1814, the numerical disproportion was too great; and it was well that captain Stewart thought the Pique's 18s were 24s and, therefore did not make an effort to bring her to action. The gates rate. At 8 P. M., owing to thick squally weather, during two fri- which the wind shifted to the east-north-east, the sepa- two frigates lost sight of each other. At 2 A. M. on the 24th the Pique tacked to the south-east, and, crossing the bows of the Constitution, again discovered her, at the distance of about two miles on her lee beam. As each stood on her course, the Pique to the south-east, and the Constitution to the north by west, the two ships, by 3 A. M., had run each other quite out of sight. Those who have gone along with us thus far, in unravelling the american accounts, and exposing the little peccadilloes of the writers, professional and non-professional, will feel no surprise at being told, that captain Stewart declared to his government, and through that channel to the public, that he had chased a british frigate, but that she had escaped from him in the dark. and chase tution into ble Junon On the 3d of April, at 7 A. M., having arrived off Tene- the port of Marblehead, in the state of Massachusetts, dos the Constitution fell in with the two british 38-gun Consti- frigates Junon, captain Clotworthy Upton, and Tenedos, captain Hyde Parker. The american Mar- frigate was standing to the westward, with the wind head. about north by west, and bore from the two english frigates about north-west by west. The Junon and Tenedos quickly hauled up in chase, and the Constitution crowded sail in the direction of Marblehead. At 9h. 30 m., finding the Tenedos rather gaining upon her, the Constitution started her water, and threw overboard a quantity of provisions, spars, and other articles. At 11 h. 30 m. she hoisted her colours, and the two british frigates, who were now rather dropping in the chase, did the same. At 1 h. 30 m. Consti- P. M. the Constitution came to an anchor in the hareventu-bour of Marblehead. Captain Parker, whose ship ally now bore from Cape Ann north-north-east distant Boston nine miles, was anxious to follow the american tution reaches frigate into the port, which had no defences; but 1814. the Tenedos was recalled by signal from the Junon. Aug. A shift of wind to the south-east enabled the Constitution, at 6 P. M., to remove to Salem; where she lay much more secure. A short time afterwards the american frigate found an opportunity of quitting Salem unperceived, and anchored in the harbour of Boston. dition Halifax for Penob scot. On the 26th of August an expedition, under the Expejoint command of lieutenant-general sir John Coape sails Sherbrooke, governor of the province, and rear- from admiral Edward Griffith, consisting of the 74-gun Novaship Dragon, captain Robert Barrie, frigates Scotia, Endymion and Bacchante, captains Henry Hope and river Francis Stanfell, 18-gun ship-sloop Sylph, captain George Dickens, and 10 sail of transports with troops, sailed from Halifax, Nova-Scotia, bound to the river Penobscot, near the north-eastern extremity of the coast of the United States. On the 31st, when off the Metinicus islands, the expedition was joined by the 74-gun ship Bulwark, captain Farmery Predam Epworth, frigate Teredos, captain Hyde Parker, and brig-sloops Rifleman and Peruvian, captains Joseph Pearce and George Kippen. From the Rifleman intelligence was now received, that the United States ship Adams, of 26 guns, captain Charles Morris, had a few days before put Learns into Penobscot, and, not deeming herself safe at Adams the entrance of the river, had proceeded to Hamden, had a place situated 27 miles higher up; where she had landed her guns and placed them in battery for her Hamprotection. The original plan of making Machias on the main coast the first point of attack, was now deviated from, and the general and admiral determined to ascend the river and endeavour to capture or destroy the Adams. that gone up to den. ascends Towards evening the fleet, led by the Tenedos, Fleet made sail up the Penobscot with a fair wind, and the by daylight on the 1st of September was off the fort river. and town of Castine. At 8 A. M. the men of war and transports came to anchor; and, after a slight Capt. ed to &c. 1814. show of resistance, Castine surrendered. The serSept. vice of capturing or destroying the Adams frigate and the batteries erected for her defence was now Barrie intrusted to captain Barrie; who, at 6 P. M., taking detach- with him the Peruvian and Sylph sloops, a tender destroy belonging to the Dragon commanded by acting lieuAdams, tenant James Pearson, and the Harmony transport, commanded, on this occasion, by lieutenant William Henry Woodin, containing between them about 600 troops under lieutenant-colonel Henry John, proceeded with the utmost despatch up the Penobscot. Light variable winds, thick foggy weather, and a most intricate channel of which the British were entirely ignorant, made it 2 P. M. on the 2d before the Peruvian and her consorts arrived off Frankfort. At 5 P. M., having arrived off Ball's head cone, distant about five miles from Hamden, colonel John and captain Barrie landed to reconnoitre; and by 10 P. M. the whole of the troops were also landed. The troops bivouacked for the night amidst an incessant rain; and at 6 A. M. on the 3d the little party began their march towards Hamden. The larger vessels were kept in the rear in reserve; while the boats, commanded by lieutenant George Pedlar first of the Dragon, assisted by lieutenant the honourable George James Perceval, of the Tenedos, and lieutenant Francis Ormond, of the Endymion, and preceded, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, by a rocket-boat under the immediate direction of captain Barrie himself, advanced in line with the right flank of the army. American and british oppos ed. The american militia and crew of the Adams, to the number altogether, as reported, of 1400 men, had forces taken up a most excellent position on a high hill fronting the town of Hamden, with some field-pieces stationed in the woods on their right. About a quarter of a mile to the southward of the Adams frigate, and calculated to command both the highway by which the troops were advancing and the river, were mounted eight 18-pounders; and 15 more 18-pounders were mounted on a wharf close to the Adams, completely commanding the river, which 1814. at that spot was only 600 yards wide. The Sept. british force consisted, besides the 600 infantry and artillery under lieutenant-colonel John, of 80 marines under captain Thomas Carter of the Dragon, and about as many seamen under lieutenants James Symonds, Samuel Mottley, and Henry Slade, all of the Bulwark, and Mr. John Spurling, that ship's master. British Ameri and Adams. The moment the british boats arrived within As the gun-shot, the Americans opened a fire upon them adboth from the hill and the wharf. This fire vance was warmly returned, and the rockets evidently cans threw the enemy into confusion. In the mean time retreat the troops, marines, and seamen had stormed the destroy hill with the utmost gallantry, and the american the militia were in full retreat on the road to Bangor. Before the boats could get within grape-shot distance, captain Morris, finding himself deserted by those who, doubtless, had, a few minutes before, promised to perform wonders, set fire to the Adams. The american militia made so good use of their legs, that very few were taken prisoners. The only loss sustained on the part of the British was one seaman killed, captain Gall, of the 29th, and seven privates wounded, and one rank and file missing. Two ships, one of them armed, were destroyed by the Americans at the same time as the Adams. The British immediately hastened on to Bangor, which also surrendered; and there one ship, one brig, three schooners, and a sloop were destroyed. A copper-bottomed brig, pierced for 18 guns, and the Decatur privateer, of 16 guns, were captured, but lost in descending the river. Several vessels, at the different towns on the banks of the river, were found on the stocks, but were all left untouched. force The Adams had been a 32-gun frigate, but was Size afterwards lengthened, so as to rate as a 36; and and then, on account of some defect in her construction, of the was cut down to a corvette. She measured 725 Adams. 1814. tons american, or about 783 english. The Adams April. sailed upon her last cruise with an armament of four long 18-pounders, 20 columbiad, or medium guns of the same caliber, and two long 12-pounders, total 26 guns, and with a complement, according to a prisoner who was some weeks on board of her, of 248 picked seamen, chiefly masters and mates of merchantmen. The Adams, therefore, was one of the most formidable" corvettes" that cruised on the ocean. While in the Irish channel, towards the end of July, she was chased by the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Tigris, captain Robert Henderson, and would probably have been caught, had not captain Morris thrown overboard his quarter guns and a portion of his stores. Captain Brenton confounds the Adams with the "John-Adams," and gives the ship only "20 guns."* State of As at the close of the preceding year, the military british and naval commanders in chief, upon the canadian frontier of the United States, were lieutenantOnta- general sir George Prevost and commodore sir on Lake rio. James Lucas Yeo. On the 15th of April were launched at Kingston, Lake Ontario, the british ships Prince-Regent and Princess-Charlotte. The first measured 1310 tons, and mounted 28 long 24-pounders on the main deck, four long 24-pounders, four carronades, 68-pounders, and 22 carronades, 32pounders, on the upper or spar deck, total 58 guns, with a complement of 485 men and boys. The lastnamed ship measured 815 tons, and mounted 24 long+ 24s on the main deck, and two more, along with fourteen 32 and two 68 pounder carronades on the quarterdeck and forecastle, total 42 guns, with a complement of 315 men and boys. The six 68pounder carronades were the same mounted in the preceding year on board the Wolfe and Royal-George. The latter, now named the Niagara, had replaced the two 68s with two long 18-pounders; the former, * Brenton, vol. v. p. 171. + Doubtful if not medium. |