Star.
London, England, 1811-09-07 00:00:00

. ,
hair. He now commands the frigate Constitution, and
is deservedly beloved by the whole navy, men as well
as officers.
No. tv.
Captain BAINBRIrGE is a native of South Amboy,
in the State of New Jersey. He commenced his ca-
reer in the United States service in the year 1798, as
Lieutenant and. commander of a small pilot-boat
built schooner, intended for a look nut vessel off
Sandy Hook. He seiled on a Sunday from New-
York, and returned cid the Saturday following with
the schooner's masts carried by the board. His con-
duct was so mild, on this small excursion, that before
the schooner eould be repaired his whole crew had
deserted. The administration did not think fit to re-
man her, aid she was sold. At this period the late
Captain Decatur had captured, in the Delaware sloop
of war; a French schooner privateer, within the Capes
of the Delaware, which the American Government
took into their service, and named her the Retalia-
tion ; the command of her was given to Captain
Bainbridge, which he soon after lost. She was sent
on a cruize to the West Indies, in company with the
Norfolk United States brig. Off Marigalante, four
strange sail hove in sight, on which the Norfolk brig
hove out a signal, that they were enemies, and stood
off ; but Captain Bainbridge, conceiving he knew
better, or not wishing to be controuled by the com-
mander of the Norfolk, who was senior officer, he
stood on, and was captured after a very slight de-
fence, and carried into Guadaloupe, where he and
his crew remained prisoners until exchanged. He
afterwards got the command of the frigate Essex, of
32 guns, and convoyed some merchantmen as far as i
the Cape of Good Hope, on their passage to the East '
Indies. The frigate Congress was to have accom-
panied, hut was dismasted in the Gulf of Mexico,
and obliged to put back. On his retui 6, after seeing j
his convoy to their place of destination, ,he sailed in
company with the Philadelphia frigate for the Medi-
terranean, after cruising there 12 months, without
having,effectcd any thing, lie returned to the waters
of the United States. Off Sandy Houk his crew mu-
tinied, not lot the purpose of running away with the
ship, but to get into the first American port to rid
themselves or his command. The mutiny, with some
loss of blood, was put down, and the Essex arrived
safe at Washington, seventeen mutineers being in
close irons ; but on their conduct being investigated
into by the then Secretary of the Navy, they were
discharged without further punishment : during this
cruise Captain. Bainbridge discovered that his Ser-
jeant at Arms had kept a minute account of every pu.
nishment that had been on hoard, and for is indus-
try he confined him thrteen weeks in the coal bole of
the ship upon bread and water. He was so much re-
duced on his coming 'On shore, that he was not able
to walk. This person afterwards commenced to
publish, by subscription, an account of the cruise,
but it was bought up by some of the Captain's friends.
However a publication was circulated of his prior
voyage to India by the schoolmaster of the ship,
.which, from the cruelties there set forth, it is easy to
anticipate. the contents of what the latter was. (;ap-
tain Bainbridge remained unemployed until the year
1803, when he was ordered. to join the frigate Phila:
delphia, as Commander, laying up :n ordinary at
Philadelphia, and to equip her for sea. This he did
with difficulty, as it was Amok impossible for him to
obtain ship-carpenters or riggers for the purpose, so
much was he dishlted ; it was seldom that a man
continued in the ship more than a day. The dial-
cult point nes then to man the ship ; he was obliged
Ito offer hiur moths pay in advance, being double
the usual advance. (The American Government
never give a bounty to the sr seamen or soldiers).—
By opening a rendezvous at Nt w-York and Balti-
more, the ship, atter a considerable length of time,
was at last manned. The humane Captain was then
in his Orgy ;Aging was the general order of the
chty, and before n e ship got down the river to New.,
castle, two of his coninnisioned officers left him, hay-
ing got permission from the Secretary of the Navy.
, On making Gibraltar, his First Lieutenant, Cox, the
son of the engineer of that name, who gave his assis-
tance in building the wooden bridges at Waterford'
and Wextord in Ireland, was so disgusted with his.
iunetee Commander's conduct that he left the ship
I and returned to Washington, and resigned his com-
mission after eight yearnservice. ' The next exploit
heard of Captain Bainbridge was, that he had rtin the
..
1 frigate on what he called an unknown sunken rock,
I off Tripoli although the shoal is laid down in almost
every chart. The ship in this situation was attacked
by the Tripolitan gun-boats, but without having done
any injury to the ship, or a man being wounded.—
Under these circumstances, the gallant Captain order
led the colours to be struck, but not a man woUli ehey
him; he cut away the halyards with his sword. eo
frightened even then were the Tripolitans, that then
would not venture near the frigate; the crew perc, iv
ing this, Iron aft, and expostulated, but without effect,
as the brave Commander swore the first man that at- '1
t,-7mptedtohoist the colours,he would runhim through.l
lie then want prudently had the stern boat lowered
down, in which he went and invited the Tripolitans
to take pos,ession of the ship, leaving his favourite,'
Lieutenant Hunt, the son of a butcher at Trenton, in
New Jersey, in charge of the ensign, to prevent its
being hoisted. This was wisely done, as be secesred
quiet treatment for himself and favourites, and- Jell
the remainder at the mercy of the enemy, they being
under the opinion they would be put to the sword,
but fortunately it was not the case. They were made
slaves of for twenty months, and put to the most de-
grading labour, while Captain Bainbridge and his
chosen few were regaling themselves on the best Tri-
, poly could afford. The frigate was got afloat by the
Tripolitans.in two hours afterwards. At the conclu-
sion of the peace between the United States and Tri.
poly, Captain Bainbridge, and the crew of the late
frigate Philadelphia, were released, she having been
bravely destroyed by Commodore Decatur. They
were received on board the frigate President, where
a Court of Inquiry was heldam Captain Bainbridge,
a thing unknown in the annals of American history,
and the opinion of the Court was, that a Court Mar-
tial was unnecessary. Captain Bainbridge returned
to Washington as a passenger, on bond the frigate
President, but never has Since teen employed by the
United States. He is better than six feet. in height,
awkwardly made, and tries to assume the air of a
military man. He never was known to deign to
smile—the only change in his countenance is from
severity to cruelty.
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