of the 14th, I made known to you my intention of proceeding to sea on that evening. Owing to some mistake of the pilots, the ship, in going out, grounded on the bar, where she continued to strike heavily for an hour and a half. Although she had broken several of her rudder braces, and received such other material injury as to render her return into port desirable, I was unable to do so from the strong westerly wind which was then blowing. It being now high water, it became necessary to force her over the bar before the tide fell. In this we succeeded by ten o'clock, when we shaped our course along the shore of Long Island for 50 miles, and then steered S. E. by S. At 5 o'clock three ships were discovered a-head; we immediately hauled up the ship, and passed two miles to the northward of them. At day-light we discovered four ships in chase; one on each quarter, and two a-stern, the leading ship of the enemy a razee; she commenced a fire upon us, but without effect. At meridian, the wind became light and baffling; we had increased our distance from the razee, but the next ship a-stern, which was also a large ship, had gained, and continued to gain upon us considerably. We immediately occupied all hands to lighten ship, by starting water, cutting away the anchors, throwing overboard provisions, cables, spare spars, boats, and every article that could be got at, keeping the sails wet, from the royals down. At 3, we had the wind quite light; the enemy, who had now been joined by a brig, had a strong breeze, and were coming up with us rapidly. The Endymion (mounting 50 guns, 24 pounders on the main-deck) had now approached us within gun-shot, and had commenced a fire with her bow-guns, which we returned from our stern. At 5 o'clock she had obtained a position on our starboard-quarter, within half point-blank shot, on which neither our stern nor quarter-guns would bear; we were now steering E. by N. the wind N.W. I remained with her in this position for half an hour, in the hope that she would close with us on our broadside, in which case I had prepared my crew to board; but from his continuing to yaw his ship to maintain his position, it became evident, that to close was not his intention. Every fire now cut some of our sails or rigging. To have continued our course under these circumstances, would have been placing it in his power to cripple us, without being subject to injury himself; and to have hauled up more to the northward to bring our stern guns to bear, would have exposed us to his raking fire. It was now dusk, when I determined to alter my course south, for the purpose of bringing the enemy a-beam; and, although their ships a-stern were drawing up fast, I felt satisfied I should be enabled to throw him out of the combat before they could come up, and was not without hopes, if the night proved dark, (of which there was every appearance,) that I might still be enabled to effect my escape. Our opponent kept off at the same instant we did, and our fire commenced at the same time. We continued engaged, steering south, and steering-sails set, 2 hours and a half, when we completely succeeded in dismantling her. Previously to her dropping entirely out of the action, there were intervals of minutes, when the ships were broadside to broadside, in which she did not fire agun. At this period (half-past 8 o'clock), although dark, the other ships of the squadron were in sight, and almost within gun-shot. We were of course compelled to abandon her. In re-assuming our former course for the purpose of avoiding the squadron, we were compelled to present our stern to our antagonist; but such was his state, though we were thus exposed and within range of his guns for half an hour, that he did not avail himself of this favourable opportunity of raking us. We continued this course until eleven o'clock, when two fresh ships of the enemy (the Pomone and Tenedos) had come up. The Pomone had opened her fire on the larboard bow, within musket-shot; the other, about two cables' length a-stern, taking a raking position on our quarter; and the rest (with the exception of the Endymion) within gun-shot. Thus situated, with about one fifth of my crew killed and wounded, my ship crippled, and a more than four-fold force opposed to me, without a chance of escape left, I deemed it my duty to surrender. It is with emotions of pride I bear testimony to the gallantry and steadiness of every officer and man I had the honour to command on this occasion; and I feel satisfied that the fact of their having beaten a force equal to themselves, in the presence, and almost under the guns, of so vastly a superior force, when, too, it was almost self-evident that, whatever their exertions might be, they must ultimately be captured, will be taken as evidence of what they wonld have performed, had the force opposed to them been in any degree equal. ACTION Between the Constitution and the Cyane and Levant. The British ships of war the Levant and Cyane, proceeding in company from Gibraltar to the Azores, fall in, between the Strait's mouth and Madeira, with the Constitution, and seek an action with her; which terminates in the surrender of both. Old Ironsides, (as the Constitution is called by the American tars,) was this time commanded by Captain Stewart; a man whose ancestors breathed the keen air of Benlomond, and emigrated to America from the muirs and the mountains. Captain Stewart's Minutes of the Action. February 20, 1815. As the Constitution was standing for Cape St. Vincent, to get in the track of the Gibraltar convoy, at 1 in the afternoon, we discovered a sail two points on the larboard bow; hauled up in chase. At a quarter past 1 made out the sail to be a ship. At threequarters past 1, discovered another sail a-head; made them out, at 2 P. M. to be both ships, standing closehauled, with their starboard-tacks on-board. At 4 P. M. the weathermost ship made signals, and bore up for her consort, then about 10 miles to leeward; we bore up after her, and set lower, top-mast, top-gallant, and royal studding-sails in chase. At half-past 4, carried away our main-royal-mast, took in the sail, and got another prepared. At 5 P. M. commenced firing on the chase from our two larboard bow-guns; our shot falling short, ceased firing. At half-past 5, finding it impossible to prevent their junction, cleared ship for action, then about 4 miles from the two ships. At 40 minutes past 5, they passed within hail of each other, braced by the wind on the starboard-tack, hauled up their courses, and prepared to receive us. At 45 minutes past 5, they made all sail, close hauled by the wind, in hopes of getting to windward of us. At 55 minutes past 5, finding them. selves disappointed in their object, and that we were closing with them fast, they shortened sail, and formed on a line of wind, about half a cable's length from each other. At 6 P. M. having them under command of our battery, hoisted our colours, which was answered by both ships hoisting English ensigns. At 5 minutes past 6, ranged up, on the starboard side of the sternmost ship, about 300 yards distant, and commenced the action by broadsides, both ships returning our fire with great spirit for about 15 minutes; then the fire of the enemy began to slacken, and the great column of smoke collected under our lee, induced us to suspend our fire, to ascertain their positions and conditions. In about three minutes the smoke having cleared away, we found ourselves a-breast of the headmost ship, the sternmost ship luffing up for our larboard-quarter; we poured a broadside into the headmost ship, and then braced a-back our main and mizen-top-sails, and backed a-stern, under cover of the smoke a-breast the sternmost ship, when the action was continued with spirit, and considerable effect, until 35 minutes past 6, when the enemy's fire again slackened, and we discovered the headmost ship bearing up; filled our top-sails, shot a-head, and gave her two |