the great disparity of force in favour of the Constitution was calculated to ensure such an issue to the unequal contest, yet the brave Capt. Dacres, no doubt esteeming British skill, gallantry, and prowess, sufficient to compensate for his ship's inferiority in other respects, ascribes the loss of her merely to the early fall of the mizen-mast, which enabled his opponent to choose his position.

The Guerriere had 15 killed and 63 wounded: amongst the former were the second lieutenant, H. Ready; W. White, captain of the forecastle; and G. Griffiths, quarter gunner: amongst the latter were Capt. Dacres; first lieutenant, B. Kent; and R. Scott, master. None of the officers quitted the deck till the firing ceased.

The Constitution mounted 30 twenty-four pounders on her main deck, and 24 thirty-two and 2 eighteen pounders on her upper deck, and had 476 men. Her loss 9 killed and 11 wounded.

The unfortunate loss of the Guerriere's masts, the absence of the third lieutenant, second lieutenant of marines, three midshipmen, and twenty-four men, reducing the crew to 244 men and 19 boys, on coming into action; the advantage of the enemy, from his marines and riflemen, in close action, and his superior sailing enabling him to choose his position, will altogether distinguish the defence of the Guerriere as brilliant as any upon record, and worthy of a conspicuous place in the page of our naval annals. Capt. Dacres, in his letter, stated the conduct of Capt. Hull and his officers to be that of a brave, humane, and kind enemy.

October 18.. After a most gallant resistance of fifty minutes, the Frolic (bg.), 18, Tho. Whinyates, was captured by the American sloop of war Wasp, of 20 guns. The Frolic had, the day before, with the homeward-bound feet under convoy, from the bay of Honduras, encountered a most violent gale of wind, in which she carried away her main-yard, lost her topsails, and sprung the maintopmast. She was repairing these damages, when the enemy made his appearance, and the unfortunate result of the contest might naturally be anticipated from the disabled state of the ship. About ten o'clock the battle began. The superior fire of the Frolic's guns, at the onset, encouraged the expectation of a speedy and favourable result, but the gaff and head-braces being shot away, and no sail on the mainmast, the brig became unmanageable, and the enemy succeeded in taking a position to rake her, while she was unable to bring a gun to bear. After lying some time exposed to a most destructive fire, she fell with the bowsprit betwixt the enemy's main and mizen rigging, still unable to return his fire. At length he boarded, and made himself master of the brig, every officer being wounded, and the greater part of the men killed or wounded, not twenty remaining unhurt.

The Wasp was taken, and the Frolic recaptured, the same afternoon, by the Poictiers, 74, Sir J. P. Beresford, who esteemed the conduct of Capt. Whinyates to have been so decidedly gallant, that he continued him in the command of the Frolic.

December 29.-Capt. Lambert, of the Java, 36, being off St. Salvador (coast of Brazil), fell in with the American frigate Constitution, Commodore Bainbridge, when a most severe and sanguinary action ensued, which lasted from ten minutes past two, p. m. with the intermission of an hour, till fifty minutes past five. From the commencement of the action, the Constitution endeavoured to avoid close quarters, in which he succeeded by firing high and disabling the masts, shooting away the head of the Java's bowsprit with the jib

bcom,

From this great superiority on the American side, no other result could be reasonably expected. The death of the captain in the very outset of the engagement, the loss of the main-topmast almost immediately afterwards, and the want of officers fully competent to second the wishes of their fallen chief, were untoward circumstances, even had the number opposed to them been less than double that of the Boxer's crew.

As

1814, March 28.-Capt. Hillyar of the Phoebe, 36, the Cherub, 18, Capt. Tucker, in company, after nearly five weeks vigilant search in the Pacific Ocean, and six weeks still more anxious look-out for the Essex and her companion, a corvette, who had taken shelter in the port of Valparaiso, saw the former under way, and immediately made sail to close with her. On rounding the outer point of the bay, and hauling her wind, for the purpose of endeavouring to weather the Phoebe and Cherub, and make her escape, she lost her maintopmast; and afterwards, not succeeding in an effort to regain the limits of the port, bore up, and anchored so near the shore, as to preclude the possibility of passing a-head of her without risk. the ships drew near to her, a distant firing commenced, and was continued for about ten minutes, which then ceased, and was afterwards renewed with no visible effect, the wind blowing very fresh, and the Phoebe losing the use of her mainsail, jib, and main-stay. On closing the Essex, at thirty-five minutes past five, the firing recommenced, and the Essex having cut her cable, a serious conflict ensued, until twenty minutes past six, when the Essex struck her colours. Capt. Tucker was severely wounded at the commencement of the action; but remained on deck until its termination, using every exertion against the baffling winds and occasional calms, which followed the heavy firing, to close near the enemy. The Cherub's first Lieutenant, Ingram, fell early in the action, a great loss to the service. Including him, 5 were killed and 10 wounded. The Essex, Capt. Porter, carried 40 thirty-two pound carronades, and 6 long guns. The number of her crew previous to the action, and killed and wounded after it, could not be ascertained, no ship's book being found on board, several making their escape on shore, and many being drowned in the attempt. Capt. Porter said, that he had upwards of 260 victualled; the prisoners, including 42 wounded, amounted to 161, and 23 were found dead on her decks. April 8.-The boats of La Hogue, 74, Hon. T. B. Capel; Maidstone, 32, G. Burdett; Endymion, 40, H. Hope; and Borer (sp.), R. Coote, under the direction of Capt. Coote, took or destroyed twenty-seven vessels in Connecticut river, their burthen exceeding five thousand tons, three of them being large privateers, completely equipped, and ready to put to sea. They also destroyed a number of boats, and a large quantity of naval stores. This service, so injurious to the enemy, performed in the teeth of their troops, batteries, and armed boats, only caused the British a loss of 2 men killed and 2 wounded.

April 20.-The Orpheus, 36, H. Pigot, after a chase of sixty miles, captured, off the point of Matanzas in Cuba, the U. S. ship Fru lic, 22, Capt. J. Bainbridge. Before she struck, she threw all s overboard, and continued throwing also her shot, small until taken possession of.

her gu

arms, &c. The Epervier (bg.), 18, W. Wales, was captured April 29.by the American sop Peacock, 22. The Epervier, when she left Halifax in the March preceding, had the worst crew of any ship

on

on the station-they were principally invalids from the hospital. With a crew of such quality, she victualled only 94 on leaving Halifax, and had in the action with the Peacock 98, or thereabouts. The Peacock was a far superior vessel in every respect to her opponent; her crew were, as usual, picked men and volunteers, and her commander and officers generally enterprizing and skilful. The action lasted about forty-five minutes, and our loss in killed and wounded was stated at 23; the enemy had only two slightly wounded. The superiority on the American side was in weight of metal as seven to four; in men ditto; in size of vessel as seven to five.

June 13.-Lieut. J. Garland of the Superb, 74, Hon. C. Paget, with the boats of this and the Nimrod sloop, destroyed 2500 tons of shipping, and a valuable cotton mill, at a place called Wareham, at the head of Buzzard's Bay. The latter was full of stores, belonged to a company of sixty merchants at Boston, and its value, with what it contained, estimated at half a million of dollars. This service, by a masterly stratagem of the lieutenant, was performed without any loss to the boats, though in the face of a numerous militia. In returning, he brought off the principal people of the place, and secured them as hostages for a time, till the boats were out of danger, the influence which these persons had over the numerous militia collected upon both banks of the river, preventing them from firing upon the boats; they were of course relanded at the first convenient spot.

August 20.-An expedition was planned by Major-Gen. Ross, and Vice-Adm. the Hon. Sir A. Cochrane, K. B. commanders of the British sea and land forces, for an attack upon a flotilla of the enemy's gun-boats in the Patuxent, under the command of Com. Barney. On the 19th, the army landed at the village of Benedict, on the right bank of the river. On the 20th it commenced its march, and on the 22d moved on to Upper Marlborough, a few miles distant from Pig Point, on the Patuxent. Adm. Cockburn, with the boats, tenders, &c. of the squadron, moved up the river, keeping upon the right flank of the army. On opening the reach above Pig Point, he discovered Com. Barney's broad pendant in the headmost vessel, a large sloop, and the remainder of the flotilla extending in a long line astern of her. They were all set on fire by the enemy and abandoned; and out of seventeen vessels, sixteen were in quick succession blown to atoms, and one only, in which the fire had not taken, was captured. The army came up with the enemy on the 24th on the heights above Bladensburg, a village situated on the left bank of the eastern branch of the Potowmack, about five miles from Washington. The enemy, amounting to eight or nine thousand men, with three or four hundred cavalry, strongly posted, under the command of Gen. Winder, were attacked, with irresistible impetuosity, by a very inferior British army in respect of numbers, at the point of the bayonet, and soon put to flight. Ten pieces of artillery, commanded by Com. Barney, were taken and destroyed; the commodore was wounded and made prisoner. On the suggestion of Rear-Adm. Cockburn, the army marched to the attack of Washington, which city they entered at eight o'clock that night, after a slight opposition. The capitol, arsenal, dock-yard, treasury, war-office, president's palace, rope-walks, and the great bridge across the Potowmack, in the dock-yard a frigate nearly ready to be launched, and a sloop of war, were destroyed by fire; 200 pieces of artillery, and a vast quantity of small arms, were likewise destroyed.

c 2

The

The two bridges leading to Washington over the Eastern Branch had been destroyed by the enemy. The army retired on the night of the 25th, reached Benedict on the 29th, and re-embarked the following day. In the battle on the heights above Bladensburg, the army had 249 killed, wounded, and missing.

August 29.--Capt. Sir Peter Parker, Bart. of the Menelaus, was sent up the Chesapeak, above Baltimore, by Vice-Adm. Cochrane, to make a diversion in favour of the attack upon the enemy's flotilla in Patuxent. After repeatedly dislodging small bodies of the enemy, by landing parties of seamen and marines, Sir Peter was at length drawn into an attack upon a force greatly his superior in numbers, and accompanied by artillery. He had only 104 bayonets with 20 pikes, formed in two divisions, headed by Henry Crease, acting commander, and Lieut. Pearce, opposed to 500 militia, a troop of horse, and 5 pieces of artillery. The enemy were routed; but the gallant and enterprizing Capt. Sir Peter Parker received a wound, which in a few minutes terminated his existence. The loss was in other respects severe, 13 killed and 27 wounded.

September 11.-A British squadron, under Capt. Downie, was defeated by an American squadron, under Com. M'Donough. See CHAMPLAIN LAKE.

September 12.-The American army was defeated near Baltimore by the British, under Col. A. Brook, the successor to Major-Gen. Ross, who was slain in a previous skirmish with the advanced posts. See BALTIMORE.

December 28.-Capt. Sir G. Collier of the Leander, in company with the Newcastle and Acasta, captured the celebrated privateer Prince de Neufchatel, hermaphrodite rigged, pierced for 22 guns, and having 18 mounted, with a crew of 130 men, under the command of Nicholas Millin, by birth a Frenchman, and one of supe rior professional skill and enterprize. This was declared to be one of the most complete vessels that her brave captors had ever seen. She sailed from Boston on the 21st of December. The activity of the captains of the Newcastle and Acasta cut off the chance of escape from this cruiser during a chase of ten hours, the wind blowing a hard gale. She had been chased during former cruizes by upwards of sixty different British ships of war, and frequently under their guns, nor did she bring to in the present instance, till the shot from the Leander and Newcastle were flying over her.

1815, January 15.-The following ships were stationed, under the direction of Capt. Hayes, by Rear-Adm. H. Hotham of the Superb, off the bar of New-York, for the purpose of intercepting a ship, brig, and other vessels ready for sea at Staten Island, should they venture out: viz. the Majestic, 74, John Hayes ; Tenedos, 38, Hyde Parker; Endymion, 40, Henry Hope; Pomone, 38, John R. Lumley. Sandy Hook bearing W. N. W. fifteen leagues, the ship and brig were discovered an hour before daylight, not more than two miles on the Majestic's weather-bow, and a general chase was made. In the course of the day, the chase became extremely interesting, by the endeavours of the enemy to escape, and the exertions of the captains to get up with him, the former cutting away his anchors, and throwing overboard every moveable article with great quantity of provisions, and the latter trimming their ships in every way possible to effect their purpose. The Endymion at length closed with the enemy, and commenced action at half an hour past five o'clock in the evening, which was continued with great gallantry

and

and spirit on both sides for two hours and a half, when the Endymion's sails being cut from the yards, the enemy got a-head; Capt. Hope taking this opportunity to bend new sails, to enable him to get his ship alongside again, the action ceased, till the Pomone getting up at half past eleven o'clock at night, and firing a few shots, the enemy hailed to say, she had already surrendered. She proved to be the President, Com. Decatur, and the vessel in company with her was the Macedonian brig, laden with provisions, which made her escape by very superior sailing. The Endymion had 11 killed and 14 wounded. The loss sustained by the President was not ascertained; but the number of persons of all descriptions on board previous to the action was about 490. The number and calibre of her guns were as follows:-main-deck, 30 long twenty-four-pounders; quarter-deck, 14 forty-two-pounder carronades, 1 long twenty-fourpounder, 1 twenty-four-pounder howitzer; forecastle, 6 forty-twopounder carronades, 1 long twenty-four-pounder; fore-top, 2 brass six-pounders; main-top, 2 brass six-pounders; mizen-top, 2 smaller guns total 59.

ANHOLT, a Danish island in the Cattegat, was taken, on the 18th May 1809, by a party of seamen and marines, under the command of Capt. Selby of the Owen Glendower, 36, assisted by Capt. E. Nicholls of the royal marines. The garrison, consisting of 170 men, surrendered at discretion. The acquisition of this island was of importance in furnishing supplies of water to the fleet, and affording a good anchorage to the trade in going to, or coming from, the Baltic. It was afterwards garrisoned by 350 men, commanded by Capt. Maurice the governor, and was attacked, on the 27th of March 18f1, by a formidable army of Danes, supported by a flotilla of eighteen heavy gun-boats and other armed vessels, containing in the whole 4000 men. After performing prodigies of valour, in a close combat which lasted four hours and a half, they received a most complete defeat, and fled back to their posts, with the loss of their commander, three other officers, 500 prisoners, and 3 pieces of cannon. The gallant conduct of Gov. Maurice, Major Torrens, senior officer of the royal marines, and the other officers and men composing the brave garrison, will command lasting admiration. Capts. Baker and Stewart, of the Tartar and Sheldrake, sloops, gave every support in their power to Capt. Maurice, and pursued in the most undaunted manner the gun-boats and armed vessels. Capt. Baker captured two transports, and Capt. Stewart two gun-boats, the prisoners on board of which amounted to 127 men; their commanders were lieutenants in the Danish army. This island was ceded to Denmark by the treaty of Kiel, January 14, 1814. ANECDOTES, NAVAL. Lord Howe, on the 1st June, observing a little boy in a dangerous situation, said to him-" You had better go below; you are too young to be of service here.""My Lord," replied the boy," what would my father say, if I was not to remain upon deck during action ?"

The following is Lord Nelson's Memorial, containing a statement of his services previous to a pension of one thousand pounds per annum granted him in 1798.

(COPY.)

"To the King's most excellent Majesty, the Memorial of Sir Horatio Nelson, K. B. and a Rear-Adm. in your Majesty's fleet. "That, during the present war, your memorialist has been in four actions with the fleets of the enemy, viz. on the 13th and 14th March

c 3