spot, and two survived but a few days. The moment the firing was heard, the detachment was ordered to charge, and the Indians were completely defeated in 15 minutes, many dropping their guns, and all running off without attempting to rally. Four of them were left dead on the field. The detachment lay on the battle ground all night, and next day marched five miles, when they again threw up breast-works between two ponds, living upon gophers, alligators, and palmetto stocks, until the arrival of the provisions and horses, when they were enabled to proceed to St. John's. The number of Indians in the first engagement was from 75 to 100. In the second engagement their number (including negroes, who are their best soldiers) was double that of the Americans; and in the third engagement there appeared to be 50, which was nearly equal to their force, after deducting the sick and wounded. The number of killed and wounded among the Indians must have been at least fifty.

Another expedition of volunteers was sent against those Indians from the state of Tennessee in the month of February, 1813, by whom they were defeated in three engagements, and 38 killed, a number wounded, and seven taken prisoners. The detachment then burnt their settlements to the number of 386 houses, destroyed several thousand bushels of corn, and took 400 horses, and about the same number of cattle. The Indians entirely disappeared before the detachment left the settlement. In the three engagements the Americans lost only one killed and seven wounded.

We have never seen the real value of the militia, and at the same time their total inadequacy in their present state, more strikingly exemplified than in the official narratives of those Indian expeditions. The materiel, the stamina of the militia, cannot be surpassed; but as to all other military requisites they are totally worthless. When we see them encountering fatigue, cold, and hunger, without a murmur, and displaying in battle the most undaunted bravery and resolution, we cannot but lament that all those valuable qualities should be rendered of none effect by the total want of subordination and discipline, without which zeal, numbers, and courage avail nothing.

It rests with the national legislature to apply the remedy to this evil. The constitution has clothed them with the power, and it is to be hoped they will no longer refuse to make use of it. The system ought either to be abolished altogether, as a most extravagant waste of time or money, or it ought to be made (and it is surely capable of being made so) a powerful and certain means of national defence, by a proper system of national instruction.

CHAPTER IV.

51. The Bonne Citoyenne challenged. § 2. Capture and destruction of the Java. § 3. Capture and destruction of the Peacock. 4. Cruise of the Chesapeake. § 5. Captured by the Shannon. § 6. Capture of the Argus. 7. Capture of the Boxer. § 8. Cruise of the President and Congress. 9. Cruise of the Essex. § 10. Loss of national vessels. § 11. American privateers. §12. The Rolla. § 13. The Comet. §14. The General Armstrong. § 15. The Decatur.

1. On the arrival of the Constitution frigate at Boston, after the capture of the Guerriere, captain Hull received permission to remain on shore for the settlement of his affairs, and commodore Bainbridge was appointed to command in his room. After undergoing the necessary repairs, she sailed on a cruize to the East Indies, towards the end of October, accompanied by the Hornet sloop of war, commanded by captain Lawrence; but in running down the coast of the Brazils, they found the Bonne Citoyenne, a British ship of war, loaded with specie, lying in the port of St. Salvador. The Bonne Citoyenne was a larger vessel, and had a greater force both in guns and men than the Hornet; but so eager was captain Lawrence to engage her, that he sent, through the American consul at St. Salvador, a challenge to her commander, captain Greene, pledging his honour that neither the Constitution, nor any other American vessel, should interfere. This pledge was confirmed by commodore Bainbridge, who, to show his sincerity, left the Hornet before St. Salvador, and sailed on another cruize. The commander of the Bonne Citoyenne, however, did not see fit to accept of the challenge, but suffered himself to be blockaded by the Hornet.

§ 2. On the 29th of December, a few days after leaving St. Salvador, about ten leagues from the coast of Brazil, at nine in the morning, Bainbridge discovered two strange sail, one of which stood in for the land, the other off shore towards the Constitution. At half past eleven, the private signal for the day being made, and not answered, it was concluded she was an enemy. The American ensign was hoisted at twelve, and shortly after the enemy hoisted her colours. About half past one, the vessel being perceived to be a British frigate, Bainbridge tacked ship, and stood towards her, when she immediately bore down with the intention of raking, which was avoid

ed by wearing. At two, the enemy being then within a half a mile of the Constitution, and to windward, and having hauled down her colours except the union, Bainbridge ordered a gun to be fired ahead of her to make her show her colours, which was followed by a broadside; on which the enemy hoisted her colours, and immediately returned the fire.

A general action now commenced with round and grape-shot, the British frigate keeping at a much greater distance than the commodore wished, but he could not bring her to closer action without exposing his ship to being raked. A number of manœuvres were now made by both vessels to obtain a raking position, during which the wheel of the Constitution was shot entirely away. Bainbridge now determined to close with the enemy, notwithstanding the danger of being raked, and accordingly set the fore and mainsail, and luffed up close to her.

About 4 o'clock, the fire of the enemy being completely silenced, and her colours in the main rigging being down, it was supposed she had struck, and the Constitution shot ahead to repair the rigging, leaving the enemy a complete wreck. It was shortly after, however, discovered that the colours were still flying; and accordingly, after repairing some of the damage, the Constitution took a position across the enemy's bows, in order to rake her, but this she prudently avoided by striking her flag.

Bainbridge now sent his first lieutenant on board the prize, which proved to be the Java, a frigate of the same rate as the Guerriere and Macedonian, but with a much larger complement of men, having had upwards of 400 on board at the commencement of the action, 100 of them being supernumeraries intended for the British ships of war in the East Indies. There was also on board lieutenant-general Hislop, appointed to the command of Bombay, major Walker and captain Wood of his staff, and captain Marshall, master and commander in the British navy, going to the East Indies to take command of a sloop of war there. The commander was captain Lambert, a very distinguished officer, who was mortally wounded in the action.

The action lasted an hour and fifty-five minutes, in which time the Java was completely dismasted, not having a spar of any kind standing. She had been fitted out in the most complete manner, and had copper on board for a 74 and two brigs building at Bombay; but the great distance from our coast, and the disabled state of the vessel, forbidding every idea of attempting to take her to the United States, after removing the prisoners and their baggage, she was set on fire, and soon after blew up.

The loss on board the Constitution was 9 killed and 25 wounded. The loss on board the Java could not be exactly ascertained, as the officers were extremely cautious in speaking of the number of her crew. Commodore Bainbridge states it at 60 killed and 101 wounded certainly; by a letter written on board the Constitution by one of the officers of the Java, and accidentally found, the number was stated to be 60 killed and 170 wounded.

After blowing up the Java, Bainbridge returned to St. Salvador, where he landed all the prisoners on their parole, to the number of 361, exclusive of nine Portuguese seamen, who were liberated and given up to the governor of St. Salvador, and three passengers, private characters, whom the commodore did not consider prisoners of war.

On account of the destruction of the boats of both vessels in the action, nothing was taken from on board the Java except the prisoners and their baggage, the whole of which was given up to them. Among other valuable articles given up was a chest of plate, which had been presented to general Hislop by the colony of Demarara. Commodore Bainbridge received the public acknowledgments of the governor of St. Salvador, as well as of his prisoners, for the kind treatment and beneficence which he displayed on this occasion.

The Constitution again left St. Salvador on the 6th of January, and arrived at Boston about the middle of February.

3. Meanwhile the Hornet blockaded the Bonne Citoyenne, until the 24th of January, when the Montague, a 74 gun ship, hove in sight and chased her into the harbour; but night coming on, she wore and stood out to the southward. Knowing that she had left Rio Janeiro for the express purpose of relieving the Bonne Citoyenne and the packet which Lawrence had also blockaded for 14 days, and obliged her to send her mail to Rio Janeiro in a Portuguese smack, he judged it most prudent to shift his cruising ground, and accordingly shaped his course towards Pernambuco. On the 4th of February he captured the English brig Resolution, of 10 guns, laden with provisions and about $23,000 in specie; but as she sailed dull, and he could not spare hands to man her, he took out the money and crew, and set her on fire. He then ran down the coast for Moranham, and cruised there a short time, and thence ran off Surinam. After cruising off that coast from the 15th to the 22d of February, without meeting a vessel, he stood for Demarara. Next morning he discovered a brig to leeward, which he chased so near the shore that he was obliged to haul off for want of a pilot. Previous to giving up the chase, however, he discovered a vessel at anchor

without the bar of Demarara river, with the English colours fying, apparently a brig of war. In beating around Carabona bank, in order to get at her, at half past three in the afternoon, he discovered another sail on his weather quarter, edging down for him. At 20 minutes past 4 she hoisted English colours, when she was discovered to be a large man of war brig. The Hornet was immediately cleared for action, and kept close to the wind, in order, if possible, to get the weather guage. At 5 minutes

past 10, finding he could weather the enemy, Lawrence hoisted American colours, tacked, and shortly after exchanged broadsides with the British ship, within half pistol shot. Observing the enemy in the act of wearing, Lawrence now bore up, received his starboard broadside, ran him close on board on the starboard quarter, and kept up such a heavy and well directed fire, that in less than 15 minutes the British struck their colours, and hoisted an ensign, union down, from their fore rigging, as a signal of distress.

Lieutenant Shubrick* was immediately sent on board the prize, which proved to be the British brig Peacock, commanded by captain William Peake, who fell in the latter part of the action. Shubrick, on getting on board, found that a number of her crew were killed and wounded, and that she was sinking fast, being literally cut to pieces, and having six feet water in her hold. Both vessels were immediately brought to anchor, and the Hornet's boats despatched to bring off the wounded; but although her guns were thrown overboard, the shot holes that could be got at plugged, and every exertion made by pumping and bailing to keep her afloat until the prisoners could be removed, all proved ineffectual, and she sunk in five and a half fathoms water, carrying down 13 of her crew, and three sailors belonging to the Hornet, who were nobly risking their lives for the safety of the vanquished foe. A lieutenant and other officers and men of the Hornet employed in removing the prisoners, with difficulty saved themselves, by jumping into a boat that was lying on her booms as she went down. Four of the 13 of the crew of the Peacock, mentioned as being in her when she went down, were so fortunate as to gain the fore-top, and were afterwards taken off by the boats. Previous to her going down, four of her men took to her stern boat, that had been much damaged during the action, and it is hoped reached the shore in safety; but from the heavy sea running at the time, the shattered state of the boat, and the difficulty of landing on the coast, it is more than probable that they were lost.

* Lieutenant Shubrick has had the good fortune to be in the actions with the Guerriere, Java, and Peacock.