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among the number of those who did not recollect 1812. that, although the Guerrière had made herself very Aug. obnoxious to the Americans, it was before captain Dacres was appointed to her.

The chief cause of quarrel between the Americans and the Guerrière undoubtedly arose while captain Pechell commanded her; but still it was the same ship, or, to those who doubted that fact, a ship of the same name, which captain Hull had captured. Most desirable, therefore, would the Guerrière have been as a trophy; but the shattered state of her hull precluded the possibility of getting the ship into port. At daylight on the day succeeding the action, the american prize-master hailed the Constitution, to say that the Guerrière had four feet water in the Guerhold, and was in a sinking condition. Quickly the rière is prisoners were removed out of her; and at 3 h. 30 nı. stroyed P.M., having been set on fire by captain Hull's orders, the Guerrière blew up.

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Having by the evening repaired her principal Constidamages, including a few wounds in each of her arrives three masts, the Constitution made sail from the at spot Boston of her achievement, and on the 30th anchored in the harbour of Boston. As may well be conceived, captain Hull and his officers and crew were greeted with applause by their native and adopted countrymen. He and they also received, at a subsequent day, the thanks of the government, accompanied by a present of 50000 dollars.

letter.

It is a singular fact, that, in the letter published Capt. in the "National Intelligencer," as that transmitted Hull's by captain Hull to his government, not a word appears respecting the force of the ship which the Constitution had captured. Captain Hull's letter is in this respect an anomaly of the kind. Perhaps, as the american newspapers had frequently stated, that the Constitution mounted 56 guns, and as dead ships, like dead men, "tell no tales," captain Hull thought it better to leave his friends and countrymen to form their opinion, relative to the force and size of his

1812. prize, out of the following sentence: "So fine a Aug. ship as the Guerrière, commanded by an able and experienced officer." If captain Hull did practise this ruse, (and the men of Connecticut are proverbially shrewd,) the effect, as we shall presently see, must almost have exceeded his hopes.

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When a british says to an american officer, "Our 38 and frigates and yours are not a match," the latter very ameri: properly replies: "You did not think so once." But gun fri- What does this amount to? Admitting that the force gates of the american 44-gun, frigate was fully known match. before the Guerrière's action, but which was only

not a

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due to

partially the case; and admitting that the british 38-gun frigate was considered able to fight her, all that can be said is, that many, who once thought otherwise, are now convinced, that an american and a british ship, in relative force as three to two, are not equally matched. The facts are the same: it is the opinion only that has changed. Man the Constitution with 470 Turks or Algerines; and even then she would hardly be pronounced, now that her force is known, a match for the Guerrière. The truth is, the name "frigate" had imposed upon the public; and to that, and that only, must be attributed the angry repinings of many of the british journalists at the capture of the Guerrière. They, sitting safe at their desks, would have sent her and every soul on board to the bottom, with colours flying, because her antagonist was "a frigate;" whereas, had the Constitution been called "a 50-gun ship," a defence only half as honourable as the Guerrière's would have gained for her officers and crew universal applause.

Captain Hull, and the officers and men of the captain Constitution, deserve much credit for what they did Hull do; first, for attacking a british frigate at all, and officers. next, for conquering one a third inferior in force. It

and his

was not for them to reject the reward presented by the "Senate and house of representatives of the United Sates," because it expressed to be, for

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capturing a frigate, (now for the effect of captain 1812. Hull's "fine ship Guerrière") "mounting 54 carriage- Aug. guns", instead of, with two standing bow-chasers and a boat-carronade included, 49. Smiling in their sleeves at the credulity of the donors, the captain and his people, without disputing the terms, pocketed the dollars. But is a writer, who stands pledged to deal impartially between nation and nation, to forbear exposing this trickery, because it may suit the Americans to invent any falsehoods, no matter how barefaced, to foist a valiant character upon themselves?

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The author of the american Naval History," Mr. Clark, remarks thus upon the Guerrière's capture: "It has manifested the genuine worth of the american tar, and that the vigorous cooperation of the country is all he requires, to enable him to meet, even under disadvantageous circumstances, and to derive glory from the encounter, with the naval heroes of a nation which has so long ruled the waves."* But was it really "american tars" that conquered the Guerrière? Let us investigate, as far as we are able, this loudlyasserted claim. Our contemporary says, "It appeared in evidence on the court-martial, that there were many British Englishmen on board the Constitution, and these were leading men, or captains of guns. The officers board of the Guerrière knew some of them personally, and tution. one man in particular, who had been captain of the forecastle in the Eurydice, a british frigate, then recently come from England. Another was in the Achille at Trafalgar; and the third lieutenant of the Constitution, whose name was Reed, was an Irishman. It I was said, and we have no reason to doubt the fact, that there were 200 british seamen on board the Constitution when she began the action." + One fellow, who after the action was sitting under the halfdeck busily employed in making buck-shot cartridges to mangle his honourable countrymen, had served under Mr. Kent the first lieutenant. He now went by a new name; but, on seeing his old commanding * Clark's Naval History of the United States, vol. i. p. 174. † Brenton, vol. v. p. 54.

1812. officer standing before him, a glow of shame overAug. Spread his countenance.

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In the latter end of the year 1816 a work issued from the Washington press, entitled "A register of officers and agents, civil, military and naval, in the service of the United States, &c." "Prepared at the Department of State, by a resolution of congress.' Affixed to the list of names in this official document, is one column headed, "State or country where born." Turning to this column in the "Navy department," we find that, out of the 32 captains, one only, "Thomas Tingey," has "England" marked as his birthplace. There was another, we know; but he had died about a twelvemonth before, captain Smith of the Congress. Three blanks occur; and we consider it rather creditable to captains "John Shaw," "Daniel T. PatTheir terson," and "John Orde Creighton," that they were general ashamed to tell where they were born. Of the 22 ploy masters commandant, one only appears to have been in the born out of the United States, and that is "George C. ameri. Read," of "Ireland;" the same, no doubt, mentioned by captain Brenton, as the third lieutenant of the proved Constitution in August, 1812. Of the 160 lieutenants, ameri- there appear to be only five born out of the United can do- States; of which five," Walter Stewart," " William Finch," and "Benjamin Page, jun." are stated to be of "England," and "James Ramage," of "Ireland.” To 17 names, all english and irish, appears no birthplace. We shall pass over the surgeons, their mates, the pursers, chaplains, and midshipmen; among whom we find, besides a few blanks, only eight of England and Ireland. As we descend in the list, the blanks in the column of "Country where born" increase surprisingly. Now, as the native american seaman usually carries about him his certificate of citizenship; and, as scarcely any man is to be found who, if he can speak at all, cannot answer the question, "Where were you born?" we must consider that the birthplace is purposely omitted, because, being a native of Great Britain or Ireland, and probably a deserter from the british navy, the fellow is ashamed or afraid to

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avow it. Hence, out of the 83 sailing masters, we find eight born in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Bermuda, and 15 without any birthplace assigned to them. Among the 20 boatswains, one is stated to have been born in England, four in the United States, and the rest nowhere. Of the 25 gunners, three appear to have been born in the United States, one in Germany, another in Portugal, and the remaining four fifths in some nameless country. Of the 18 carpenters, 11 sail-makers, and four master's mates, 33 in all, five only have been able or willing to enable the Washington state-clerk to fill up the important blank.

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marks

Can any one, after the analysis we have given of Rethis curious american state-document, entertain a on the doubt that, during the late war between Great Britain subject and the United States, one third in number, and nearly one half in point of effectiveness, of the seamen that fought in the ships of the latter were bred on the soil, and educated in the ships, of the former? This may appear very discreditable to british seamen, considered as a body; but it should be recollected, that the total of the seamen belonging to the american ships of war formed only a small portion of those employed in the british navy. Moreover, a large proportion of the deserters and renegades, that entered the service of the United States, were irish roman catholics. It is for this reason, that an american captain can sometimes assert, with no great degree of untruth, that he has few "Englishmen" among his crew.

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irons.

There were, it appears, on board the Consti- Crewof tution, so many men whom the crew of the Guerrière rière; considered as their countrymen, so many who felt, as put in well they might feel, some degree of compunction at their fallen state, that captain Hull was afraid the two bodies united would overpower him and his Americans, and carry the Constitution to Halifax. He very naturally, and very properly, we think, "kept his prisoners manacled and chained to the deck during the night, and the greater part of the

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