CH. XIII.] leeward of the battery, on the east of the harbor, and let go his anchor within pistol shot of the shore. Supposing that the British would, as formerly, respect the neutrality of the place, he considered himself secure, and thought only of repairing the damages he had sustained. The menacing approach of the enemy's ships, however, displaying their motto flags and having their jacks at all their masts' heads, soon showed Porter the real danger of his situation. With all possible dispatch, he got his ship ready for action, and endeavored to get a spring on his cable, but had not succeeded, when, a few minutes before four, P. M., the attack was begun.

At first, the Phoebe placed herself nearly astern, and the Cherub lay off Porter's starboard bow; but the latter, finding herself exposed to a hot fire, soon changed her position, and with her consort kept up a raking fire under the Essex's stern. The American frigate, being unable to bring her broadside to bear on the enemy, was obliged to rely for defence against this tremendous attack, on three long twelvepounders, which were run out of the stern ports. These were worked with such bravery and skill, and so much injury to the enemy, as in half an hour to compel them to haul off and repair. It was evident that Commodore Hillyar meant to risk nothing from the daring courage of our countrymen; all his manœuvres were deliberate and wary; his antagonist was in his power, and his only concern was to succeed with as little loss to himself as possible. The Essex, though having suffered greatly, showed no disposition

1814.

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to flinch from the contest, unequal and discouraging as it was.

Having speedily repaired damages, the action was renewed; both the Phoebe and the Cherub now availing themselves of their long guns, and firing with great and destructive precision; while scarcely one of Porter's guns could be brought to bear upon them, or thrown so far as the position they had taken; and they cut down the people of the Essex with their plunging fire, and disabled her guns, almost at their pleasure. The carnage was so frightful, that one gun of the American ship saw nearly three entire crews fall round it, in the course of the action. Finding it impossible to contend successfully against his antagonists, Porter now attempted to run his vessel ashore, and set her on fire; but a sudden shift of the wind prevented it, and not only so, but brought her round so as to expose her to a raking fire, worse than she had experienced before. Twice she took fire; part of her powder exploded; she was hulled at almost every shot; until at last, seventy-five men, officers included, were all that remained for duty; and the colors were hauled down.

The Essex lost fifty-eight men killed, and sixty-six wounded; or, including the drowned and the missing, a hundred and fifty-two were lost out of two hundred and fifty-five. The British loss was only five killed, and ten wounded, but their ships were greatly cut up considering the circumstances in which they were placed. The fight lasted for two hours and a half; was witnessed with deep interest by great crowds on

the shore; and for desperate valor and fearful carnage was unequalled since the days of the famous Paul Jones.

The Essex Junior was converted into a cartel, and Porter and his surviving companions were sent home on parole. Detained off New York by a British vessel, and declared a prisoner of war, Porter determined to effect his escape, and though thirty miles from land, succeeded in doing so in a whale boat, which landed him on Long Island. He was received in New York and elsewhere with great enthusiasm, as one who had brought honor to the Ameri

can navy.

1814.

At home, the newly built sloops of war began to go to sea as soon as they were ready. On the 20th of April, the Frolic, eighteen, commanded by Captain Bainbridge, soon after she had got out of port, was chased by the British frigate Orpheus, of thirty-six guns; and having thrown most of her guns overboard to lighten herself, after only two shots had been fired, was captured.

The sloop of war Peacock, eighteen, Captain Warrington, sailed from New York, in March, and proceeded southwardly, cruising along the Florida shore. On the 29th of April, three sail were discovered to windward, one of which proved to be the British brig Epervier, eighteen, Captain Wales. An engagement ensued soon afterwards, and resulted, after forty-two minutes fight, in the capture of the Epervier. The British vessel suffered very greatly, and lost twenty-two men in killed and wounded. On board the Peacock, only two persons were wounded. The sum of $118,000

in specie was found in the Epervier, and some days later, notwithstanding she was chased by two frigates, the prize was brought in safety into Savannah.

The Wasp, eighteen, Captain Blakely, was one of the new sloops of war just spoken of. On the 1st of May, she sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and running across the Atlantic, appeared off the English Channel, and began to re-enact the part played there by the Argus (p. 197). Very early on the 28th of June, she fell in with the British sloop, Reindeer, eighteen also, and having in addition to her broadside of nine guns, only a shifting carronade. The British captain, nothing loth for the fight, gave chase, and the American, equally ready, hove to, for the purpose of meeting him. Soon after three, P. M., the Reindeer began to fire, and it was nearly a quarter of an hour before the Wasp could bring any guns to bear; but when she did, the spirit and activity of officers and men speedily brought the conflict to an issue. Twice or thrice the British crew attempted to board their antagonist, and were repulsed; and at last the Reindeer, cut to pieces by the heavy metal and terrible precision of the Wasp's fire, with her upper works one entire wreck, was carried by the American boarders. There were twenty-five killed, and forty-two wounded, ten of them dangerously, on board the Reindeer; the Wasp lost only five killed, and twenty-two wounded. It is very properly pointed out by Mr. Cooper, that the advantage in nearly every particular rested with the Wasp; and the bravery of Captain Manners and crew of the Reindeer, elicited well

CH. XIII.]

deserved commendation. The Reindeer was burned, and Captain Blakely went into L'Orient on the 8th of July. Leaving this port at the close of August, Captain Blakely captured two merchantmen, and on the 1st of 1814. September, fell in with a fleet of ten sail, under convoy of the Armada, seventy-four, and a bomb-ship. He stood for them, and succeeded in cutting out of the squadron a brig laden with brass and iron cannon, and military stores, from Gibraltar. After taking out the prisoners and setting her on fire, he endeavored to cut out another, but was chased off by the seventy-four. The same evening, Captain Blakely descried two vessels, one on his starboard and one on his larboard bow, and hauled for that which was farthest to windward. At seven, P. M., she was discovered to be a brig of war, making signals with flags which could not be distinguished, owing to the darkness, and at twenty-nine minutes past nine, she was under the lee bow of the Wasp. An action soon after commenced, which lasted until ten o'clock, when Captain Blakely, finding his antagonist to have ceased firing, paused, and asked if he had surrendered. No answer being returned, he commenced firing again; and the enemy returned broadside for broadside for twelve minutes. Perceiving that his last two broadsides were not returned, he hailed again, and was informed that she was sinking, and that her colors were struck. She proved to be, as was subsequently learned, the Avon, eighteen, Captain Arbuthnot, and sank almost immediately afterwards.

271

took the British brig Atalanta, which was put in charge of Mr. Geisenger, one of the midshipmen, and sent to America. The Wasp, at the time, was off the Madeiras, and continued her cruise; but, we are sorry to say, this is the last certain information that was had respecting this favorite vessel and her brave commander. She must have perished suddenly and entirely, in some one of those terrible gales to which vessels are exposed in the southern seas.*

The squadron under Commodore Decatur, in the harbor of New London, found it impossible to escape from the strict blockade maintained by the enemy (p. 239). The United States and Macedonian were accordingly removed up the Thames above New London, and in the month of April were dismantled. Decatur, and his officers and 1814. crew, soon after were transferred to the President, then at New York, and the gallant commodore was actively engaged in taking measures to repel an expected attack upon that important commercial city. The enemy not having made any attempt upon New York, but devoted their energies to the invasion of Washington, and to plans of conquest in the south, Decatur was at liberty to carry out the project which had been formed of a cruise in the East Indies, where, it was thought, British trade and commerce offered a fair field for enterprise and valor. The frigate President, the sloops of war, Peacock and Hornet, and two store ships, were formed into a squadron, and De

New York being closely blockaded, Decatur determined to get out of the harbor in his flag ship alone, at the earliest moment.* Accordingly, having appointed a place of rendezvous for the other vessels, Decatur, on the 14th of January, 1815, in a severe snow storm, and a strong gale blowing off shore, weighed anchor and stood down the bay. Through a mistake of the pilot, in the darkness the President struck on the bar, where she remained beating heavily for an hour and a half. The wind rendering it impossible to return, she was forced over the bar, and obliged to proceed, notwithstanding the injuries she had received. At early dawn on the 15th, she was espied by the blockading squadron, and the Majestic, fiftysix, the Endymion, forty, and the Pomona, thirty-eight, gave chase. The Tenedos, thirty-eight, joined in the pursuit somewhat later. Decatur lightened his vessel as well as he could, and for fifty miles, along the coast of Long Island, kept ahead of his pursuers.

Late in the afternoon, the Endymion, which had gained rapidly on the President, opened a fire with her bow-chasers, which was vigorously returned by Decatur's ship from her stern guns. Meanwhile, the Majestic and Pomona fell behind out of gunshot. At length the Endymion gained so much on the President, as to permit her first broadside guns to begin to bear,

1815.

vessels sailing under easy way, within half-musket-shot distance. Commodore Decatur suffered so severely, especially in his rigging, under their fire, that he took the gallant resolution of laying himself alongside the Endymion, and, having scuttled the President, of carrying the enemy, by boarding. But the British captain avoided that risk, with commendable prudence, and yawing his ship, preserved the advantage she had gained by a fire at half gunshot range.

The fight continued for two hours, both vessels being skilfully handled, when the Endymion, reduced almost to a wreck, fell astern, and Decatur had some slight hope of being able to effect his escape in the night, from the other ships of the enemy. Resuming the course he had adopted in order to avoid the squadron, Decatur wished for the darkness to aid him in getting away; but he was disappointed. The clouds blew over, and a bright starlight revealed his ship to the approaching ships.

"We continued this course," says Decatur, in his official letter, under date of the 18th of January, "until eleven o'clock, when two fresh ships of the enemy (the Pomona and Tenedos) had come up. The Pomona had opened her fire on the larboard bow, within musket shot; the other, about two cables length astern, taking a raking position on our quarter; and the rest, with the exception of the Endymion, within gunshot. Thus situated, with about onefifth of my crew killed and wounded,

tur,' pp. 207-33.

fold force opposed to me, without a