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We may notice in passing, that, on the 13th of August, off the Grand Bank, the Essex, thirty-two, Captain Porter, fell in with the British sloop-of-war the Alert, of twenty guns. The Alert began the attack, but when the Essex opened upon her, in eight minutes she struck, apparently in a panic at mistaking the Essex for a merchantman. This was the first vessel taken from the English in the present war.

On the 19th of August, only three days after the disgrace at Detroit, Captain Hull, in the Constitution, brought unequalled glory upon that name which his uncle had rendered a bye-word in the United States, and proved to the world what the American navy was capable of performing in a fair 1812. fight with their haughty enemy. In the afternoon of the 19th, the Constitution discovered and gave chase to a large English frigate, the Guerriere, thirty-eight, Captain Dacres, who had been extremely desirous of meeting with an American ship of war, and did not doubt that he would obtain an easy victory. Captain Hull gave strict orders not to return the enemy's fire, until they were so near that every shot was certain to take effect. When in the position he desired, Hull opened upon the Guerriere, with broadside following broadside, very rapidly and with tremendous force. In half an hour's time, the Guerriere was little better than a wreck, and Captain Dacres, having lost over a hundred men in killed and wounded, surrendered to the victorious Hull. The loss of the Constitution was only seven killed and seven wounded. As it was impossible to get

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the Guerriere into port, she was set fire to, and blew up in fifteen minutes.

The exultation caused by this victory was unbounded, and Hull and his gal lant crew were greeted with enthusiasm wherever they appeared. Congress, beside a vote of thanks, presented him and his men with $50,000 as a compensation for the loss of the prize.* In England the astonishment which was caused by the news of this battle was indescribable, and mortification and shame fell justly upon those who had boasted so loudly and insolently of their invinci bility on the ocean. Every possible reason was searched for to account for Dacres' defeat. The Constitution was said to be a seventy-four in disguise, to have a picked crew of British seamen, and the like. The truth is, beyond doubt, that she was a somewhat larger and heavier ship than the Guerriere, and that the latter had not a full crew; but after making all the allowances which can be claimed, it was felt then, and truly felt, that the invincibility of the British on the ocean was now destroyed. The United States henceforth were to take their place amongst the foremost maritime powers of the world, and the stars and stripes were now to

*"It is not easy," says Mr. Cooper, "at this distant day, to convey to the reader the full force of the moral impression created in America by this victory of one frigate over another. So deep had been the effect produced on the public mind by the constant accounts of the successes of the English over their enemies at sea, that the opinion, already mentioned of their invincibility on that element, generally prevailed; and it had been publicly predicted, that before the contest had continued six months, British sloops-of-war would lie alongside of American frigates with comparative impu. nity."-"Naval History,” vol. ii., p. 56.

become known and recognized as floating proudly over vessels not inferior to those of England or any other people who "go down to the sea in ships, and do their business in the great waters." Other victories followed that of Hull in the Constitution. On the night of the 16th of October, the British sloopof-war Frolic, eighteen, convoying six merchant ships, fell in with the United States sloop-of-war Wasp, eighteen, Captain Jones. The engagement which ensued was fierce and bloody. The Wasp was much injured in her spars and rigging, but on boarding the Frolic found the deck covered with only the

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dead and wounded. Thirty were killed and fifty wounded. The Wasp had only five killed and five wounded. Lieutenant Biddle lowered the English flag with his own hands, after a contest of forty-three minutes' duration. Both the Frolic and Wasp were, however, taken, a few hours later, by the Poictiers, a seventy-four. On Captain Jones's return to the United States, he was warmly applauded, and Congress voted him and his crew $25,000.

This victory caused greater exultation in the United States than others of more intrinsic importance, because the force on both sides was more nearly equal; and the credit of the success, in consequence, the greater. It did undoubtedly very effectually dissipate the notion of British invincibility at sea; but the most valuable result, perhaps, was the testimony afforded to the superiority of cool and scientific gunnery in naval combat. Sea-fights had been for the most part decided by mere animal courage and brute force. The only sci

ence shown had been in the handling of the ships, and the manoeuvring of the fleets. Our naval officers, not neg lecting this department of strategics, took aim when they discharged their guns, and brought these engagements to a speedy decision by not aimlessly squandering their shot. No amount of courage, backed mostly by noise and smoke, and artillery badly aimed, or not aimed at all, is no more,-could stand against the heavy metal, flying true to its mark, of the American guns. The lesson thus terribly impressed upon the British, we are assured by an English writer, was not thrown away.

Little more than a week later, Commodore Decatur had an opportunity of adding to his well-deserved laurels. He was now in command of the frigate United States, forty-four, and having captured, a few days before, the British packet, Swallow, with a large amount of specie, fell in, on the 25th of October, with the Macedonian, rated at thirty-eight, but carrying forty-nine. A combat at once commenced, the vessels passing and repassing each other for about an hour, when the mizen-mast of the British frigate fell, and the vessel became almost unmanageable, from the fearful injuries she had received. The superior gunnery of the United States told fearfully against her antag onist, and the larger number of her crew gave her the advantage in manoeuvring. At this period, the United States stood athwart the bows of the Macedonian, and passed out of shot without firing a gun; her antagonist's crew, supposing she had given up the fight, set a union-jack

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and

CH. VIII.]

in the main-rigging, and gave three cheers. But it was only to refill her cartridges, and she soon came back, and took up a raking position across the stern of her defenceless foe;-whereupon the Macedonian struck. She had thirty-six killed and sixty-eight wounded, and had received nearly a hundred shot in her hull; whilst the United States had lost but twelve killed and wounded, and suffered surprisingly little, considering the length of the cannonade. The prize was brought into New London, early in December, and added not a little to the joy and pride | of the nation in their gallant navy.

The Argus, sixteen, under Captain Sinclair, which had set out on a cruise, at the same time as the United States, was very successful in making prizes; chased for three days and as many moonlight nights, by a squadron of the enemy; and not only escaped, but actually took and manned a prize during the chase!

One more naval victory belongs to the record of this year. The Constitution, (Captain Hull having given place to Commodore Bainbridge,) on December the 28th, met with the Java, thirtyeight, and maintained with her for about forty minutes a contest, in which seamanship as much as gunnery or courage was conspicuous. The English captain then resolved to attempt to board his antagonist, and ran down on the Constitution's quarter for that purpose. But before this could be accomplished, the foremast fell with a tremendous crash, the main-topmast came down, the head of the bowsprit was shot away, and the captain

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fell, mortally wounded. Lieutenant Chads, who took the command, carried on the fight; but after the Americar commodore had passed out of the com bat, for the purpose of refitting, and returned, he found his vessel a com plete wreck, and struck. Finding it impossible to save their prize, after removing the crew, the Java was blown up. A hundred and twenty-four, killed and wounded, were said by the British to have been lost on board the Java; but Bainbridge reckoned their loss as much higher. Thirty-four alone suffered, in both ways, on board the Constitution. The Java had been literally picked to pieces by the fire of the Constitution, spar following spar until there was not one left; while, strange to tell, the American frigate did not lose a single spar. Commodore Bainbridge, landing his prisoners on parole, at San Salvador, left for home, and arrived at Boston on the 27th of February,

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During the autumn of this year, the lakes were witnesses of the gallantry of the small force which our country at the time possessed; and it soon became evident, that important results would depend upon proper preparation to meet the enemy there. Captain Isaac Chauncey was actively engaged in this work for forwarding his country's interests, and captured a schooner with $12,000 in specie on board.

Turning our attention again to operations on the land, we find them carried on in a way that cannot but excite surprise at the large amount of blundering and bungling on the part of most of those in authority, not un

mingled with admiration at the spirit and valor of a portion of the troops.

In the north-west, "Hull's treason," as it was termed, was indignantly denounced, and there was a spirit roused, the like to which has hardly, if ever, been witnesed elsewhere. Volunteers offered themselves in large numbers, and Ohio and Kentucky furnished their thousands, who flocked to the standard of General Harrison, ready to march at once to the recovery of what had been lost, and to the defence of the now exposed frontier. General Winchester was appointed by the president to the command in this quarter; but he soon after gave place to General Harrison, who, in the latter part of September, was made commander of the northwestern army. Great hopes were entertained of retrieving Hull's disaster before winter; but the spirit of volunteers, though capable of effecting wonders under favorable circumstances, is not to be relied on for patient endurance and necessary discipline. This was shown on several occasions, and prevented the attaining success, where success was plainly within reach.

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The main division of the army, consisting of three thousand men, under Harrison in person, was at this time at the River St. Mary's. Another division, under General Winchester, consisting of two thousand, had penetrated on the road to Detroit, as far as Fort Defiance; but they were in want of provisions, and had sent to Harrison for relief. That general immediately marched with a considerable part of his troops, and on the 3d of October, joined Gen

eral Winchester at Fort Defiance. He returned the next day to St. Mary's, having previously ordered General Tupper, with one thousand of the Ohio militia, to proceed to the Rapids of the Miami, to dislodge the enemy, and take possession of that place. Want of experience and authority on the part of the officers, and especially of proper subordination on that of the troops, produced a failure in this, and another attempt made by General Tupper; and the British still retained possession of that post.*

Further westward, during September, nearly four thousand men, chiefly mounted riflemen, under command of General Hopkins, gathered at Vincennes, on the Wabash, for the purpose of chastising the Indians on the Illinois and Wabash Rivers. This fo ray was sanctioned by Governor Shelby of Kentucky, and was in appearance one of the most formidable that had ever entered the Indian country.

Earlier in the month, Captain Zachary Taylor had displayed his ability in defending Fort Harrison on the Wa bash. On the 4th of September, the fort was attacked by several hundred Indians with great fury. Cap- 1812. tain Taylor's force, though numbering fifty, consisted in fact of only eighteen effective men, the rest being incapable of duty in consequence of sickness; nevertheless, with great intrepidity and steadiness the assault was repelled, and the Indians retired in disgust.

* For a more full account of General Tupper's move ments, see M'Afee's "History of the Late War in the Western Country,” pp. 147–152.