Lawrence, advised that Shannon had moved in closer to Boston, began preparations to sail on the evening of 31 May. The next morning Broke wrote a challenge to Lawrence and dispatched it to Chesapeake; it had not arrived when Lawrence set out to meet Shannon on his own accord.

Leaving port with a broad white flag bearing the motto "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights", Chesapeake met with Shannon near 5 pm that afternoon.
During six minutes of firing, each ship managed two full broadsides.
Chesapeake's first broadside was fired while the ship was heeling, causing most shots to strike the water or  Shannon's waterline, causing little damage; although carronade fire caused serious damage to Shannon's rigging.
A second round of fire was more effective, landing hits on Shannon's 12-pounder shot locker.
Chesapeake's 32-pound carronades punished Shannon's forecastle, killing three men, wounding others and disabling Shannon's nine-pounder bow gun.
Chesapeake suffered far more heavily in the exchange, as accurate British fire caused heavy losses among American gun crews, and crippling losses to the men and officers on Chesapeake's quarterdeck.
A succession of helmsmen were killed and her wheel was destroyed.
At the same time, her foretopsail halyard was shot away causing the ship to lose maneuverability.

Unable to maneuver, Chesapeake "luffed up" and her port stern quarter caught against the side of Shannon amidships and the two ships were lashed together.
Confusion and disarray reigned on the deck of Chesapeake; Captain Lawrence tried rallying a party to board Shannon, but the bugler failed to sound the call.
At this point a shot from a sniper mortally wounded Lawrence; as his men carried him below, he gave his last order: "Don't give up the ship.
Fight her till she sinks."

Captain Broke boarded Chesapeake at the head of a party of 20 men.
They met little resistance from Chesapeake's crew, most of whom had run below deck.
The only resistance from Chesapeake came from her contingent of marines.
The British soon overwhelmed them; only nine escaped injury out of 44.
Captain Broke was severely injured in the fighting on the forecastle, being struck in the head with a sword.
Soon after, Shannon's crew pulled down Chesapeake's flag.
Only 15 minutes had elapsed from the first exchange of gunfire to the capture.

Reports on the number of killed and wounded aboard Chesapeake during the battle vary widely.
Broke's after-action report from 6 July states 70 killed and 100 wounded.
Other contemporary sources place the number between 48–61 killed and 85–99 wounded.
Discrepancies in the number of killed and wounded are possibly caused by the addition of sailors who died of their wounds after the battle.
The counts for Shannon have fewer discrepancies with 23 killed and 56 wounded.
Despite his serious injuries, Broke ordered repairs to both ships and they proceeded on to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Captain Lawrence died en route of his wounds and was buried in a Halifax cemetery with full military honors.
The dead crewmen were buried on Dead Man's Island in Nova Scotia.
Captain Broke survived his wounds and was later made a baronet.
Lawrence, advised that Shannon had moved in closer to Boston, began preparations to sail on the evening of 31 May. The next morning Broke wrote a challenge to Lawrence and dispatched it to Chesapeake; it had not arrived when Lawrence set out to meet Shannon on his own accord.
Leaving port with a broad white flag bearing the motto "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights", Chesapeake met with Shannon near 5 pm that afternoon. During six minutes of firing, each ship managed two full broadsides. Chesapeake's first broadside was fired while the ship was heeling, causing most shots to strike the water or  Shannon's waterline, causing little damage; although carronade fire caused serious damage to Shannon's rigging. A second round of fire was more effective, landing hits on Shannon's 12-pounder shot locker. Chesapeake's 32-pound carronades punished Shannon's forecastle, killing three men, wounding others and disabling Shannon's nine-pounder bow gun. Chesapeake suffered far more heavily in the exchange, as accurate British fire caused heavy losses among American gun crews, and crippling losses to the men and officers on Chesapeake's quarterdeck. A succession of helmsmen were killed and her wheel was destroyed. At the same time, her foretopsail halyard was shot away causing the ship to lose maneuverability.
Unable to maneuver, Chesapeake "luffed up" and her port stern quarter caught against the side of Shannon amidships and the two ships were lashed together. Confusion and disarray reigned on the deck of Chesapeake; Captain Lawrence tried rallying a party to board Shannon, but the bugler failed to sound the call. At this point a shot from a sniper mortally wounded Lawrence; as his men carried him below, he gave his last order: "Don't give up the ship. Fight her till she sinks."
Captain Broke boarded Chesapeake at the head of a party of 20 men. They met little resistance from Chesapeake's crew, most of whom had run below deck. The only resistance from Chesapeake came from her contingent of marines. The British soon overwhelmed them; only nine escaped injury out of 44. Captain Broke was severely injured in the fighting on the forecastle, being struck in the head with a sword. Soon after, Shannon's crew pulled down Chesapeake's flag. Only 15 minutes had elapsed from the first exchange of gunfire to the capture.
Reports on the number of killed and wounded aboard Chesapeake during the battle vary widely. Broke's after-action report from 6 July states 70 killed and 100 wounded. Other contemporary sources place the number between 48–61 killed and 85–99 wounded. Discrepancies in the number of killed and wounded are possibly caused by the addition of sailors who died of their wounds after the battle. The counts for Shannon have fewer discrepancies with 23 killed and 56 wounded. Despite his serious injuries, Broke ordered repairs to both ships and they proceeded on to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Captain Lawrence died en route of his wounds and was buried in a Halifax cemetery with full military honors. The dead crewmen were buried on Dead Man's Island in Nova Scotia. Captain Broke survived his wounds and was later made a baronet.
USS Chesapeake (1799)