Finding the enemy did not get sufficiently on the beam, to enable us to bring our guns to bear, put the helm a-lee; and, at 26 minutes after 3, commenced the action with the after-carronade on the starboard-side, and fired in succession; 34 minutes after 3, hauled up the mainsail; 40 minutes after 3, the enemy having his bow in contact with our larboard quarter, endeavoured to board us, but was repulsed in every attempt; at 44 minutes after 3, orders were given to board in turn, which were promptly executed, when all resistance immediately ceased; and, at 45 minutes after 3, the enemy's flag was hauled down.

The Reindeer mounted sixteen 24-pound carronades, two long 6 or 9-pounders, and a drifting 12-pound carronade, with a complement on board of 118 men, Her crew were said to be the pride of Plymouth.

Our loss in men has been severe, owing, in part, to the proximity of the two vessels, and the extreme smoothness of the sea, but chiefly in repelling boarders. That of the enemy, however, was infinitely more so, as will be seen by the list of killed and wounded on both sides.

Six round-shot struck our hull, and many grape, which did not penetrate far. The fore-mast received a 24-pound shot, which passed through its centre, and our rigging and sails were a good deal injured.

The Reindeer was literally cut to pieces in a line with her ports: her upper works, boats, and spare spars, were one complete wreck. A breeze springing up the next afternoon, her fore-mast went by the board.

Having received all the prisoners on board, which, from the number of wounded occupied much time, toge

ther with their baggage, the Reindeer was, on the evening of the 29th, set on fire, and in a few hours blew up.

List of killed and wounded on board the U. S. sloop of war Wasp, in the action with the Reindeer.

Killed, and since dead (including two midshipmen) 11

List of the killed and wounded on board H. B. M. sloop Reindeer.

Killed-Wm. Manners, Esq. commander; John Thos. Barton, purser; and 23 petty officers and seamen.

Wounded-Thomas Chambers, first lieutenant; Richard Jones, master; and 40 petty officers and seamen.

THE ATTACK

OF THE ARMSTRONG PRIVATEÉR, IN FAYAL ROADS, BY THE ... BOATS OF A BRITISH SQUADRON.

The Azores, or Western Islands, are situated in the Atlantic Ocean, at nearly an equal distance from Europe and America; they are nine in number, and inhabited by Portuguese. At one of them, called Fayal, the American schooner privateer Armstrong, of 18 guns, Captain Guy R. Champlin, with a complement of 100 seamen, touched in the month of July 1814, for wood and water; and while lying at anchor in the roads, was descried from the offing by the Plantagenet of 74 guns, and the Rota and Carnation. The ships having hove to at the south-west promontory of the bay, despatched a boat to reconnoitre the force of the Armstrong, which, on its approach, was hailed by the privateersmen, and told to keep off: but the strength of the tide brought the boat under the schooner's counter, and she sustained the fire of the Americans, with the loss of seven men killed. The English, incensed at this conduct, sent the Carnation in to destroy the privateer; but the schooner, which drew comparatively little water, lying at anchor only a pistol shot from the shore, was found to be out of the range of her guns. Upon this nine boats were hoisted out from the ships of the squadron, which, manned with two hundred seamen, were sent, under the command of three lieutenants, on the desperate enterprize of carrying the privateer by boarding. In the mean while Captain Champlin, who

was an old man of war's man bred under Truxton,* with admirable presence of mind, put his schooner in a posture of defence. He hove in about fifteen fathoms of his cable, and made fast to it two warps, then veered away, and brought them to the windlass; forming thereby springs which enabled him to bring his broadside to bear on the boats. He then ran up his boarding-netting, and traced it to the yards; after which he loaded his cannon with double shot, iron bolts, marling-spikes, strop-hooks, and whatever destructive missives he could muster. On the approach of the boats the privateersmen cheered with a voice of defiance; and as the lieutenants called to their crews "hurrah boys! pull up alongside!" they were received with a profuse and levelling fire that killed and wounded great numbers of their men. But the impetuosity of the assailants was not to be repressed; by a bold, though dangerous effort of valour, they carried the privateer, whose crew, unable to stop the career of their enemy, fled in their boats to the shore, from whence they kept up a renewed and brisk fire of musketry on the English as they were destroying their vessel: she was, however, destroyed, but (will it be credited) at the expence of one hundred and thirty-five of the assailants killed and wounded, among whom were the three lieutenants !†

* In the war between the United States and the French Republic. Truxton commanded the Constellation frigate at the capture of the Insurgent.

+ This account is confirmed in the eighth volume (p. 343) of the Lives of the Admirals.

Z

TEMPORARY OCCUPATION, BY THE BRITISH,

OF THE

CITY OF WASHINGTON.

An army under General Ross, of 4000 veteran soldiers, who had served with distinction in the Peninsular war, having effected a landing on the Patuxent, advance upon Washington, and encounter at Bladensburg an American army of 5000 militia, including 350 regulars, commanded by General Winder, of whom the greatest part arrived on the ground, from different points of the country, when the enemy were in sight. They had barely fallen into their ranks when, about one in the afternoon of August 24th, an action commenced, which was sustained by parts of the American troops with great spirit and effect. The contest lasted an hour, when the right and centre of General Stansbury's brigade gave way, and the 5th Baltimore regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Sterrett, was ordered to retreat, to avoid being out-flanked; the reserve, commanded by Brigadier General Smith, with the Maryland militia, and Commodore Barney's sailors, were the last that held out to the right on the bill. In this conflict the British army lost, in killed and wounded, 248.* The troops of General Ross, on being left masters of the field, halted for a short time,

At the termination of a battle we calculate the lives that have been lost, but do not compute the hearts that have been hardened. The steel wiped from its slaughterous stain, retains its slaughterous shape. It is not returned to the anvil, but to the scabbard.