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tience hurried every thing forward; no moment was to be lost. On the 1st of June he moved out, and the Shannon, Captain Broke, espying him, manifested no wish to avoid the contest. Lawrence harangued his crew, when to his inexpressible mortification he found them sullen, and mutinous; he endeavoured to conciliate them and arouse within their breasts a spirit worthy of the occasion. But in vain as became too soon evident. After some manoeuvering they came to close quarters, and at first the advantage was evidently in favour of the Chesapeake; the fortune of the day soon began to turn in consequence of the great destruction among the American officers. Sailing master White was killed; Lieutenant Ballard mortally wounded; Lieutenant Brown of the marines severely, as also the first Lieutenant Ludlow. Captain Lawrence although severely wounded still remained on deck, giving his orders with coolness as he leaned upon the companion way. He was giving orders for the boarders to come up, when he received a ball in his body on which he was carried below, exclaiming to his companions as they carried him off, "DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP," which words have become the motto of American seamen. Captain Broke finding that his vessel had received great injury, and was then almost in a sinking condition, determined to board. The Chesapeake having been disabled in her rigging, she had fallen, to use the seamen's phrase, on board the Shannon. The British commander leaped on deck at the head of about twenty men, and was soon followed by a sufficient number of his crew to accomplish the object in view. A short but desperate struggle ensued. The loss of officers on the part of the Americans, and the dastardly conduct of the boatswain who had skulked instead of calling up the boarders, gave

the decided advantage to the enemy. The action in a short time terminated in the capture of the Chesapeake. Nearly all the officers on board this ill-fated ship, were either killed or wounded, besides seventy of her crew killed, and eighty wounded. On the part of the enemy there were twenty-three killed and fifty-six wounded. The conduct of the British was not so conspicuous for magnanimity to the vanquished, as would have been wished, with the exception of the honourable interment of the naval heroes Lawrence and Ludlow, on their arrival at Halifax.

The rejoicings in England for this victory, were scarcely more extravagant than those of Nelson, and of their most distinguished Admirals. The capture of one American frigate appeared to them a greater exploit, than the capture of a French or Spanish fleet. For a time, the tide of fortune seemed to be in favour of Britain. The Argus, early in June, after having carried out the American minister to France, went to cruize in the British channel, where she committed so much havoc, that the British government found it necessary to fit out ships on purpose to encounter this dangerous enemy. By one of these, the Pelican,) she was discovered at night by a ship on fire. Captain Allen fell at the first fire, and his Lieutenant soon after. The wheel being unfortunately shot away she was exposed to raking. In this situation she withstood the enemy's fire sometime, but was at last compelled to surrender after forty-seven minutes close fighting. This was the last victory fairly obtained by Britain.

Early in July letters were received from Commodore Porter, who it seems had sailed round Cape Horn for the purpose of cutting up the English trade and destroying their fisheries in the South seas. In this he met with

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e astonishing success; he captured nine of the enemy's ships, the greater part of which were armed, and distributing some of his men on board these ships he made out to form a respectable fleet, with which he soon be. came master of the Pacific ocean.

In the Atlantic, victory once more returned to the side of justice. On the first of September the brig Enterprise, Captain Burrows, fell in with the Boxer, Captain Blythe. The action lasted but little more than thirty minutes, when the Englishmen was so roughly handled that he cried for quarter, as they were unable to haul down the colours, having used the precaution to make sure of their courage, by nailing it to the mast. Both the commanders were killed. Captain Burrows refused to be carried below, and when the sword of his adversary was presented to him he pressed it to his breast and exclaimed, "I die contented."

Commodore Rodgers on the 26th of September, arrived after a cruize of great length, having looked at every country on the Atlantic, and circumnavigated the British Islands, without molestation from the thousand ships of Great Britain. Off the American coast he captured a small vessel, the Highflyer, with Admiral Warrens private signals, by which he was enabled to escape. the British cruizers.

The privateers throughout this year continued to emulate the public vessels in the boldness and success of their exploits, and in the correctness of their deportment. The Comet, the General Armstrong and the Decatur, performed a number of acts of the most signal character. The Decatur actually captured the Dominica a British public vessel, of nearly equal force, after a severe engagement.

CHAPTER IX.

RUSSIAN MEDIATION-BRILLIANT EVENTS OF THE WAR.

WAR entails upon every nation many evils and many sufferings; although it is one of the conditions of life, there is none who does not prefer the smiles of peace, to the flickering brand of discord. It was therefore not without gladness, that we hailed the first rays of peace, which broke through the clouds, and promised once more, a day of sunshine. The overtures for an armistice reciprocally made had entirely failed, when the Emperor of Russia interposed his good offices as a mediator desirous of bringing about an amicable adjustment of differences. President Madison immediately accepted the próposition, and appointed Messrs. Gallatin, Bayard, together with Mr. Adams, the commissioners for the occasion.

The two former as soon as possible embarked

for Europe:

The campaign of 1813, the second year of the war, opened with several brilliant affairs which served to raise the character of our soldiery. Commodore Chaun- . cy was master of Lake Ontario, and Sir James Yeo, was careful not to shew himself out of Kingston until the vessels then building would give him the superiority. The Commander in chief, General Dearborne was therefore at liberty to cross to the Canada side with his troops, in

the pursuit of any plan of operations he might adopt. Pike who had been raised to the rank of a Brigadier, full of the most ardent desire of distinction, panted for an opportunity of taking the field. An attack in York was resolved upon; the plan and execution were resigned to Pike. This place, the capital of Upper Canada, contained vast quantities of military and naval stores, and morever a large vessel almost ready to be launched, which would give the command of the Lake to the British.

On the 25th of April, two thousand men were eme barked on board the American squadron, and the next day appeared before York. No time was lost in effecting a landing at the ruins of the old fort of Torento, about two miles above the town. This was effected under a severe fire from the enemy, who had been apprised and were drawn up at the water's edge. Forsyth, with his riflemen led the van; but receiving a galling fire as he neared the shore, he ordered his boatmen to rest on their oars, in order to give his marksmen an opportunity of returning the compliment. This being observed by Pike, who was anxiously watching every movement, he leaped into the boat prepared for himself and staff, and ordered the detachment of Major King to follow him. He made good his landing, and placing himself at the head of the troops first formed, gallantly charged upon the enemy, and drove them before him. A few moments after, reinforcements arriving, he moved rapidly forward, drove the enemy from a battery which they had constructed, and then pushed on to another, when the sound of Forsyth's bugles announced victory on his part. As he approached the last battery, it was precipitately abandoned by the enemy. Here his column halted within

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