captured Capt McArthur was a prisoner aboard the Skyrocket when that craft fought tho Sharp Subsequently Mc Arthur was released and arlvlng at Greenock reported that the weight of tho Sharps metal together with tho quickness of firing particularly of the carronades throw tho prlvateera people into the utmost astonishment and that the execution on board tho privateer was such that they would have struck to the Sharp had sho been able to come up with them |