The National Register. — London, England, 1815-11-05 00:00:00

TILE NATIONAL REGISTER. spars, all rigging, sails, guns, and, in fact, every heavy article that could possibly tend to impede the ship's . 1 sailing. The enemy continued to fire very heavy, and in quick succession, but his British thunder could neither terrify the Yankee sp irit or diminish Yankee skill, or cienpel us to show h im the Yankee stripes, which must have irritated him excessively.—None of his shot as vet had taken effect, although he had been firing for sipar four hours incessantly, his shot generally passing 1:v-twee!' our masts. We thought tit this period we disco vered we were dropiping hint, as his shot began to fall short' ; this stimulated our gallant crew to fresrt exertion. At eleven, a. m. his firing ceased, and the breeze began to freedien, we discovered the enemy was again coming up with irs fast, which induced a general belief that he had aeatte some alteration in the trim of his ship. At meri dian, squally and fresh breezes ; wind from the westward. Sanday 30th, fresh breezes anti squally ; the enemy still gaining on the Hornet. At one, p. m. being within gun shot distance, he commenced a very spirited and heavy lire with round and grape, the former passing between our masts, and the latter falling all around us. The enemy fired shells, but were so ill-directed as to be per fectly harmless. From two to three, p. m. threw over board all the muskets, cutlasses, forge, &c. and broke up the bell : also cut up the top-gallant-forecastle. It was now our capture appeared inevitable; the enemy three-fourths of a mile on the Ice quarter, pouring his shot and shells in great numbers all around us—continued to lighten the ship by heaving every thing overboard that could either be of service to the enemy, or an impedi- Eiritl to the Hornet's sailing. The men were ordered to lay down on the quarter-deck, in order to trim ship, and to faciliitat© the ship's sailing. At four, one of the shot from the enemy struck the jib-boom, another struck the starboard bulwark, just forward of the gangway, and a third struck on the deck forward of the main hatch, on the larboard side, glanced off, and passed through the foresail. At half past four, we again began to leave tic enemy, and to appearance, by magic—set the larboard lower steering sail, the wind drawing more aft. At five, the enemy's shot fell short. At six, fresh breezes --the enemy's hull down in our wake. At seven, could just see his lower steering sail above the horizon ; from eight to twelve, descried him at intervals, with the night glie,sie. At day-light, discovered the enemy astern •of 'us., distant five leagues. At nine, a. in. the enemy short eetel sail, reefed his topsails, and hauled upon a wind, o the eastward, after a chase of forty-two hours. hiring this tedious and anxious chase, the wind was variable, so as to oblige us to make a perfect circle round , the enemy. Between two and three o'clock yesterday, tot a person on board had the most di-.taut idea that there was r penibility of escape. We all packed up our things, and waited until the enemy's shot would com pel us to heave to end surrender, which appeared certain. Never has there been so evident an interposition of the vedness of a Dish* Father—my heart with gratitude ackeowledges his supreme power and goodness. On the Morning of the '2Bth, it was very calm, and nothing but murmurs wet* heard throughout the ship„ as it was feared we shehld lose our anticipated prize—many plans had been le. eied by us for the disposal of our plunder. The sninen •lielared they would have the birth-deck carpeted with Fast India silk, supposing her an Indiaman from India; while the Wilms, under the impression she was NOV. 5. from England, were making arrangements how we should dispose of the money, porter, cheese, &c. &c. Nothing perplexed us more than the idea that we should not be able to take out all the good things before we should be obliged to destroy her. We were regretting our ship did not sail faster, as the Peacock would certainly capture her first, and would take out many of the best and most valuable articles before we should get up—(this very circumstance of our not sailing as fast as the Peacock, saved us, in the first instance, from inevitable capture— for when Captain W. made the signal for the sail to be a* enemy of superior force, we were four leagues to wind ward.) We all calculated our fortunes were made; but, alas! "we caught a Tartar." During the latter part of the chase, when the shot and shell were whistling about our ears, it was an interesting sight to behold thy varied countenances of our crew. They had kept the deck during all the preceding night, employed continually in lightening the ship, were excessively fatigued, and under momentary expectation of falling into the hands of an en raged enemy. The shot that fell on the main deck (as before related) struck immediately over the head of one of our gallant fellows, who had been wounded in our glorious action with the Penguin, where he was lying in his cot very ill with his wounds ; the shot was near coming through the deck, and it threw innumerable splinters around this poor fellow, and struck down a small paper American ensign, which he had hoisted over his 11,.ad— destruction apparently stared us in the farP, if we did not soon surrender, yet no offiewr no man in the ship sheaved any disposition to let the enemy have the poor little Hor net. Many of our men had been impressed and imprisoned for years in their horrible service, and hated them atid their nation with the most deadly animosity, while the rest of the crew, horror-struck by the relation of the sef ferings of their ship-mates, who had been in the power of the English, and now equally flushed with rage, joined heartily in execrating the present authors of our misfor tune. Captain Biddle mustered the crew, and told them he was pleased with their conduct during the chase, and hoped still to perceive the• prOpriety of 'conduct which had always marked their character, and that of the Am.e rierin tar generally, that we might soon expect to be cap tured, &c. Not a dry eye was to be seen at the mention of capture; the rugged hearts of the sailors. like ice before the fun, warmed by the divine power of sym pathy, wept in unison with their brave commander.— About two o'clock, the wind which had crossed us, and put to the test all our nautical skill to steer clear of die enemy, now veered in our favour (as before stated), and we left Mm. This was truly a glorious victory over the horrors of banishment and the terrors ora British floating dungeon. Quick as 'thought, every face was changed from the gloom of despair to the highest smile of delight, and we began, once more, to breathe the sweets of liberty—the bitter sighs of regret were now changed, and 1 put forth my expression of everlasting gra titude to him, the Supreme Author of our being—who had I thus signally delivered us from the power of ac and rue vindictive enemy. The Journal of the Lower and Middle Rhine of the 2Gttl ult. states, under the head of Paris, that "so long as the Allied Troops remain in France, the French army is net t? exceed 100,000 men. 7 1 i 1 „