possession of several islands in the bay, particularly Sharp's, Tilghman's, and Poplar islands, whence he could seize the opportunity of making a descent upon the neighbouring shores, when the inhabitants happened to be off their guard.

Encouraged by his success against the farmers, and his rapacity increasing by the booty which he had already obtained, Cockburn now resolved to undertake something of a more bold and adventurous character, in which his thirst for plunder, and his love of mischief, might be gratified in a higher degree. He therefore directed his attention to the unprotected villages and hamlets along the bay; carefully avoiding the larger towns, the plundering of which might be attended with some danger. The first of these exploits was against the village of Frenchtown, containing six dwelling houses, two large storehouses, and several stables. It is important, however, as a place of deposite on the line of packets and stages from Philadelphia to the city of Baltimore, and Cockburn rightly conjectured that here there might be private property to a considerable amount. He accordingly set out on this expedition, from his ship, the Marlborough, in barges, with five hundred marines; a sufficient number to have carried the town on their backs. Some show of resistance was made by a small party of militia collected from Elkton, but which moved off as the admiral approached. The storehouses were destroyed, together with the goods they were unable to carry off, to an immense amount. Amongst other objects of wanton destruction, was an elegant drop-curtain, intended for the theatres of the cities before mentioned. The brand was applied to some of the private dwelling houses, and to several vessels lying at the wharf; after achieving this glorious victory, the admiral, fearing the approach of the militia, hastily retired to his ship.

The next exploit of the admiral, was of still greater importance. The town of Havre de Grace is situated on the Susquehanna, about two miles from the head of the bay, and is a neat village, containing twenty or thirty houses. An attack on this place was the next object hich entered into the plan of the admiral's operations.

Accordingly on the third of May, before day light, his approach was announced by a few cannon shot, and the firing of rockets. The inhabitants, roused from their sleep, leaped up in the greatest consternation, and the more courageous repaired to the beach, where a few small pieces of artillery had been planted on a kind of battery for the purpose of defence against the smaller watering or plundering parties of the enemy. After firing a few shots, with the exception of an old citizen of the place, of the name of O'Neill, they all fled on the approach of the barges, abandoning the village to the mercy of Cockburn. O'Neill alone continued to fight, loading a piece of artillery, and firing it himself, until by recoiling it ran over his thigh and wounded him severely. He then armed himself with a musket, and limping away, still kept up a retreating fight with the advancing column of the British, who had by this time landed and formed; after which he moved off to join his five or six comrades, whom he attempted in vain to rally.

The ocean, in the mean time, had been the theatre of sanguinary conflicts, in which the victors gained untarnished laurels. Captain Lawrence, in the sloop of war Hornet, discovering, in the neutral port of San Salvador, a British sloop of war of superior force, challenged her commander to meet him at sea. The challenge being declined, Captain Lawrence blockaded the fort until forced by a ship of the line to retire.

A fierce

Soon after, on the 23d of February, the Hornet met the British brig Peacock, of about equal force. combat ensued. In less than fifteen minutes, the Peacock struck her colours, displaying, at the same time a signal of distress. The victors hastened to the relief of the vanquished, and the same strength which had been exerted to conquer was now exerted to save. Their efforts were but partially successful. She sunk before all her crew could be removed, carrying down nine British seamen and three brave and generous Americans. the battle, the loss of the Hornet was but one killed and two wounded; that of the Peacock was never ascertained.

In

On his return to the United States, captain Lawrence

was promoted to the command of the frigate Chesapeake, then in the harbor of Boston. For several weeks, the British frigate Shannon, of equal force but having a selected crew, had been cruising before the port; and captain Broke, her commander, had announced his wish to meet, in single combat, an American frigate. Inflamed by this challenge, captain Lawrence, although his crew was just enlisted, and his officers were strangers to him and to each other, set sail, on the first of June, in pursuit of the Shannon.

Towards evening of the same day, they met, and instantly engaged, with unexampled fury. În a very few minutes, and in quick succession, the sailing master of the Chesapeake was killed, captain Lawrence and three Lieutenants were severely wounded, her rigging was so cut to pieces that she fell on board the Shannon, her chest of arms blew up, captain Lawrence received a second and mortal wound and was carried below; at this instant, the position of the ships being favorable, captain Broke, at the head of his marines, gallantly boarded the Chesapeake, when every officer who could take command being killed or wounded, resistance ceased, and the American flag was struck by the enemy.

That fortune favoured the Shannon cannot be doubted. That the event would have been the same had fortune favoured neither, is rendered probable by the astonishing effect of her fire. This unexpected defeat impelled the Americans to seek for circumstances consoling to their pride, and in the journals of the day, many such were stated to have preceded and attended the action. But nothing could allay their grief at the fall of the youthful and intrepid Lawrence. His previous victory and magnanimous conduct had rendered him the favourite of the nation, and he was lamented with sorrow, deep, sincere, and lasting. When carried below, he was asked if the colors should be struck. "No," he replied, "they shall wave while I live." When the fate of the ship was de cided, his proud spirit was broken. He became delirious from excess of mental and bodily suffering. Whenever able to speak, he would exclaim, "Don't give up the ship!" an expression consecrated by his countrymen;

and he uttered but few other words during the four days that he survived his defeat.

This victory was not achieved without loss. Of the crew of the Shannon, twenty four were killed and fifty six wounded. Of that of the Chesapeake, forty eight were killed and nearly one hundred wounded. Great was the exultation of the enemy. Victories over the frigates of other nations were occurrences too common to excite emotion; but the capture of an American frigate was considered a glorious epoch in the naval history of Great Britain. The honors and rewards bestowed upon captain Broke were such as had never before been received but by the conqueror of a squadron. These demonstrations of triumph were inadvertant confessions of American superiority; and were to the vanquished themselves, sources of triumph and consolation.

The next encounter at sea was between the American brig Argus and the British brig Pelican. The latter was of superior force, and was victorious. Soon after, the American brig Enterprise, commanded by lieutenant Burrows, captured the British brig Boxer, commanded by captain Blyth. These vessels were of equal force, but the great effect of the fire of the Enterprise furnished to the Americans another proof of the superior skill of their seamen. Both commanders were killed in the action, and were buried, each by the other's side, in Portland.

Commodore Porter had been cruising in the Pacific for nearly a year, in the course of which he had captured several British armed whale ships. Some of these were equipped as American cruisers and store ships; and the Atlantic, now called the Essex Junior, of twenty guns and sixty men, was assigned to Lieut. Downes. The prizes which were to be laid up, were convoyed by this officer to Valparaiso. On his return, he brought intelligence to Commodore Porter that a British squadron, consisting of one frigate, and two sloops of war, and a store ship of twenty guns, had sailed in quest of the Essex. The commodore took measures immediately, to repair his vessel, which, having accomplished, on the 12th of December, 1813, he sailed for Valparaiso, in company with the Essex Junior.

"It was not long after the arrival of Commodore Por ter at Valparaiso, when Commodore Hillyar appeared there in the Phœbe frigate, accompanied by the Cherub sloop of war. These vessels had been equipped for the purpose of meeting the Essex, with picked crews, in prime order, and hoisted flags bearing the motto, " God and our country, British sailors' best rights; traitors of fend them.

This was in allusion to Porter's celebrated motto, "Free trade and sailor's rights;" he now hoisted at his mizzen, "God, our country, and liberty tyrants offend them." On entering the harbour, the British commodore fell foul of the Essex, in such a situation as to be placed completely in the power of the latter; the forbearance of commodore Porter was acknowledged by the English commander, and he passed his word and honour to observe the same regard to the neutrality of the port. "The British vessels soon after stood out, and cruised off the port about six weeks, rigorously blockading the Essex. Their united force amounted to eighty one guns and about five hundred men, about double that of the Essex; but the circumstance of this force being divided in two ships, rendered the disparity still greater; and was by no means counterbalanced by the Essex Junior. Commodore Porter being prevented by this great disparity of force, from engaging, made repeated attempts to draw the Phoebe into action singly, either by manœuvreing or sending formal challenges; but commodore Hillyar carefully avoided the coming to action alone. The American commander, hearing that an additional British force was on its way, and having discovered that his vessel could outsail those of the British, determined to sail out, and, while the enemy was in chase, enable the Essex Junior to escape to a place of rendezvous previously ap pointed.

"On the twenty-eighth of March, the wind coming on to blow fresh from the southward; the Essex parted her starboard cable, and dragging her larboard anchor to sea. Not a moment was lost in getting sail on the ship, as it was determined to seize this moment to escape. In en eavouring to pass to the windward of the enemy, a squall