American ac a counts. 1814. upon bis trial, and the following was the sentence pronounced upon him: “The court having heard the circumstances, determined, that the Chubb, was not properly carried into action, nor anchored so as to do the most effectual service ; by which neglect, she drifted into the line of the enemy: that it did not appear, however, that there was any want, of courage in lieutenant M'Ghie; and, therefore, the court did only adjudge him to be severely reprimanded. Upon the american accounts we sball bestow but few words. Having seen the effects of commodore Perry's puritanical epistle, commodore Macdonough writes his first letter in the same mock-religious strain : “ The Almighty has been pleased to grant us a signal victory on Lake Champlain, in the capture of one frigate, one brig, and two sloops of war of the enemy.” The Contiance a “ frigate;" and the Chubb and Finch sloops of war” ! Yet, according to an american writer, commodore Macdonough was “a religious man, as well as a hero, and prayed with his brave men on the morning of the victory."* In the very summer preceding the Lake Chamcomo plain action, some of the american newspaper modore editors were blaming commodore Chauncey for not ceycon. sailing out of Sackett's-Harbour, in the new ships trasted Superior and Mohawk, after the latter had been launched nearly two, and the former upwards of three months. 'How did that cautious commander answer them? Why, by writing to the secretary of ing the the american navy thus: “I need not suggest to fiance one of your experience, that a man of war may apaction. pear, to the eye of a landsman, perfectly ready for sea, when she is deficient in many of the most essential points of her armament; nor how unworthy I should have proved myself of the high trust reposed in me, had I ventured to sea in the face of an 66 Caution of with the rashness of send * Naval Monument, p, 155, road. enemy of equal force, without being able to meet 1814. him in one hour after my anchor was weighed." Sept. And yet, had poor captain Downie acted with only half this caution, his fair fame would have been tarnished, and the very service to which he belonged scoffed at, by no less a man than the governorgeneral of the british north-american provinces. On the 26th of September the british 74-gun Ameriship Plantagenet, captain Robert Lloyd, 38-gun privafrigate Rota, captain Philip Somerville, and 18-gun teer brig-sloop. Carnation, captain George Bentham, ralcruising off the Western Isles, discovered at anchor Armin the road of Fayal the american privateer schooner fires at General-Armstrong, of seven guns, inclading a long Pianta! 24 or 32 pounder on a traversing carriage, and about genet in Fayal 90 men, captain Guy R. Champlin. Captain Lloyd sent lieutenant Robert Faussett, in the Plantagenet's pinnace, into the port, to ascertain the force of the schooner, and to what nation she belonged. Owing to the strength of the tide, and to the circumstance of the schooner getting under way and dropping fast astern, the boat drifted nearer to her than had been intended. The american privateer hailed, and desired the boat to keep off, but that was impracticable owing to the quantity of stern-way on the schooner. The General-Armstrong then opened her fire, and, before the boat could get out of gun-shot, killed two and wounded seven of her men. As the captain of the american privateer had now Capt. broken the neutrality of the port, captain Lloyd de Lloyd termined to send in and endeavour to cut out his hoats of schooner; which had since come to again with springs close to the shore. Accordingly, at 8 P. M., the Plan- and tagenet and Rota anchored off Fayal road; and at 9P. M. to cut four boats from the Plantagenet and three from the Rota, with about 180 seamen and marines, under the command of lieutenant William Matterface, first of the frigate, pulled in towards the road. The Carnation had been directed to cover the boats in their advance; but, owing, as it appears, to the strength of sends Plantagenet her out. 1814. the current and the intricacy of the navigation, the Sept. brig did not arrive within gun-shot of the american Inabi- schooner, and therefore was not of the slightest use. lity of At midnight, after a fatiguing pull against a strong tion to wind and current, the boats got within hạil of the coope- General-Armstrong, and received from her, and from a battery erected, with a portion of her guns, on the commanding point of land under which she had anchored, a heavy fire of cannon and musketry. In about half an hour, this fire sank two of the boats, and killed or disabled two thirds of the party that had been detached in them. The remainder returned, and at about 2 A. M. on the 27th reached the Rota. The loss appears to have been of the following lamentable amount: the Rota's first and third lieutained tenants, (William Matterface and Charles R. NorBritish. man,) one midshipman, and 31 seamen and marines killed, the Rota's second lieutenant, (Richard Rawle,) first lieutenant of marines, (Thomas Park,) purser, (William Benge Basden,) two midshipmen, and 81 seamen and marines wounded. Among the langridge which the Americans fired, were nails, brass buttons, knife-blades, &c.; and the consequence was, that the wounded, as on former occasions recorded in this work, suffered excruciating pain before they were cured. Soon after daylight the Carnation went into the road to destroy the privateer, priva but the Americans saved the British the trouble by setting fire to her themselves. Serious loss sus Destruction of the, teer. 511 BRITISH AND FRENCH FLEETS. Jan. navy, Two circumstances, in the abstract for the com- 1815. mencement of the present year,* indicate the return of peace; the small number of line-of-battle cruisers in commission, and the great number of ships sold, taken to pieces, or otherwise removed from the service.t The number of commissioned officers and masters, Officers belonging to the british navy at the beginning of bficken 1815, was, Admirals 70 Vice-admirals 73 76 824 39 Commanders or sloop-captains 762 superannuated 60 Lieutenants 3211 Masters 666 And the number of seamen and narines, voted for the service of the same year, was 70000 for three, and 90000 for ten, lunar months. I On the 2d day of January, 1815, his royal bigh- New ness the prince regent was pleased to advance the of the splendour, and to extend the limits, of the most Bath. honourable military order of the bath, “to the end that those officers, who have had the opportunity of distinguishing themselves by eminent services during the late war, may share in the honours of the said order, and that their names may be delivered * See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 23. Jan. persons who fication of a 1815. down to remote posterity, accompanied by the marks of distinction which they have so nobly panions of the bath. Quali The qualifications of a companion of the bath are thus defined: “No officer shall be nominated a C. B. companion of the said most honourable order, unless he shall have received, or shall hereafter receive, distinguished himself by his valour and conduct in way. The order descends no lower than post |