by booms, the Madison is moored across the large ship's sternwithin twenty yards, and her guns loaded with canister and bags of musket balls, to rake under the bottom if necessary. A lieuténant, two midshipmen and ten men, are on watch under the ship's bottom every night, besides a marine guard outside of her. With all these precautions, I think that it would be impossible for an enemy to land near the ship yard unobserved. However, after this discovery of the enemy's intentions, we shall redouble our vigilance and exertions to preserve our fleet to meet the enemy fairly upon the Lake. Honourable W. Jones. SIR, I have the honour to be, &c. ISAAC CHAUNCEY. UNITED STATES' SHIP ADAMS, April 29th, 1814. Having passed the enemy in Lynhaven, on the night of the 18th of January last, I steered to the southward of Bermuda, and crossed the Atlantic, between 28 and 32 degrees, north latitude. On the 29th January, captured an English schooner from Malaga to Halifax, with a cargo of wine, oil and fruit, which we burnt, as we likewise did another schooner from Newfoundland to Grenada, with a cargo of fish and oil, captured on the 9th February. On the 4th March, captured a small sloop boat under Cape Mount, on the coast of Africa, with a little rice and Camwood on board; twenty leagues east of Cape Palmas, we captured on the 11th March, the brig Roebuck, of London, with a small quantity of ivory, a quantity of palm oil, and various other articles. After destroying her armament and cargo, we paroled our prisoners, and gave them the brig as a cartel to Sierra Leone. After a long chase on the 25th March, the last four hours of which was in thick weather, we captured the English India ship Woodbridge, with a cargo of rice and dye-woods, but had scarcely taken possession of her, when the weather cleared up, and we discovered a fleet of 25 sail immediately to windward of us, and two ships of war standing for us; we were compelled to abandon the prize with precipitation, and attend to our own safety, till 11 A. M. the next day, when they gave over the chase and returned to the fleet. I inclose the paroles signed by the prisoners. Honourable William Jones, SIR, I have the honour to be, &c. C. MORRIS. UNITED STATES' SLOOP PEACOCK, AT SEA, I have the honour to inform you, that we have this morning captured, after an action of 42 minutes, his majesty's brig Eper vier, captain Wales, rating and mounting 18 thirty-two pound carronades, with 128 men, of whom 8 were killed and 15 wounded, according to the best information we could obtain. Among the latter is her first lieutenant, who has lost an arm, and received a severe splinter wound on the hip. Not a man in the Peacock was killed, and only two wounded, neither dangerously so. The fate of the Epervier would have been determined in much less time, but for the circumstance of our fore yard being totally disabled by two round shot in the starboard quarter from her first broadside, which entirely deprived us of the use of our fore and fore-top sails and compelled us to keep the ship large throughout the remainder of the action. This, with a few top-mast and top-gallant back stays cut away, a few shot through our sails, is the only injury the Peacock has sustained. Not a round shot touched our hull; our masts and spars are as sound as ever. When the enemy struck he had five feet water in his hold, his main top-mast was over the side, his main boom shot away, his fore-mast cut nearly in two and tottering, his fore rigging and stays shot away, his bowsprit badly wounded, and forty-five shot holes in his hull, twenty of which were within a foot of his water line. By great exertion we got her in sailing order just as dark came on. In fifteen minutes after the enemy struck, the Peacock was ready for another action, in every respect but her fore yard, which was sent down, finished and had the foresail set again in forty five minutes such was the spirit and activity of our gallant crew. The Epervier had under her convoy an English hermaphrodite brig, a Russian and a Spanish ship, which all hauled their wind and stood to the east north-east. I had determined upon pursuing the former, but found that it would not answer to leave our prize in her then crippled state, and the more particularly so, as we found she had in 120,000 dollars in specie, which we soon transferred to this sloop. Every officer, seaman and marine did his duty, which is the highest compliment I can pay them. I am, respectfully, Honourable William Jones. L. WARRINGTON. SIR, SAVANNAH, May 1st, 1814. I have the honour of informing you of my arrival here in late his Britannic majesty's brig Epervier, of eighteen 32 pound carronades, captain Wales, captured by the sloop Peacock, captain Warrington, on Friday morning, the 29th ultimo, off cape Carnaveral, after an action of forty-two minutes, in which time she was much cut up in hull, spars, rigging and sails, with upwards of five feet water in her hold, having the advantage of the weather gage She has lost 8 killed and 15 wounded, among the latter her first lieutenant, who has lost his arm. I am happy to say the Peacock received no material injury: her fore yard and two men slightly wounded; she received not one shot in her hull. The brig had upwards of one hundred thousand dollars on board. I have the honour to be, &c. Honourable William Jones. JOHN B. NICOLSON. UNITED STATES' SHIP GENERAL PIKE, SACKETT'S HARBOR, May 1st, 1814, SIR, I am happy to have it in my power to inform you, that the United States' ship" Superior" was launched this morning, without accident. The Superior is an uncommon beautiful, well-built ship, something larger than the President, and could mount 64 guns, if it was thought advisable to put as many upon her. This ship has been built in the short space of eighty days, and when it is taken into view, that two brigs of 500 tons each, have also been built, rigged, and completely fitted for service, since the first of February, it will be acknowledged, that the mechanics employed on this station have done their duty. Honourable William Jones. I have the honour to be, &c. ISAAC CHAUNCEY. SIR. UNITED STATES' SLOOP PEACOCK, May 5th, 1814. As my letter of yesterday was too late for the mail, I address you again in the performance of a duty which is pleasing and gratifying to me in a high degree, and is but doing justice to the merits of the deserving officers under my command, of whom I have hitherto refrained from speaking, as I considered it most correct to make it a subject of a particular communication. To the unwearied and indefatigable attention of first lieutenant Nicolson in organizing and training the crew, the success of this action is in a great measure to be attributed. I have confided greatly in him, and have never found my confidence misplaced. For judgment, coolness, and decision in times of difficulty, few can surpass him. This is the second action in which he has been engaged this war, and in both he has been successful. His great pride is to earn a commander's commission, by fighting for, instead of heiring it. From second lieutenant Henley, and lieutenant Voorhees (actting third, who has also twice been successfully engaged) I received every assistance that zeal, ardor and experience could afford. The fire from their two divisions was terrible, and directed with the greatest precision and coolness. In sailing master Percival, whose great wish and pride is to obtain a lieutenant's commission, and whose unremitting and constant attention to duty, added to his professional knowledge, entitle him to it in my opinion, I found an able as well as willing assistant. He handled the ship as if he had been working her into a roadstead. Mr. David Cole, acting carpenter, I have also found such an able and valuable man in his occupation, that I must request, in the most earnest manner, that he may receive a warrant: for I feel confident that to his uncommon exertions, we, in a great measure, owe the getting our prize into port. From 11 A. M. to 6 P. M. he was over her side stopping shot holes, on a grating, and when the ordinary resources failed of success, his skill soon supplied him with efficient ones. Mr. Philip Myers, master's mate, has also conducted himself in such a manner as to warrant my recommendation of him as a master. He is a seaman, navigator, and officer; his family in New York is respectable, and he would prove an acquisition to the service. My clerk, Mr. John S. Townsend, is anxious to obtain, through my means, a midshipman's warrant, and has taken pains to qualify himself for it, by volunteering and constantly performing a midshipman's duty. Indeed i have but little use for a clerk, and he is as great a proficient as any of the young midshipmen, the whole of whom behaved in a manner that was pleasing to me, and must be gratifying to you, as it gives an earnest of what they will make in time; three only have been to sea before, and one only in a man of war; yet they are as much at home, and as much disposed to exert themselves, as any officer of the ship. Lieutenant Nicolson speaks in high terms of the conduct of Messrs. Greeves and Rodgers (midshipmen) who were in the prize with him, Honourable William Jones. I have the honour to be, &c, L. WARRINGTON, Extract of a letter from Commodore Chauncey to the Secretary of the Navy. UNITED STATES' SHIP GENERAL PIKE, SACKETT'S HARBOR, May 7th, 1814. "I received a letter from captain Woolsey last evening, dated at 6 o'clock P. M. on the 5th instant. The enemy had been cannonading Oswego about three hours when the express came away, without doing any injury. He had been twice repulsed in his attempt to land, and the officers and men in high spirits, and expected to be able to hold out until reinforcements arrived, Colonel Mitchell and captain Woolsey are both excellent officers, and I may say, without disparagement to any other corps, that the 3d regiment of artillery is one of the best disciplined corps in the army, and is remarkable for the great number of scientific and correct officers in it-we therefore may expect a most gallant defence of Oswego. If the enemy has succeeded in taking the place, he has paid dearly for it. The attack, I presume, was renewed yesterday morning, as the guns we heard distinctly at this place from morning until about 2 P. M. when the firing ceased." UNITED STATES' SHIP GENERAL PIKE, SACKETT'S HARBOR, May 7th, 5 o'clock P. M. 1814. SIR, The enemy's fleet passed in sight about an hour since, at a great distance, and standing for Kingston. We have several vague reports, that the enemy landed from 1500 to 3000 men, and that they carried the fort at Oswego by storm and put the garrison to the sword; others, that the garrison, with captain Woolsey and seamen, surrendered, and that the enemy was marching to the falls. All these reports are unquestionably much exaggerated, and if it should turn out that Oswego has been taken, it will be found that the troops and seamen did their duty, and that the enemy has paid dearly for the place. I have the honour to be, &c. Honourable W. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. ISAAC CHAUNCEY. GENERAL ORDERS. HEAD QUARTERS, SACKETT'S HARBOR, May 12th, 1814. Major general Brown has the satisfaction of announcing to the troops of his division, that the detachment under the command of lieutenant colonel Mitchell, of the corps of artillery, have, by their gallant and military conduct on the 5th and 6th instant, gained a name in arms worthy of the nation they serve and the cause they support. For nearly two days they maintained an unequal con test against ten times their numbers, and but yielded their post when the interest of their country made that measure necessary. The companies composing this gallant detachment were Boyle's, Romayne's, M'Intires, and Pierce's, of the heavy artillery, and a few seamen under the command of lieutenant Pearce of the navy-in all, less than three hundred men. The enemy's force by land and water exceeded three thousand. SIR. HEAD QUARTERS, SACKETT'S HARBOR, May 12th, 1814 Enclosed is an abstract from the report of lieutenant colonel Mitchell, of the affair at Oswego. Being well satisfied with the |