The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-14
{ Vol. S------No. IS.

Ell To me, that he would not for any ration
nave any accident happen, and ordered me not TO ,.
on tue chase unless size fred on u.s. or received orr
/ dei's to that cifect from him. .l -
" Did yon receive any orders from Commodore,
noagers to hrs previously to the Little Belt having
a. 1t was not until after the Little Belt had dig
e".fSeu her bioaGside at the President, that re.
ceIv.d orders from Commodoi. Rodgers tn fire.
/ ". Were the guns OF the Little Beit silcpccd and
i'ow soon aite yoa reee;:e the above orders to fire
a. The guns of tue Little Belt were siIenccd in
about five minutes from that tin.c
u After the fire IF the i.ittl,: Belt was silenced
did Commodore Rodgers appear anxious to preyent
further injury being done TO herr
I a. Yes the commodore made use of every cxer-
eiou o te occasion TO prevent further injury IN the
itte beit, 'id went b.ms'a to of the guns on
the quarter deck, ordered the captains of then,
to cease Firing.
O. Did the fire of the President then cease. and
dd the Little Belt aftew ards rc-onmence firing and
how sooa ?
A. The President then ceased f,i,y aud IL .,or.
three minutes after, the Little Belt Recommended
nirngLand Immediately the President renew ed her
ire, which lasted about Ave minutes when the fir.
%. OF me LATHE Bst was completely silenced-and
then heard an officer OF the President think it was
Lieutenant Perry, say somebody mailing from thu,
other sip saying their eolors down. and q at thew
were III great distress.
Q. AS as the Little Belt wa, second finn, =.
fenced, did commodore Rodgers use every exertion
to prevent further injur, to her
\. Yes, sir. i
q. At the time you heard the report of the hrst
gun, d you hear any persons on board the Presidenf
sing out she has fired into us
A. heard several persons saw She has fred In.
to us, meaning the Little Belt.
~ icid you board the Little Belt the morning afteF
the action! H
A. Yes.
G.. Did captain Bingham inform YOU he took tha
President for French ship?
A. He did
@ What message you charged with from.
commodore fodgers to captain Bingham. whe1 YOU
boarUed the Little Belt the morning after The, art;on
"A. Commolore Rodgers ordered me 20 20 on
board the Little Belt, to ascertain the name 9 tho
ship and her comns"der, and to express his deer re-
greet at what had tax place and to say he, ,..rer.
ted that the Little Belt had fired rst-that hid he.
known her force he would have received, shos
without returning it.
q. rave you seen commodore Rodgers's official
letter to the secretary of the Navy dated off Sandy
Hook on the esd day of May last relative TO the acs
A. Yes.
O. Are there any crcu instances in that letter which,
You know to be Incorrect
A. know of none.
Question by commodore Rodgers ID.
was the President on fire at any time during tho
reneounter with the Little Belt. -
A. She was not.
Question by commodore Rodgers
Did the President shc er off with view to avoid k
Little Belt, at any tim during the action
a. Certainly not.
Question by commodore Rodgers T,1
fired at the Little Belt Se
A. Not 20 my knowledge from the fourth division
which commanded, there were none other than
round and -rape shot either deck
Question by commodore Rodgers.
IN the position the two ships at the time COM
mo"or ko'igers gave orders the second time to cease
nrng what would in your opinion have been the a.
feet OF another broadside from the President!
a. II Is more than 'rebab!e, it would have sunk thu
Little Belt
Question by commodore Rodgers.
w men YOU Delivered commodore Rodgers's mes
sage to captain Bingham did he ask yoiI 1,bv ,h..
President lad fred at all'
a. NO, he asked me question of that kind
CAPT. HENRY CALDWELL, 4vas hyodrkcsS
and S7v0rn as a 1vitness
". Were yon on board the United States
frigate President during the engagement on
the night of the 18th May last, with the Liz,
tie Belt?
A. was.
y. What is your station on board the Prss
sident.
A. Commandant of marines.
". when the President had arrived withs
III hailing distance of the Little Belt, did
Commodore Rodgers hail first?
~. Yes.
.. What answer did Commodore Rodeera
receive from the Little Belt /?
A. indstinctlv heard a voice from the
Little Belt bnt could not tell whether il
was an answer to the Commodore's hail
or whether the Little Belt hailed in return
2. Were you in Il position to observe the
Little Belt at the time the first gun was
fredG
a. l was; / was looking directiy AZ
tine Little Belt through the starboard gange
way.
O.. From which ship was the first gun
sirec>
a. From the Little Belt. saw the,
Hash OF her gun, and immediately \ ard
the rePort.---CouImodore Rodgers rrn,-
my round to me, asked----Wliat the evil
vas that '---and replied she has yea ing
u us.
=. Did Commodore r hail the IfrieB 3,
second time, and was il then e be he,
received any answer from her, that s5c 6r-
ed into the presdent9
A The Commodore hailed second t,lnc 81
received no answer, but before he had time,
to lake the trumpet from his mouth, he
Little Belt hrcd into the President
=. At this time had Commodore Rodgers.
gwen any prOvocation TO the Commander 81
the Little Belt
A. None whatever.
z. What were Commodore Rodgers's or
ders on beard the President, before Coming
mp with the Little Belt
a. Ills orders were not to fire Unless fired
into, as we we're not to be the aggresso, ON
any account.
q. At what time did the men under youD
command commence fling a. the Little