which have been borne to their worth by the unflattering tongue of those who have suffered by their enterprize*.

2. A few days previous to the declaration of war the frigates United States and Congress, and the brig Argus, received orders to rendezvous off Sandy Hook. On their arrival there on the 21st of June, they were joined by the brig Hornet and the President, from New York, and the same day commodore Rodgers, who commanded the squadron, having received official intelligence of the declaration of war, they put to sea in search of a British convoy which had sailed from Jamaica in the preceding month. The following night information was received of the convoy from an American brig, which had passed them four days before, and the squadron crowded sail in pursuit.

• We are favoured with the following anecdote by a gentleman who was present when the circumstance related took place, he having been captured by the British squadron in a merchant vessel which sailed from England before the knowledge of the war.

In July, 1812, the privateer Dolphin, captain Endicot, of Salem, was captured by a British squadron under commodore Broke, and the captain and crew were put on board the Eolus, lord James Townshend. Endicot, during the short space of time that had elapsed from the declaration of war to his capture, had taken fifteen vessels, and by his enterprize, activity, and courage, had excited a considerable degree of asperity against him in the minds of the officers of the squadron, who had almost daily heard of his exploits. On the arrival of the crew on board the Eolus, they were treated with much haughtiness, and suffered some indignities. Captain Endicot, in particular, was treated with such haughty reserve, that for several days not a word was exchanged with

him.

This treatment, however, was but of short duration. On board the Dolphin the British found more of their own countrymen prisoners than there were men in the privateer, and on examining them, they were equally surprised and mortified to hear the conduct of the Americans spoken of in the highest terms of approbation, to find that every thing had been done to render their situation comfortable, and that all on board had shared equally in every luxury that the vessel afforded. It was also discovered, that in a former cruize Endicot had captured off Nova Scotia a vessel in which there was an old woman passenger, who had 800 in cash on board, and who appeared in great distress at the prospect of losing her property. Endicot had with difficulty soothed her, as she could hardly be persuaded that her little all was not irrecoverably gone. The crew, on hearing of the woman's fears, unanimously declared that not a cent of it should be touched. In the warmth of her gratitude for this liberality, she made the circumstance publicly known through the newspapers on her arrival in the United States.

The British officers, ashamed now of their past conduct, and mortified at be. ing outdone in magnanimity by a privateersman, changed their conduct towards Endicot, and invited him to mess in the gun-room, where his frank, manly be. haviour quickly secured him their highest respect. In speaking of privateers, he remarked to the British officers, that they were under the same regulations as national vessels, and that American privateering naturally differed from that of other nations, as it was generally considered in the United States as a national mode of carrying on the war, and hastening peace, by operating on the enemy in her most vulnerable point.

§ 3. Next morning, however, their course was altered by the appearance of the British frigate Belvidera, to which they immediately gave chase. The pursuit continued from six in the morning until past four in the afternoon, when the commodore's ship, the President, having got within gun-shot, commenced a fire with the bow chase guns, at the spars and rigging of the Belvidera, in hopes of crippling the one or the other so far as to enable them to get along side. The Belvidera returned the fire of the President with her stern guns, and the firing was kept up without intermission for about ten minutes, when one of the President's chase guns burst, by which unfortunate accident sixteen men were killed and wounded; among the wounded was commodore Rodgers, who had his leg fractured. By the bursting of the gun, and the explosion of the passing box, from which it was served with powder, both the main and forecastle decks were so much shattered as to prevent the use of a chase gun on that side for some time. Orders were therefore given to veer the ship, and a broadside was fired, in the hope of disabling the spars of the enemy. This, however, did not succeed; but considerable damage was done to the rigging and the stern. The utmost exertion was now used on board the President, by wetting the sails, &c. to gain ground of her opponent, but without success. A constant firing was kept up on both sides, the President at times giving broadsides, until about seven o'clock, when the Belvidera, having cut away her anchors, started a number of water casks, and thrown overboard her boats and every thing that could be spared, began to gain ground, and to get out of the reach of the President's shot. The chase, however, was continued with all the sail our squadron could set, until about half past eleven, when it was given up as hopeless. Considerable injury was done to both vessels in this action. One of the first shots fired by the President killed one man and wounded six; the captain was severely wounded in the thigh by the breaking of the breeching of a carronade. On board the President there were three killed and nineteen wounded, the greater part by the bursting of the gun.

The squadron now resumed their course in pursuit of the convoy from Jamaica, but did not receive further intelligence of it until the 29th of June, when an American schooner was spoken on the western edge of the banks of Newfoundland, that had passed them two days before. On the 1st of July they fell in with quantities of cocoa-nut shells, orange peels, &c. which indicated that the convoy were not far distant. On the 9th they captured the British privateer Dolphin, which had passed the convoy the preceding evening. The pursuit was continued,

but without success, until the 13th, the squadron being then within eighteen or twenty hours sail of the British channel.

From this they steered for the island of Madeira, and thence passing the Azores stood for Newfoundland, and from the latter place by the way of Cape Sable to Boston, where they arrived' on the 31st of August.

During a great part of this cruize the weather was such as to obscure every distant object: for several days the fog was so thick as to prevent the vessels of the squadron from seeing each other, even at cable's length asunder; in consequence of which, although they chased every vessel they saw, and brought to every thing they chased, with the exception of four vessels, they made only seven captures and one recapture. The cruize,

however, was not barren of benefit to the country, as the knowledge of the squadron's being at sea obliged the enemy to concentrate a considerable portion of his most active force, and thereby prevented his capturing a large amount of American property that would otherwise have fallen a sacrifice. The vessels that escaped were, the Belvidera, another British frigate, by night, and two American privateers.

4. The Constitution frigate, under the command of captain Hull, had received orders to join the squadron, and for that purpose sailed from Annapolis on the 5th of July. On the 17th, off Egg Harbour, four ships, apparently of war, were discovered from the mast-head to the northward, and in shore of the Constitution, and, in the belief that it was the American squadron waiting her arrival, all sail was made in chase of them. At four in the afternoon another ship was seen from the mast-head, to the north-east, standing for the Constitution with all sail set, the wind at this time being very light, which course she continued till sun-set, but was still too far off to distinguish signals. At ten in the evening, being then within six or eight miles of the strange sail, the private signal was made by the Constitution, and kept up nearly an hour; it not being answered, it was concluded that she and the ships in shore were enemy's vessels. Captain Hull immediately laid his vessel in the same course with the others, having determined to lie off till day-light to see what they were.

Next morning, about day-light, two frigates were seen from the Constitution, under her lee, one frigate four or five miles, and a line of battle ship, a frigate, a brig, and a schooner ten or twelve miles directly astern, all in chase, and coming up fast, they having a fine breeze, and it being nearly calm where the Constitution was. After sunrise, finding there was but little chance for escape, being then within five miles of three heavy

frigates, the Constitution was cleared for action, and two guns were run out at the cabin windows, and two at the ports on the quarter deck. At eight, four of the ships were nearly within gun-shot, some of them having six or eight boats ahead towing, with all their oars and sweeps out.

In this perilous situation, a new expedient was determined on, which was the happy means of saving the vessel. Being in only twenty-four fathoms water, boats were sent out ahead with anchors, and the ship warped up to them, by which they soon began to get ahead of the enemy. They, however, adopted the same plan, and all the boats from the furthermost ships were sent to assist those nearest. For two days and nights were they chased by the squadron, sometimes with light winds, at others warping and towing in a calm, seldom much beyond gun-shot distance. On the morning of the 20th only three of the squadron could be seen from the mast-head, the nearest about 12 miles distant, directly astern. Having now a light breeze, all hands were employed in wetting the sails from the royals down, and the enemy was soon left far behind. The Constitution, not being able to find the United States squadron, now bore away for Boston, where she shortly after arrived.

§ 5. On the 2d of September the Constitution again put to sea, and on the 19th a vessel was discovered and chased, which at half-pást 3, P. M. was made out to be a frigate. The ship was immediately cleared for action, and the chase, which proved to be the Guerriere, backed her main top-sail, waiting for her to come down. As soon as the Constitution was ready she bore down, with the intention of immediately coming to close action; but, on approaching within gun-shot, the Guerriere gave a broadside, and filled away and wore, giving a broadside on the other tack, but without effect, her shot falling short. Both vessels continued to manœuvre for three quarters of an hour, the Guerriere for the purpose of gaining a raking position, the Constitution for the purpose of closing and avoiding being raked. At last they closed and kept up a heavy fire for sixteen minutes, when the mizen-mast of the Guerriere fell overboard, and brought the ship up in the wind, which enabled the Constitution to take a raking position, and to sweep her enemy's deck by her grape-shot and musquetry. The fire was kept up with equal warmth for fifteen minutes longer, when, by the falling of the Guerriere's main and fore-mast, she became an unmanageable wreck. On seeing this the Constitution ceased firing, but shortly after, perceiving the colours still flying, she took a raking position within pistol shot, when they were immediately hauled down.

12. On the morning of the 8th of October, two armed British vessels, the brig Detroit, late the United States brig Adams, and the brig Caledonia, came down the lake from Malden, and anchored under the guns of fort Erie, which is situated nearly opposite, and within a few miles of Black Rock, on the Niagara, near where it leaves the lake. Elliot instantly determined to make an attack, and if possible get possession of them; and accordingly despatched an express to hasten the arrival of some sailors who were hourly expected. The sailors arrived about 12 o'clock, 50 in number. Though wearied with a march of 500 miles, they were only allowed till midnight to refresh themselves, when, being reinforced by 50 of the regular land forces, they put off from the mouth of Buffaloe creek in two boats, with lieutenant Elliot at their head. Having rowed into the lake above the vessels, they drifted down with the current, till they were hailed by a centinel on board one of them, when they instantly sprang to their oars, and, closing in upon the vessels, they jumped on board, drove the British below, and in ten minutes from their getting along side, the prisoners were all secured, the topsails sheeted home, and the vessels under way. Unfortunately the wind was not sufficiently strong to carry them up against a strong current into the lake, and both ran aground. The Caledonia, however, was beached under the protection of one of the batteries at Black Rock, but the Detroit lay near the head of an island in the middle of Niagara river, exposed to the batteries and flying artillery of the enemy. The Americans returned their fire from the Detroit; but finding they could not bring the guns to bear with advantage, the prisoners were all got on shore, and the brig was deserted. In the course of the day several unsuccessful attempts were made by the British to board and destroy the military stores in the Detroit; but a considerable portion of them was secured by the Americans, after which she was set on fire and abandoned.

The Caledonia belonged to the N. W. Company, and was loaded with peltry, which was estimated at 150,000 dollars. The Detroit was a government vessel, which was captured at Detroit. She was laden with military stores, and had on board sixty men and thirty American prisoners. She mounted six guns. The Caledonia mounted two guns, and she had 12 men, and 10 prisoners on board. The loss of the Americans in this gallant exploit was only two killed and four wounded.

§13. The force stationed on the Niagara frontier consisted of about 5000 men, of whom the majority were militia, under the command of general Van Rensselaer. The ardour of the troops having been very much excited by the successful issue of