Capt. Percy pro

to

Fort

1815. were not, it is true, any american 74s, or 60-gun frigates, building or lying blockaded at NewOrleans; but those who suggested the expedition well knew that, as the cotton crops of Louisiana, and of the Mississippi territory, had been for some years in accumulation; the city-warehouses contained merchandise to an immense amount. Indeed, considering that New-Orleans was the emporium of the annually increasing productions of a great portion of the western states of the republic, the enormous sum of 3000000l. was perhaps not an over estimate of what, in the event of even a temporary possession of the city, would have been shared by the captors. Before we say the little we mean to say on the subject of the attack upon New-Orleans, an unsucceeds cessful enterprise upon a small scale in the vicinity, attack and which, according to chronological order, should have been included in the preceding year's narrative, requires to be briefly noticed. On the 12th of September, 1814, early in the morning, captain the honourable Henry William Percy, of the british 20-gun ship Hermes, having under his orders the 20-gun ship Carron, captain the honourable Robert Churchill Spencer, and 18-gun brig-sloops Sophie and Childers, captains Nicholas Lockyer and John Brand Umfreville, anchored off the coast of West Florida, about six miles to the eastward of Mobile point, for the purpose of making an attack upon Fort Bowyer situated on that point, and mounting altogether 28 guns, including 11 long 32 and 24 pounders. The ships afterwards got under way and stood towards Mobile point; but, owing to the narrowness of the channel and the intricacy of the navigation, they did not arrive, until the afternoon of the 15th, in the neighbourhood of the fort.

Bow

yer.

The Hermes at last gained a station, within musket-shot distance; the Sophie, Carron, and Childers anchoring in a line astern of her. Previously to this, a detachment of 60 marines and 120 Indians, with a 5-inch howitzer, under the orders of

major Edward Nicolls, had disembarked on the 1815. peninsula. Sixty of the Indians, under lieutenant Castle, were immediately detached, to secure the pass of Bonsecours, 27 miles to the eastward of the fort. The great distance at which the Carron and Childers had unavoidably anchored confined the effective cannonade, on the part of the British, to the Hermes and Sophie; nor was the fire of the latter of much use, as, owing to the rottenness of her timbers, and her defective equipment, her carronades drew the bolts, or turned over at every fire. The Hermes, before she had fired many broadsides, having had her cable cut, was carried away by the current, and presented her head to the fort. In that position the british ship remained from 15 to 20 minutes, while the raking fire from the fort kept grounds sweeping the men from her deck. Shortly after- in front wards the Hermes grounded, directly in front of and is the fort. Every means were now used to get the set on ship afloat, but without effect. All the boats were her destroyed except one; and, with that one, captain people. Percy removed to the Sophie the whole of his surviving crew, and then set the ship on fire. Hermes and Sophie alone sustained any loss. The Loss first had 25 men killed and 24 wounded; the other, tained six killed and 16 wounded; total, with one marine British killed on shore, 32 killed and 40 wounded. The and Americans acknowledged a loss of only four killed and four wounded.

The

Hermes

of fort

fire by

sus

by

Ameri

cans.

at the

On the 8th of December vice-admiral Cochrane, Arrival in the Tonnant, along with several other ships, of sir arrived and anchored off the Chandeleur islands. On Cochthe same day two american gun-boats fired at the rane 38-gun frigate Armide, captain Edward Thomas Trou- Chanbridge, as, accompanied by the Seahorse frigate and deleur Sophie brig, she was passing down, within the chain of small islands, that run parallel to the shore from Mobile towards Lake Borgne. Three other gunboats were presently discovered cruising in the lake. On the 10th, 11th, and 12th, the remainder of the

islands.

1815. men of war and troop-ships arrived; the 74s anchoring off Chandeleur islands, and the frigates and smaller vessels between Cat island and the main, not far from the entrance to Lake Borgne. The bayou Catalan, or Bienvenu, at the head of Lake Borgne, being the contemplated point of disembarkation, the distance from the anchorage at Cat island to the bayou 62 miles, and the principal means of transport open boats, it became impossible that any movement of the troops could take place, until these gun-boats were destroyed. It was also an Capt. object to get possession of them in a serviceable yer de state, that they might assist, as well in transporttached ing the troops, as in the attack of any of the tack enemy's forts in the route. Accordingly, on the ameri- night of the 12th, 42 launches, armed with 24, 18, gun- and 12 pounder carronades, and three unarmed gigs, carrying, altogether, about 980 seamen and marines, Lake under the orders of captain Lockyer, assisted by captains Henry Montresor and Samuel Roberts, of the brig-sloop Manly and bomb-vessel Meteor, in three divisions, each commanded by a captain in the order named, pushed off from the Armide.

Lock

to at

can

boats

on

Borgne

An ac

count

The american gun-boats, which were the object of of their attack, consisted of No. 156, mounting one long force. 24-pounder on a traversing carriage, four 12-pounder

carronades, and four swivels, with 41 men on board, commanded by lieutenant-commandant Thomas Ap Catesby Jones; No. 23, mounting one long 32pounder on a traversing carriage, six long 6-pounders, two 5-inch howitzers and four swivels, with 39 men on board, commanded by lieutenant Isaac M'Keene; No. 162, one long 24-pounder, four 6-pounders and four swivels, with 35 men, commanded by lieutenant Robert Spedden; Nos. 5 and 163, each armed with the same carriage-guns as No. 23, the first with 36 men, commanded by sailing-master John D. Ferris, the other with 31 men, commanded by sailing-master George Ulrick; schooner Seahorse, of one 6-pounder and 14 men, sailing-master William Johnson; and

sloop Alligator, of one 4-pounder and eight men ; sailing-master Richard S. Sheppard. We have taken the number of men from the american official account but captain Lockyer's letter makes the number greater. And, as lieutenant Jones did certainly mistate the force of his little squadron in guns, there is every probability that he also underrated the number of his men.

1815.

ameri

can

vessel

set on

On the 13th, at 10 A. M., from his anchorage at the Malheureux islands, lieutenant Jones discovered the boats advancing towards Passe Christian, as he supposed, to disembark troops. He immediately detached the Seahorse to bay St.-Louis, to destroy the stores there; and at 3 h. 30 m. P. M., when the One flood-tide made, got under way with the remaining vessels and stood towards the Petites-Coquilles. ves At about 3 h. 45 m. captain Lockyer despatched fire by some boats to cut out the Seahorse, who had moored her herself advantageously under the protection of two 6-pounders mounted on a commanding point. It appears that, after sustaining a very destructive fire for nearly half an hour, the boats were repulsed; but, considering his position untenable against a greater force, Mr. Johnson set fire to his vessel and the warehouses containing the stores, and the whole were consumed.

crew.

capture

tor, and

On the 14th, at 1 A. M., lieutenant Jones moored his five principal gun-vessels with springs on their cables and boarding-netting triced up, in a close line abreast, athwart the narrow channel called Malheureux-island passage, and made every pre- British paration to give the british boats a warm reception. sloop At about 9 h. 30 m. A. M., observing the Alligator Alligatrying to rejoin her five consorts at anchor, captain pull for Lockyer detached captain Roberts with a few boats amerito take her. This was speedily accomplished without can much opposition. Having arrived within long gun- boats. shot of the enemy, and, the men having pulled 36 miles, a great part of the way against a strong current, captain Lockyer brought the boats to a grapnel

five

gün

1815. and allowed the crews to take their breakfasts. This done, at about 10 h. 30 m. A. M. the boats weighed, and took again to their oars; pulling against a strong current of at least three knots an hour, and being exposed all the while to a heavy and destructive fire of round and grape from the long guns of the american flotilla.

attack

and

At about noon captain Lockyer, and lieutenant George Pratt, in the second barge of the Seahorse, closed with the gun-boat of the american commodore; and, after an obstinate struggle, in which the greater part of the officers and men in the boat were either killed or wounded, including among the wounded the captain himself severely, and lieutenant Pratt They mortally, succeeded in boarding her. Seconded, then, by the Seahorse's first barge commanded by capture midshipman George Robert White, and by the boats whole of the Tonnant under lieutenant James Barnwell Tattnall, the British soon carried the gun-boat. Lieutenant Tattnall had his boat sunk alongside ; but, getting on board another, gallantly pushed on to the attack of the remaining four gun-vessels. Upon these the guns of No. 156 were now turned and, in the course of five minutes, with the assistance of the second and third divisions of boats under captains Montresor and Roberts, they were all secured.

the

of

them.

each

side.

;

Loss on The loss on the british side was extremely severe, occasioned, except in the instance of captain Lockyer's boat, and those already named as supporting him in the attack upon No. 256, by the heavy fire opened upon the boats in their tedious advance against the current. Three midshipmen, (Thomas W. Moore, John Mills, and Henry Symons,) 13 seamen, and one private marine were killed, and one captain, (Nicholas Lockyer,) four lieutenants, (William Gilbert Roberts, John Franklin, Henry Gladwell Etough, and George Pratt, the latter mortally,) one lieutenant of marines, (James Uniacke,) three master's mates, (Mark Pettel, James Hunter, and John Sudbury,)