last of whom was born at Salem, Massachussets, were claimed by the enemy as British subjects, and sent on board of the enemy's ships of war.

This court respectfully beg leave to superadd, that unbiassed by any illiberal feelings toward the enemy, they feel it their duty to state, that the conduct of the enemy after boarding and carrying the Chesapeake, was a most unwarrantable abuse of power and success.

The court is aware that, in carrying a ship by boarding, the full extent of the command of an officer cannot be readily exercised; and that improper violence may unavoidably ensue. When this happens in the moment of contention, a magnanimous conquered foe will not complain. But the fact has been clearly established before this court, that the enemy met with little opposition on the upper deck, and none on the gun-deck. Yet after they had carried the ship, they fired from the gun-deck down the hatchway upon the birth-deck, and killed and wounded several of the Chesapeake's crew, who had retreated there, were unarmed and incapable of making any opposition: that some balls were fired even into the cockpit; and what excites the utmost abhorrence, this outrage was committed in the presence of a British officer standing on the hatchway.*

W. BAINBRIDGE, President.

This horrid charge is not less devoid of probability than destitute of authentic evidence. Captain Broke owes his distinction not more to his sword than to his clemency; and he was not a man to stain his laurels with the blood of the conquered. The firing complained of was provoked, and the preceding narrative details faithfully the affair.

June 2. The American frigate United States, Conrmodore Decatur, the Macedonian, Captain Jones, and the Hornet sloop, Captain Biddle, equipped for a cruize in the Indian ocean, leave New York through Long Island Sound, the usual passage by Sandy Hook being blockaded; but, before they can clear the Sound, the Valiant of 74 guns, Captain Oliver, and the Acasta frigate, Captain Kerr, heave in sight, and chase them into the port of New London, a small town on the river Thames, about three miles from its estuary. The British ships come to an anchor off Gardner's Island, and commence a blockade of the American squadron.

August 13. The Argus American sloop of war, Captain Allen, having landed Mr. Crawford, minister plenipotentiary from the United States to France, and his suite, at Havre, proceeded to cruize off the English and Irish coast, and burnt so many vessels, that the Irish declared their channel was set in a blaze. The following is an authentic record of the devastation committed by the brig, from the 20th of July to this day; partly off the Land's End, and partly on the coast of Ireland, between the Shannon river and the Liffey, and near Lundy: Mariner, Gilbert, from St. Croix to Bristol, burnt; Betsey, Merryweather, from St. Vincent's to Bristol, since retaken; Cordelia, Avery, from St. Martin's to Bristol, given up to the prisoners, after destroying the cargo; Baltic, Hardcastle, from Barbadoes to Dublin, burnt; Susannah, Porrett, from Madeira to London, given up, after destroying part of the cargo; Matilda, from Pernam

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buco to London, since retaken; Salamanca, from Oporto to Newfoundland, burnt; Defiance, from Glasgow to Newfoundland, burnt; Fowey, M'Donnell, from Limerick to Plymouth, burnt; Lady Frances, Blair, from Limerick to Liverpool, burnt; Belford, Donaldson, from Dublin to London (with 16,500 pieces of linen on board),* burnt; Ann, Richards, from Barmouth to London, burnt; John and Sally, and Dinas and Betty, from Cork to Ilfracombe, both burnt; John and Thomas, from Poole to Liverpool, burnt; Elenora, from Poole to Liverpool, given up; Whitby, Biggs, from Gibraltar to Portsmouth, burnt; Barbadoes, transport, from Cork to St. Andero, burnt; Alliance, transport, from Cork to St. Andero, burnt; sloop Fame, given up.

14. The American sloop of war, Argus, Captain Allen, is taken, in St. George's Channel, by the British sloop of war Pelican, Captain Maples, after an action of 40 minutes. Captain Allen was mortally wounded early in the conflict: he was Decatur's first lieutenant when he took the Macedonian.

September 5. The British sloop of war Boxer, Captain Blyth, is taken, off Portland, Massachusetts, by the American sloop of war Enterprize, Captain Burrows, after a spirited action, in which both commanders were mortally wounded.

27. Commodore Rodgers, in the President frigate, arrives at Newport, Rhode Island, from a cruize of five

* Valued at 100,0007.

months in the North Seas. He brought in with him the schooner Highflyer, mounting 4 guns and I long tom, with a complement of 39 men, tender to Admiral Warren. He captured her on the 9th instant by almost a miracle. On making the schooner to the southward of Nantucket Shoals, she hoisted the private British signal, which was answered by Commodore Rodgers with a red flag, and it proved the British signal of that day. Upon seeing this, the Highflyer came immediately to him. Commodore Rodgers ordered one of his officers to dress in British uniform, and manned out a boat and boarded the schooner immediately. The Lieutenant of the schooner did not wait to be boarded, but manned out his own boat and boarded the President, supposing the President was a British frigate. The British Lieutenant was on board ⚫some time before he discovered his mistake. The officer that boarded the schooner from the President, asked the officer left in charge of the schooner for the private signals and instructions, which were immediately handed to him. By this stratagem Commodore Rodgers obtained possession of the British private signals, and Admiral Warren's instructions. On examining Admiral Warren's instructions, Commodore Rodgers discovered the num ber of British squadrons stationed on the American coast, their force and relative positions, with pointed instructions to all of them, if possible, to capture the President.

A YANKEY TRICK.

30. Commodore Lewis, who commands a flotilla of gun-boats, stationed at Sandy Hook, a promontory near the city of New York, sends out a fishing-smack from Musquito Cove, for the purpose of taking, by stratagem, the sloop Eagle, tender to the British 74, Poictiers, Captain Beresford, cruizing off Sandy Hook light-house. The smack, named the Yankee, was borrowed of some fishermen at Fly Market, and a calf, a sheep, and a goose, purchased and secured on deck. Between 30 and 40 men, well armed with muskets, were secreted in the cabin and fore-peak of the smack. Thus prepared, she stood out to sea, as if going on a fishing trip to the Banks, three men only being on deck, dressed in fishermen's apparel, with buff caps on.-The Eagle, on perceiving the smack, immediately gave cbace, and after coming up with her, and finding she had live stock on deck, ordered her to go down to the Commodore, then about five miles distant. The helmsman of the smack answered, "aye, aye, Sir," and apparently put up the helm for that purpose, which brought him alongside the Eagle, not more than three yards distant. The watch-word, Lawrence, was then given, when the armed men rushed on deck from their hiding places, and poured into her a volley of musketry, which struck her crew with dismay, and drove them all down so precipitately into the hold of the vessel, that they had not time to strike their colours.

The crew of the Eagle consisted of H. Morris, master's mate of the Poictiers; W. Price, midshipman; and 11