a long series of most important services than by the honors which his grateful country delighted to confer upon him. Desirous that the Navy and Marines should express, in common with every other description of American citizens, the high sense which all feel of the loss our country has sustained in the death of this good and great man, the President directs that the vessels of the Navy, in our own and foreign ports, be put in mourning for one week by wearing their colors half-mast high; and that the officers of the Navy and of Marines wear crape on the left arm below the elbow for six months." 1

1 Nav. Chron. p. 140.

CHAPTER VII

THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR

ON New Year's day, 1800, the schooner Experiment, which had recently arrived on the San Domingo station, lay becalmed in the Bight of Leogane, off the north shore of the island of Gonaive, with a convoy of four merchantmen. The schooner was commanded by Lieutenant William Maley, and her first lieutenant was David Porter, who had been promoted and transferred from the Constellation. The crew of the Experiment numbered seventy. Consul-General Stevens was a passenger on board, and the next day made a report to Commodore Talbot, which tells this story:

...

"At 7 o'clock in the morning, being becalmed in the middle of the channel, we were attacked by ten barges manned with negroes and mulattoes and armed with muskets, sabres, and boarding pikes. Several of the barges carried cannon of four pounds and swivels in the bow; and from the most accurate calculation I could make, the whole number of people on board of them amounted to about four or five hundred, the larger ones carrying 60 or 70 and the smaller ones 40 or 50. They rowed towards us with great eagerness from Trou Covert [a small islet] until they came within long gunshot of the convoy,

when they divided into several small squadrons with intention to board each of the vessels. Captain Maley had made the best possible arrangement for receiving them. The guns of the Experiment being sealed and her ports shut, they could not distinguish her from the merchantmen under her convoy, but approached her with the same degree of boldness that they did the rest. When they came within musketshot of the convoy they commenced a very heavy fire from their great guns and musketry, which was instantly returned by the Experiment, the brig Daniel and Mary, and the schooner Sea Flower. Our grape-shot and small arms made dreadful havoc among them, and obliged them to retire out of the reach of our guns. In this situation they lay on their oars for the space of half an hour, examining us and consulting what measure they should adopt.

"They then rowed towards the island of Gonaib, fired a gun, and were joined by some other barges from the shore, which took out the dead and wounded from those that had been in the engagement and brought off a reinforcement of men. After they had continued thus recruiting their forces for an hour and a half, they hoisted their masts and sails and divided into three squadrons of four barges each. The centre division, consisting of the largest barges, displayed red pendants from the mast heads, while the van and the rear kept the tri-colored flag still flying. In this order they rowed towards our bow with great boldness and velocity; and from their

manœuvres we could plainly perceive that this attack was meant for the Experiment and her alone, and that they were determined by one vigorous effort to board and carry her. During their approach Captain Maley made a very judicious arrangement of his force. He placed a very strong body of musketry on the forecastle and another on the quarter-deck. The oars on both sides were manned to bring her starboard and larboard broadside to bear as occasion might. require, the boarding nettings hoisted and the great guns all loaded and ready for action. As soon as they came within half musket-shot of the Experiment the van and centre of this little fleet ranged themselves on each side of us, whilst its rear attacked us on our bow. They then commenced a brisk and well-directed fire on all sides, accompanied with shrieks and menaces. The guns of the Experiment, however, being well served and the fire of the marines continuing with great steadiness and activity, we at length succeeded in driving them off after a smart action of near three hours.

"In this second attempt two of the barges were sunk and a great number in the others killed or wounded. I am sorry, however, to add that during the heat of the engagement and while they attempted to board us on all sides, two of the barges left the fleet, sheltered themselves from our guns behind the schooner Mary, Captain Chipman, and the brig Daniel and Mary, Captain Farley, and attempted to take them. The first barge accomplished

its object, boarded the Mary and inhumanly murdered Captain Chipman, being the only person found on deck, as the rest of the crew had either secreted themselves in the hold or jumped into the sea. The other was sunk in the act of boarding the Daniel and Mary by a well-directed shot from the Experiment which passed between the masts of the brig. As soon as it was perceived that the Mary was taken a few rounds of grape-shot were thrown on board her, which quickly dislodged the pirates and obliged them to abandon her before they had time to do more than plunder the cabin. After the second attack the barges rowed towards Gonaib, again landed their killed and wounded and took in another reinforcement. They continued in this position for some time, laying on their oars and carefully watching our motions. As the calm continued it was impossible for the Experiment to pursue them or for the vessels under convoy to escape. About four o'clock in the afternoon, observing that the current had carried the brig Daniel and Mary and the schooner Washington nearly out of reach of our guns, they rowed off a third time with a determination to cut off these two vessels. This being perceived by Captains Farley and Taylor, commanders of the brig and schooner, they came to a resolution to abandon their vessels. They were induced to do so in consequence of their crews refusing to defend themselves and from being too distant to be protected by the Experiment; they therefore