Star. — London, England, 1814-08-31 00:00:00

and every arrangement made for sailing, and I in tended to let them critize off to give the Essex Junior an opportunity of escaping. On the 2Sth of March, the day atter this determination was formed, the wie:l came on to blow fresh from the southward, when I parted my larboard • cable and dragged my starboard anchor directly nut to sea- Not a moment was to be lost in getting sail on the ship. The enemy were close in with the point forming the west side of the bay ; hut on opening them I s.sw a prospect of passing to windward, when I took in my top-gallant sail., which were set over single reefed topsails, and braced up for this purpose ; but on rounding the point., a heavy squall Struck the ship and carried away her main-top -mast, precipitating the men who were aloft .into the sea, who were drowned. Both ships now gave chace to me, and I endeavoured in my dis abled sate to regain the port; but finding I could not recover the common anchorage, I ran close into a small hay, about three quarters of a mile to leeward of the battery, on the east side of the harbour, and let go my anchtir within pistol shot of the shore, where I ir tended to repair my damages as soon as possible. The enemy continued. to approach, and chewed an evident inteetien of attacking, regardless of the neu trality of the pl.ice where I was anchored ; and the caution observed in their approach to the attack of the crippled Essex was truly ridiculous, as was their display of their motto flags, and the number of jacks et all their mast heads. I, with as much expedition as circumstances would. admit of, got my ship ready for rction, mid endeavoured to get a spring on my cable, bur bad not succeeded when the enemy, at 54. rn mites -Ater three P N. made his attack ; the Phoebe 01 :cline herself under my stern, and the Cherub on my •riut,rd . bow :. but the Cherub soon finding her ion a hot one, bore up and ran under my stern where both ships kept up a hot rakieg fire. I . 4.1 got three Ping . 12-pounders out of the stern ports, ei hicts uere worked with so much bravery and skill, that in hell an hour we so disabled both as to,compel 'hem to haul off to repair damages. In the course of this firing, I had by the great exertions of Mr. Ed • tiarnewall, the Acting Sailing Master, assisted by Mr. Linscott„the. Boatswain, succeeded in getting springs on our cable three different times; but the fire of the enemy was so excessive, • that before we could get ur broadeide to be ar , they were shot away, and thus rendered useless to .us. My ship had received many injuries,. and several had been killed and w untied; but my brave officers and men, notwith standing the unfavourable circumstances under which en were brought to action, and- the powerful force opposed to .us,. were noways discouraged—.all ate; peared determined to defend their ship to the last ex tremity, and to die in preference to a shameful sur render.. Our gaff, with the ensign. and the motto flag at the mitten, hadbeen shot away, but sr free trade and sailors' rights" continued to fly . at tln fore. Qur ensign was-replaced. by another; and to guard against a similar event, an ensign was made fast in the mieeitrigging,and several jacks were hoisted in different parts oldie ship. The enemy soon repaired his daeiages for a fresh attack; he now placed him self, with both his ships, on my starboard quarter, out creche reach of .my earronaeles, and where my stern guns could npt.be brought to bear ; he there kept up a most galling fire, which it was out of my power to return, when I saw no prospect of injuring him with out getting under way and becoming the assailant. My top-sail sheets and 'radioed: were all shot away, as well as the jib and fore 7 top-mast-itarsait-lialiards. The only rope not mit was the hying-jib-haliards ; end .hat being the only sail I c o uld set , I caused it to be hoisted, my cable to be cut and. ran down on both ships, with an intention of leying the Phoebe on board. The tiring on both sides 'was now .tremendous; I had let tall my fore-top-sail and fore-sail, but the want of tacks and s'!eets rendered them almost useless to us— yet we wire enabled, for a short time, to close with the enemy ; and although our decks were now strewed with dead, and our cockpit filled with wounded—although our 'ship' had been several times on fire, and was rendered a perfect wreck, we were still encouraged to hope to save her, from the circum stance of the Cherub, from her crippled state, being compelled to haul off. She did not return to close action again, although she apparently had it in her pow r to do so, but kept up a distant firing with her long gees. The Phoebe, from our disabled state, was ena bled however, by edging off, to choose the distance which best suited her long guns, and kept up a tre mendons fire on us, which mowed down my brave companions by the dot/en. Many of my guns had been rendered useless by the enemy's shot, and many of them had had their whcle crews destroyed. We manned them again from those which were disabled, and one gun in particular was three times manned—. fifteen men were .slain at it in the course of the ac. tion, but, strange as it may appear, the Captain of it escaped with only a slight wound. " Finding that the enemy had it in his power to choose his distance, I now gave up all hopes of clos ing with him, and, as the a Ind for the moment seem ed to favour the design, I determined to endeavour to run her on shore, land my men, and destroy her. Evzry thing seemed to favour my wishes. We had approached the shore within musket shot, and I had no doubt of succeeding, when, in an instant, the wind silifted from the land (as is very common in this port in the latter part of ti!e day) and payed our head down on the l'hcebe, where we were again exposed to a dreacitill raking fire. My ship was now totally wimanageable ; yet, as her head was toward the aid be to leeward of me, I still hoped to be able to hoard him. At this moment Lieutenant Commandant Downes come on board to receive my or.lers, under the impression that I should soon be a prisoner. He could be of no use to me in the then wrea.:lied state of the Essex ; and finding (from the enemy's putting his helm op) that my last attempt at hoarding Would not succeed, I diiiv.ed him, after he had been about ten minutes on board, to return to his own ship,' to be prepared for defending and de stroying her in cast of attack. He took with him se►eral of my wounded, leaving three of his boat's crow un boi.rd to make room for them. " The Oherub now had an opportunity . of distin., gtiishitt berseh, by keeping up a hot fi re on him during leis return. The slaughter on board my ship 1,0 now become horrible, the enemy continuing to rake trs, And we unable 'to bring a gull to bear. I tiWreii:re ditected a hawser to be lutist to the sheet atichOr, and the aufior to be cut from the bows to bring bee head round : this stteceeded. 'nye again .got our broadside to bear, and as the enemy was mucfccrippled and unable to hold his own, I have no doubt he would soon have drifted out of gunshot before he discovered we had anchored, had not the hawser unfortunately parted. My ship had taken tire several times during the action, but alarmingly so forward and aft—at this moment, the flames were bursting up each hatchway, and no hopes were en tertained of saving her : our distance from the shore did not exceed three quarters of a mile, and I hoped many ofmy brave crew would be able to save them selves. should the ship blow up, as I was informed the fire was near the magazine, and the explosion of a large quantity of powder below served to increase the horrors of our situation—our boats were destroy ed by the enemy's shot ; I therefore directed those who could swim to jump overboard and endeavour to gain the shore. Some reached it—some were taken by the enemy. and some perished in the at tempt ; but most preferred sharing with me the fate of the ship. 41 We, who remained, now turned our attention wholly to extinguishing the flames; and when we had succeeded, went again to our guns, where the firing was kept up for some minutes, but the crew had by this time become so weakened, that they all declared to me the impossibility of making further resistance, and entreated Inc to surrender my ship to save the wounded, as all further attempt at Opposi tion must prove ineffectual, almost every gun being disabled by the destruction of their crews. I now sent for the officers of divisions, to consult them ; but what was my surprise to find onlyActingLieutenant Stephen Decatur M'Knight remaining (who con firmed the report respecting the condition of theguns on the gun deck—those on the spar deck were not in a better state). " I.ieutenantWilmer, after felting most gallantly throughout the action, had been knocked overboard by a splinter while getting the sheet anchor from the bows, and was drowned. Acting Lieutenant John G. Cowell had lost a leg; Mr. Edward Barnewell, Acting Sailing -master, had been carried below, after receiving two severe wounds, OOP in the breast and one in the face ; and Acting Lieutenant William H. Odenheimer had been knocked overboard from the quarter an instant before, and did not regain the ship until after the surrender. • 4 I was informed that the cockpit, the steerage, the ward-room, and the birth-deck, could contain no more wounded ; that the wounded were killed while the Surgeons were dressing them ; and that, nnless something was done to prevent it, the ship would soon sink from the number of shot holes in her bot. tom. And on tending for the Carpenter, he inform. .ed me that all his crew had !nen killed or wounded, and that he had once been over the side to stop the leaks, when his slings had been shot away, and it was with difficulty he was saved from drowning. " The enemy, from the smoothness of the water. and the impossibility of our reaching him with our carronades, and the little apprehension that was ex cited by our fire, which had now become much slack. ened, was enabled to take aim at us as at a target — his shot never missed our hull, and my ship was cut up in a manner which was, perhaps, never before witnessed. In tine, I saw no hope of saving her, and at 20 minutes after sir p. in. gave the painful order to strike the colours. Seventy-five men, including officers, were all that remained of my whole crew, capable of doing duty, and many of them severely wounded, some of whom have since died. The ene my still continued his fire, and my brave though un fortunate companions were still falling about sue.— I directed an opposite gun to be fired, to shew them 4e intended no further resistance ; but they did not desist; four men were killed at my side, and others in different parts of the ship. I now believed he in tended to shew us no quarter, and that it would be as well to die with my fltg flying as struck, and was on the point of again hoisting it, when about ten mi nutes after howling the colours down he ceased firing. 11 I cannot speak in sufficiently high terms of the, conduct of those ongaged for such an unparalleled length of time, under such circumstances, with me, in the arduous and unequal contest. Let it suffice to say, that more bilivery, skill, patriotism, and zeal, were never displayed on any occasion. Every one seemed determined to die in defence of their much loved country's cause; and nothing but views to hu manity could ever have reconciled them to the sur render of their ship; they remembered their wounded and helpless ship-mates below. To acting Lieutenants M'Knight and Odenhei mer I feel much indebted, for their great exertions and bravery throughout the action, in fighting and encouraging the men at their divisions, for the 6"ex terous management of the long-guns, and fur their promptness in re-manning their guns as their crews were slaughtered. The conduct of that brave and heroic officer, Acting Lieutenant. John G. Cowell, who lost his leg in the latter part of the action, ex cited the admiration of every man in the ship; and, after being wounded, would not consent to be taken below, until the loss of blood rendered him insensible. Mr. Edward Barnewell, Acting Sailing -master, whose activity and courage were equally conspicuous, re turned on deck after his first wound, and remained, after receiving his second, until fainting with the loss of blood. N Mr. Samuel B. Johnston, who had joined me the day before, and acted as marine officer, conducted himself with great bravery, and exerted himself in assisting at the long guns—the musketry, after the first half hour, being useless, from our long distance. 4 , Mr. M. W. Bostwick, whom I had appointed Acting Purser of the Essex Junior, and who was on board my ship, did the duties of aid in a manner which reflects on him the highest honour; and Mid shipmen Isaacs, Farragut, and Ogden, as well as Acting Midshipmen James Terry, James R. Lyman, and Samuel Duzenbury, and Master's Mate William Pierce, exerted themselves in the performance of their respective duties, and gave an earnest of their value to the service. The three first are too young to recommend for promotion ; the latter I beg leave to recommend for conSrmation, as well as the Act ing Lieutenants, and Messrs. Barnewall, Johnston, and Bostwick. 44 We have been unfortunate, but not disgraced; the defence of the Essex has not been less honourable to her 'officers and crew than the capture of an equal force; and 1 now consider my situation less unpleas ant than that of Commodore Hillyar, who, in via l ' lation of every principle of honour and generosityirl 'and regardless of the rights of nations, attacked ae Essex in her crippled state, within pistol-shot of a neutral shore; when for six weeks I had daily offered him fair combat, on terms greatly to his own advan oge ; the blood the slAin must be on his head, and he has yet to reconcile his conduct to Hi.aveN, to his conscience, and to the world. " The annexed extract of a letter from Commo dore Hillyar, which was written previous to his re turning me my sword, will spew his opinion of our conduct. 66 My loss has been dreadfully severe; 38 killed, l or have since died of their wounds, and among them Lieutenant Cowell; 39 were severely wounded, 27 slightly, and 31 are missing ; making in all 154 , killed, wounded, and missing, a list of whose names is an nexed. " The professional knowledge of Dr. Richard Hoff man, acting Surgeon, and Dr. Alexander Montgo mery, acting Surgeon's Mate, added to the assi duity and benevolent attentions and assistance of Mr. D. P. Adams, the Chaplain, saved the lives.of many of the wounded. Those Gentlemen have been inde. fatigable in their attentions to them ; the two first I beg leave to recommend for confirmation, and the latter to the notice of the department. " I must, in Justification to myself observe, that with our six 12-pounders only we fought this action, our carronades being almost useless. .66 The loss in killed and wounded has been great with the enemy : among the former is the First Lieu tenant of the Phcebe, and of the latter, Capt. Tuckor, 'of the Cherub, whose wounds are severe. Ilgth the Essex and Phcebe were in a sinking state, and it was with difficulty they could be kept afloat until they anchored in Valparaiso next morning. " The Nattered state of the Essex will, I believe, prevent her ever reaching England ; and I also think it will he out of their power to repair the damages of the Phcebe, so as •to enable her to double Cape Horn. All the masts and yards of the Phcebe and Cherub are badly crippled, and their hulls much cut up ; the former had eighteen 12. pound shot through her below her water-line, some three feet under wa ter. Nothing but the smoothness of the water saved both the Phcebe and the Essex. " I hope, Sir, that our conduct may prove satis factory to our country, and that. it will testify it by obtaining our speedy exchange, that we may. again have it in our power to prove our Leal. "Commodore Hillyar, I am informed, has thought proper to state to his Government, that the action only lasted 4 minutes; should he have done so, the motive may be easily discovered : but the thousands of disinterested witnesses who covered the surround ing can testify that we fought his ships.near two hours and a-half ; upwards of 'fitty broadside's were fired by the enemy, agreeably to their own account, and upwards of seventy-five by ours; except the few minutes d-ey were repairing damages, the firing was incessant. " Soon after my capture, I entered into an agree ment with Commodore Hillyar to disarm my prize, the. Essex itnior, end proceed with the survivors of my officers and crew in her to the United States, taking with me all her officers ani crew. He con sented to grant her a passport, to secure her from re. capture. The ship was small, and we knew we had much to suffer, yet we hoped soon to reach our coun try in safety, that we might again have it in our power to serve it. The arrangement was attended with no additional expense, as she was abundantly supplied with stores and provisions for the voyage. In justice to Commodore Hillyar, I must ob serve, that (although I can never be reconciled to the manner of his attack on the Essex, or to his con duct before the acti .n) he has, since our capture, shewn the greatest humanity to my wounded (whom he permitted me to land, on condition that the United States should be at their expenses) and has endea voured as much as lay in his power to alleviate the distresses of war, by the most generous and delicate deportment towards myself, my officers and crew. He gave orders that the property of every person should be respected—his orden, however, were not so strictly attend e d to , as m i g h t have been expected, besides being deprived of books, charts, ace. &c. both my officers and myself lost many articles of clothing, some to a considerable amount. " I should not have considered this last circum stance of sufficient importance to notice, did I not mark a striking difference between the navy of Great Britain and that of the United States, highly credit able to the latter. By the arrival of the Tagus, a few days after my capture, I was informed that, besides the ships which had arrived in the Pacific in pursuit of me, and those still expected, others were sent •to cruize fur niein the China Se a s, off N ew Z ea l an d, Ti mor, and New Holland, and that another frigate was sent to the River It Plata. " To possess the Essex it has cost the British Go vernment near six millions of dollars, and yet. Sir, her capture was owing entirely to accident; and if we consider the expedition with which naval contests are now decided, the action is a dishonour to them. Had they brought their ships boldly into action with a force so very superior, and hiving the choice of position, they should either have captured or de stroyed us in one-fourth the time they were about it. 46 During the action. our Consul General, Mr. Poinseit, called on the Governor of Valparaiso, and requested that the batteries might protect the Essex. nis request was 'refused, but he promised that if s.:t.e should succeed in fighting her way to the com mon anchorage, be would send an officer to the Bri tish Commander, and request him to cease firing, but he declined using force under any circumstances, and there is no doubt of a perfect understanding be tween them : this couduct, added to the assistance given to she British, and their friendly reception atter the action, and the strong bias of the faction which govern Chili in favour of the English, as well as their hostility to the Americans, induced Mr. Poinsett to leave that country. '• Under such circumstances I did not conceive it would be proper for me to claim the restoration of my ship, confident that the claim would be made by my Government with more effect. Finding some dit: liculty in the sale of my prizes, I had taken the Hec tor and Catharine to sea and burnt them, with tir Cargoes. .iLexchanged Lieutenant M‘Knight, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Lynhin, and eleven seamen, for part' of the crew of the Sir Andrew Hammond, and sailed from Valparaiso on the 27th April, where the enemy were still proceeding to Rio de Janeiro , previous to going to patching up their ships , to put them in a flute fns England. " Annexed is a list of the remains of my crew to as also a copy of the corretrodence be e et Hillyar and myseti on the exchanged, as subject. I also send you # list of the prisoners I have taken during my cruise, amounting to SO2. ,I have the honour to be, am. (Signed) " a. "GRUM." " The Hon. Secretary of the Navy ei the utrked States, Washington." P. S. To give you a correct idea of the state of the Essex at the time of her surrender, I send ycst the Boatswain's and Carpenter's report of damages; I also send you a report of the divisions. " =TRACT Of A LETTER F cow. mr.r.va It TO Mr. 44 Pi.oAe, April 4, le , s. 4 , My dear Sir—Neither in slur convene:4Juni ncs the accompanying letter, have I rnentioneciyviitsv:ord. Ascribe my remissness in the first instance to forgetful,- nest. I consider it only in my servant's possession with my own, until the master may please to call for it and although I omitted, at the moment of presenta tion, from nay mind bzing muen engrossed in attend ing to professional duties, to (ALT its restoration, the hand that received will be most gladly extended, to put it in possession of him-who svore it so honourably in defending his country's cause. " Believe we, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours, (Signed) a. JAMCS HILLYAR." " Captain Porter." A Retire of the Killed,Wounded.acli Missing,on board the lat. United States' frigate Essex, or 32 guns and 255 men, David Porter, Esq. Conunander, fu an Iberian fought oat the 48th of March, 1814, in the port of Valparaisa, with the British fri gate Pinch; of S 6 guns and nu men, James Hillyar, Esq. Commander, and the sloop of war Cherub, mounting Silvans and ISO men, commanded by T. Tucker, Esq. Killed, and have since died of their wounds Severely wounded slightly wounded . SS S. So - - ' • 4 1 154 After some conversation on the subject of an ex change of prisoners, the foliownig coneyondencn took place gi Valparaiso, April 4, Ixl4. Stn—Taking into consideration the immense dis tance we are from oar respective countries, the uncer tainty of the future movements of his Mojeqy's ships under my command, which precludes the possibility of my nsitking•a permanent arrangement for trans 'porting the officers and crew I:te of the Essex, to Enrope ; and the fast approgching season which rel . ). demi:passage round Cape H ern in some degree lin germs t have the honour to pmpose y9ur spa probation the following article:, which, I hope, t-n Government of the United States, as sii:!!! as that of Great Britain, will deem satisfactory ; and to xequest that, should you conceive them so, you will favour me with the necessary bond for their ltilliiment : ist. The Essex Junior m be deprived of all her arizanent and perfectly ocutralized; to be equipped for ti . e voyage sok4 aid wholly at the expense of she Aanericae Guvernment ; and to proceed with a proper American Olicer and crew (et which I wish to be furnished with'a list ' for the ptirpeae of girl:4;111e necessary passport ) to any port or the United aunts of Ansiaica that you may deem mow proper. " 24. Yverself, the officers, petty officers, seamen. marines, &c. composing your crew to be ercbasage4 Immediately en tb• it arrival in America, for an equal number of lb itish primer. s of similar rank—Yourself sad officers •to he considered on thalc• parole-of honour omit year an 4 their esehangesf.all be effected. 46 In case of the foregoing articles being accepted.. the Essex Junior will be expected to preptreliiirne diately for the voyage, and to pro cee d on i t b e f ore I the expiratioo of the present mouth, iihrould *IT of the wounded at that period be found incapable of rem moval, from not being sufficiently advanced in their recovery, the most humane attention shall be paid them; and they shall be forwarded home by the fin% favourable conveyance that may Offer. • 44 I have the honour to be, Ste. cSiffned) 44 JASON Humus 9 " Captain David rorte km : r, Commander et to g U n it e d • ikates frigate Ewes, Vatearalse ss Valparaiso, Sth April, 1514. Sie—l have the honour to acknowledge On receipt of your several favours of yesterday's date The conditions offered by you for our return so Om United States are perfectly satisfactory to me, an* I entertain no doubts of their being equally so to my • country. I therefore do not hesitate to pledge asy honour -(the strongest bond I can give) that every article of the arrangement shall on our part be fully complied with. A list of the Essei Junior's crew shill be furnished yon as soon as it can 'be made out, and her disarmament effected with all possible dies patch.—l have the honour to be, &c. I ' (Signed) a DAVID PORT/00, Commodore James Hillyar ' commanding his Britannic Majesty's frigate Phiabe, Valparai.e." Commodore Hillyar sent me a paper certifying, that he had exchanged certain individuals therein named, making part of the crew of the Sir Andrew Hammond, for an equal number of the most severely wounded of my crew; this occasioned the following letters : Valparalao, 4th April,lill4. Sir—l have received a paper signed by you, dated yesterday, stating, that you had exchanged certain wounded prisoners, making part of my crew, for the Captain and crew of the prise ship Slr An drew Hammond, which paper 1 have taken the liberty to return to you, and protest in the strongest terms against such arrangement. In the first place, the wounded and helpless individuals therein named, do not wish such exchange ; one died last night, and several others expect to share his tate. Secondly. should I from any circumstance be separated front them, which would be more likely to be the case than if they remained prisoners, their situation would be more deplorable than it is at present. fitirdly, this arrangement has been made without my consent, and on terms far from offering equal advantages to the United States. I have the honour to be, act. " Commodore James ig Hillyadr, confounding his D. roRTER." Britaanie Majesty's frigate Placehr." Hui ritannie Majesty's Ship nabo b Ipitaion, April 4, I atl4. 44 . Silt--I have the honour to acknowiedge the re ' oeipt ot your letter of this day's date, protesting against the arrangement I made in the paper rim returned, and to express a regret that my IA which was to alleviate, and not increase, toe efaicriom. of your wounded officers and crew, has failed of being gratified. lam sorry you have thought proper to mention the dead and dying ; as I so fully explained to you this morning, that, iti the event ot the loss of any, other names ►itottld he added to the list. I shall now direct Captain William Porter to cOtiiider