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CHAPTER XLIII.

MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION-CONTINUED.

The Vessels of the Navy.-The chase of the Constitution.-Capture of the
Alert.-The Guerrière.-Incidents.-The Macedonian.-The Frolic.-
The Java. The effects of these Naval Conflicts in the United States
and England.-Plan of Operations.-Harrison advances on Detroit.—
General Winchester a Prisoner; Indian Barbarities.-The Kentuckians
fall into an Ambuscade.-Repulse at Fort Stephenson.-The loss of the
Chesapeake.-Perry's Victory.-Battle of the Thames.--Andrew Jack-
son.-Leads an Expedition; its Termination.-York captured; Death
of General Pike.-Wilkinson transferred to the North.-Another at-
tempt to conquer Canada.-Fort George destroyed; Newark burned.-
The severe Retaliation.-The American Coast blockaded.-Ravages on
the Shores of Chesapeake Bay.-Indian War in the South. -Jackson
and others in the Field.-Battle at the Great Horse Shoe.-Captain
Porter's Cruise.

XLIII.

WHILE the disasters recorded in the last chapter were CHAP. in progress, the despised little navy had won laurels, by a series of victories as unexpected as they were glorious. 1812. When the war commenced, the whole navy of the United States in commission, consisted of only three first-class frigates; the President, the Constitution, and the United States; of the second class two, the Congress and the Essex; the Wasp and Hornet, sloops-of-war; and the brigs Argus, Syren, Nautilus, Enterprise, and Vixen. The second class frigates Chesapeake, Constellation, and John Adams, were undergoing repairs. The fleet was ordered to assemble at New York to be in readiness to defend harbors, and not to venture to sea, lest it should

XLIII.

CHAP. fall in the hands of the enemy; a result which had been predicted again and again. Owing to the urgent remon1812. strances of Captains Stewart and Bainbridge, the intention of thus withdrawing the navy was abandoned. Within a few hours after the declaration of war was known in New York, a portion of the fleet was passing out to sea, in search of the enemy. This prompt movement was made for the double purpose of avoiding the orders, which the officers suspected were on the way from Washington, to detain them in the harbor, and to make a dash at the Jamaica fleet, said to be passing under convoy off the coast. When two days out, they chased and exchanged shots with the British frigate Belvidera, which, however, escaped and carried the news of the commencement of hostilities to Halifax. The Americans continued the pursuit of the Jamaica fleet, even to the entrance of the British Channel, but without overtaking it.

Meanwhile a British squadron issued from Halifax, to cruise off the port of New York. The Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, in endeavoring to enter that port fell in with this fleet, and was chased by all its vessels for four days-the most remarkable chase on record. The unexampled skill with which she was managed, elicited universal admiraJuly. tion. Every nautical device was exhausted; such as during a calm carrying out anchors and dropping them, and then pulling the ship up; in the mean while, when opportunity served, exchanging shots with her adversaries. Finally she escaped into Boston. Orders from Washington were sent to Captain Hull to remain there; but he anticipated them, and put to sea before they arrived.

The Essex was the first to capture a prize-a transport filled with soldiers-and shortly after, the British sloop-of-war Alert. The latter mistook the Essex for a merchantman, and came on expecting an easy victory, hut

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CAPTURE OF THE GUERRIERE-INCIDENTS.

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found herself so severely handled, that in a few minutes CHAP. she was fain to strike her colors.

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XLIII.

19.

Off the mouth of the St. Lawrence, Captain Hull fell 1812. in with the British frigate Guerrière, one of the fleet which had recently chased him. The Guerrière was on the look-out for "Yankee craft; on one of her flags was the inscription, Not the Little Belt. Courting the combat, she shortened sail, and at long range opened upon the approaching Constitution; the latter did not fire a gun, but manoeuvred to obtain a desirable position. Thus an hour and a half was consumed. When the Constitution secured her position, she poured in her broadsides with such rapidity and effect, that the enemy struck his colors in thirty minutes. So completely was the Guerrière cut to pieces, that it was impossible to bring her into port, and Hull ordered her to be burned. The Guerrière had seventy-nine killed and wounded, while the Constitution. had only seven, and was ready for action the next day. In connection with this encounter may be related two incidents, which show the spirit on board the respective ships. When the Constitution came within cannon-shot, the opening fire from the Guerrière killed two men. men were impatient to avenge their companions, and Lieutenant Morris came on deck, and asked, "Can we return the fire, sir?" "No, sir," calmly replied Hull. Soon after, Morris came again, and reported that another man was slain, and asked again, "Shall we return the fire?" "No, sir," was still the reply. For the third time, Morris soon appeared: "Can we fire now?" Hull, pausing a moment to survey the position of the ships, replied, "Yes, sir, you may fire now." The order was promptly obeyed, and Hull, with his eye intently fixed upon the enemy, exclaimed, when he saw the effect, "That ship is ours!"

The

On board the Guerrière were ten impressed Americans. They refused to fight against their countrymen, and were ordered below. One of them was afterward called upon

XLIII.

CHAP. deck, and asked by Captain Dacres if he knew the character of the approaching ship. He answered she was a 1812. frigate. As she drew nearer, and merely manoeuvred, and made no reply with her guns, Dacres, somewhat puzzled, inquired again, "What does she mean? Do you think she is going to strike without firing a gun? "I guess not, sir," replied the American; "she will get the position she wants, and you will then learn her intentions; with your permission, sir, I will step below."

The United States, Captain Decatur, when cruising off the Azores, gave chase to a British frigate, which

proved to be the Macedonian. A running fight comOct. menced, which terminated by the Macedonian striking her 23. colors, after losing one hundred out of her three hundred men, while the United States lost only five men and seven wounded. The other ships made several prizes on their cruise. The Argus escaped by superior seamanship, after being chased three days by six vessels, and took and manned a prize during the chase. The Wasp, Captain Jones, met the British brig Frolic, acting as a convoy for six merchantmen; to protect them she shortened sail and offered battle. The Wasp watched her opportunity, raked her antagonist, and then immediately boarded. The boarders found the deck of the Frolic covered with the slain, and only one man unhurt, who was calmly standing at the wheel, and one or two wounded officers, who threw down their swords. Not twenty of the crew were unhurt. The Wasp had only five killed and as many wounded. But before she could make sail, the Poictiers seventy-four came up, and took both vessels.

Oct.

13.

Hull resigned the command of the Constitution, and Bainbridge was appointed in his place. Off the coast of Brazil the Constitution gave chase to a British frigate, the Java. The fight began at the distance of a mile, and was continued with great spirit, each manoeuvring to get the advantage. At length they approached so closely as

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EFFECTS PRODUCED BY THE NAVAL VICTORIES.

to fight yard-arm and yard-arm.

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The Java's masts CHAP.

XLIII.

were shot away, and her fire silenced. The Constitution drew off to repair her rigging, and then approached to 1813. renew the conflict, which the Java prevented by striking her flag. Nearly half of her men, numbering four hundred, were killed or wounded, while the Constitution had only nine killed and twenty-five wounded; among the Jan. latter was her commander. There being no friendly port in that part of the world to which he could take his prize, Bainbridge ordered her to be set on fire and blown up.

It is difficult to conceive the exultation with which these victories were hailed in the United States. The very great disparity in the losses sustained by the respective combatants had excited surprise in both nations. The English loss of men in killed and wounded, compared with that of the Americans, was as eight to one. There could be no doubt but the ships of the latter had been better managed and better fought. The English people, we learn from the newspapers of the day, were deeply mortified at the loss of their frigates. One of the papers asked, "Shall England, the mistress of the seas and dictator of the maritime law of nations, be driven from her proud eminence by a piece of striped bunting flying at the mastheads of a few fir-built frigates, manned by a handful of bastards and outlaws ?" Some were thus abusive, but others were more respectful, and even found consolation in the fact that the Americans were the descendants of Englishmen. Says the London Times: "We witnessed the gloom which that event (the capture of the Guerrière) cast over high and honorable minds; it is not merely that an English frigate has been taken after a brave resistance, but it has been by a new enemy." And apprehensions were expressed that their maritime superiority was about to be challenged, if not taken away, by this new rival, which had so suddenly sprung into existence. "The mourning for this last most affecting event, (the capture

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