captain off the 1815. Parker. Although at this time close off the Hook and in sight of the american squadron at anchor Squa. near Staten island, the british ships were the same dron of evening blown off the coast by a violent snow-storm. Hayes On the next day, the 14th, the weather became more blown moderate; but, the wind blowing fresh from the westcoast. north-west, the squadron could not get in with the Hook. Having no doubt that commodore Decatur would take advantage, as well of the favourable state of the wind as of the absence of the british squadron, captain Hayes, in preference to closing the land to the southward, stood away to the northward and eastward, with the view of taking a station in the supposed track of the american squadron on its way out; and, singular enough, at the very instant of arriving at that point, about an hour before daylight on the 15th, Sandy-Hook bearing westnorth-west distant 15 leagues, the principal object of search to all the british captains made her appearance very near them. Presi dent chased Considering the chance of escape greater, by sails taking a separate departure with the ships of his and is squadron, commodore Decatur, on the afternoon of by the the 14th, weighed and put to sea with the President Majes- and brig Macedonian, having left directions with her captain Warrington, to join him at the island of consort Tristan-d'Acunha, with the Peacock, Hornet, and tic and Tom-Bowline. At 8 h. 30 m. P. M., owing partly to a mistake in the pilots and partly to the ship's increased draught of water from the quantity of stores on board of her, the President struck on the bar, and did not get off for an hour and a half. Having, besides some trifling damage to her rudder, shifted her ballast and got herself out of trim, the President would have put back, but the strong westerly wind prevented her. Accompanied by the brig, the american frigate now, shaped her course along the shore of Long island for 50 miles, then steered southeast by south, until, at 5 A. M. on the 15th, she encountered the Majestic and her companions. Three Jan. of the ships appearing right ahead, the President 1815. hauled up, and passed about two miles to the northward of them; and at daylight commodore Decatur found himself, as he states, chased by four ships; the Majestic about five miles astern, the Endymion a little further in the same direction, the Pomone six or eight miles on his larboard, and the Tenedos barely in sight on his starboard quarter. The Tenedos, indeed, having parted from her squadron the preceding evening, was taken for a second enemy's ship, and captain Hayes ordered the Pomone, by signal, to bear away in chase of her. Consequently the President, at first, was pursued by the Majestic and Endymion only. These and the american frigate were soon under all sail, steering about east by north, with the wind now at north-west by north. At 6 h. 30 m. A. M. the Majestic fired three shot at the President, but, owing to the distance, without effect; nor, for the same reason probably, were they returned. Towards noon the wind decreased; and the Endymion, in consequence, began to leave the Majestic and gain upon the President. the President. At 1h. 15 m. P. M. the american frigate commenced lightening herself, by starting her water, cutting away her anchors, throwing overboard provisions, spare spars, boats, and every article of the sort that could be got at: she also kept her sails constantly wet from the royals down. At 2 P. M. the President opened a fire from Endyher stern guns; which, at z h. 30 m., the Endymion red at returned with her bow-chasers. At 2 h. 39 m. P. M. by, and a shot from the President came through the head return of the larboard fore lower studding-sail, the foot at Preof the mainsail, and the stern of the barge on the booms, and, perforating the quarterdeck, lodged on the main deck, without doing any other damage. Towards 5 P. M., owing to the advance of the Endymion on her starboard and lee quarter, the President luffed occasionally, to bring her stern guns to bear, and was evidently much. galled; VOL. VI. 2 M 4 mion is fires in sident. 1815. whereas the greater part of her shot passed over the Endymion. Presi still en dymion At 5 h. 30 m. P. M., the Endymion having for the dent last 20 minutes maintained a position within half away, point-blank shot on her quarter, the President brailed gaged up her spanker, and bore away south, to bring her by En- antagonist upon her beam and endeavour to effect her escape to-leeward. Putting her helm hard a-weather, the Endymion met the manoeuvre; and the two frigates came to close action in a parallel line of sailing. At 6h. 4m. P. M. the President commenced with musketry from her tops, and the Endymion returned the fire with her marines; hauling up occasionally, to close her antagonist, without losing the bearing of her broadside. The two ships were now not more than half musket-shot apart; the Endymion with her rigging and sails considerably cut, and the President with the principal part of her damage in the hull, as betrayed by the slackened state of her fire.ates Hauls off, At 6 h. 45 m. the President hauled up, apparently and is to avoid her opponent's fire. Profiting by this, the raked Endymion poured in two raking broadsides; then latter. hauled up also, and again placed herself on the by President's starboard quarter. At 7h. 15 m. the President shot away the Endymion's boat from her larboard quarter, also her lower and maintopgallant studding-sails. From 7h. 18 m. to 7 h. 25 m. the President did not return a shot to the vigorous fire still maintained by the Endymion. Recommencing, then, the President shot away the Endymion's maintopmast studding-sail and main brace, and at 7 h. 32 m. hauled suddenly to the wind, as if to try the Endy strength of her antagonist's masts. Having no fear drops for these, the Endymion trimmed sails, and, hauling up, bestowed another raking fire; to which the damag- President, now evidently much shattered, replied sails. with a discharge from one stern gun. In 10 minutes the american frigate kept more away, firing only at intervals; and at 7 h. 58 m. ceased altogether and mion astern ed showed, or appeared to show, (for we are doubtful 1815. of the fact,) a light. Conceiving that the President had struck, the Endymion also ceased firing, and began to bend new sails, her present ones having been cut into ribands by the President's bar and chain shot; one of which had torn away 12 or 14 cloths of her foresail, stripping it almost from the yard. dent is by Po surren with While the Endymion was thus compelled to drop Presi astern, the President continued her course to the overeastward, under a crowd of canvass, much relieved, no taken doubt, by the absence of the former. At 11 h. 15 m. mone P. M. the Pomone gained a position upon the Pre- and sident's larboard quarter, and, luffing up, fired her ders starboard broadside, but did little or no damage. The out President immediately shortened sail and luffed up firing. also, as if to pour a broadside into the Pomone. Instead of that, however, the american frigate hailed that she had surrendered, and hoisted a light in her mizen rigging. Not hearing the hail, and mistaking the object of the light, the Pomone fired a second broadside, acknowledged to have been as ineffectual as the first. On this, the President luffed up still sharper, as if to lay the Pomone on board, and instantly hauled down her light, again hailing that she had surrendered. At this time the Tenedos, who had been hailed by the Endymion and informed that the only two boats her misfortune with the Neufchatel had left her were destroyed, ranged up on the President's starboard side, and, hailing, was answered: "The american frigate President: we have surrendered." Captain Parker immediately sent a boat and took possession; as did nearly at the same moment, captain Lumley of the Pomone. At a few minutes before 9 P. M., having in the short Endyspace of 54 minutes, besides repairing her running readrigging, bent new courses, main topsail, jib, foretop- vances. mast staysail, and spanker, and trimmed them to the wind, the Endymion went again in chase, as fresh as when she began the action, At 9 h. 45 m. the mion 1815. Endymion was hailed, as just mentioned, by the Tenedos, and was not very far astern of the latter at 11 h. 30 m. P. M., when the President struck. Jan. Da mage and Endy and The principal damages sustained by the Endymion have already been detailed. Her fore topmast was loss to struck badly, but none of her other masts in any mion serious degree. Out of her 319 men and 27 boys in Pres. crew, the Endymion had 10 seamen and one sergeant dent. of marines killed, and 12 seamen and two private marines wounded. If the high firing of the President displayed its effects in the disordered rigging and sails of the Endymion, the low firing of the Endymion was equally conspicuous in the shattered hull and lower masts of the President. The starboard side of the ship was riddled from end to end, particularly near the quarter. Almost every port-sill and port-timber, both on the main and the quarter deck, exhibited marks of shot. Three shot had entered the buttock, one of which had passed into the after magazine. Several shot had entered between wind and water, and some under water, which had cut the knees and timbers much. A great many shot had also passed through the ship, between the main and quarter decks and in the waist; but, as a proof of the slight effect of the Pomone's fire, one shot only had entered on the larboard side: it passed through at the tenth port, and carried away the upper sill, clamp, and diagonal knees. With so many shotholes in her hull, the President might well have six feet water in the hold. Five or six of her guns were completely disabled. Out of her 465 men and four boys in crew, the President had three lieutenants, and 32 petty officers, seamen, and marines killed, her commander, (slightly,) master, two midshipmen, and 66 seamen and marines wounded; total, 35 killed and 70 wounded. Of the Endymion's force in guns we have already given a full account. Her brass 18-pounder on the forecastle, we shall not include in the broadside force, because it could not, by possibility, be used there, |