The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-17

y. No gun lad then been fred from the Presi
"eat, nor had any proyoc2tion whatever been ;,vci
Belt -
q. What time elapsed before the. President re-
turned the hrst gun OF the Little Belt, aud were
there any and how many guns tred from the Presi-
fire /!
A. Perhaps three OF four seconds elapsed before
the President returned the said gun--there was on
one gun fred from the President before the Little
Belt commenced ageneral lire.
q. Have you seen Commodore Ro,,gers's official
tier 10 the secretary OF the navy dated OF Sandy
ook, the Esd day OF Mag last. relative to the
action with the Li,t. Belt
a. Yes.
O. Are there any stated in that letter
Which YOU know to be Incorrect!
a Nom, sir. y
q. by commodore Rocsers-What was your i'm
pressson as to the force of the Little Belt from the
time yG, first observed her until the Reformation OF
the firing, or indeed, until der force was asocrtaincd
the next morning!
A. thought she was alarge sized f-irate until we
came in hal! of her the next day.
g. BY commodore Ro,lser.--What was the ,Iu-
ration of the action, and was there any cessation. a,
how Icing
A. The action continued "A or Is minutes during
which time there was = cessation of the fire of bot,
ships, of about three n,,nut.s.
O. BY commodore ROdgeAs-When the Little
Belts fire finally s,,cnced could her guns tay.
been brought to bear, had hei commando: wished q
fire again
A. They could.
q. BY commodore Rodgers
In the position the two ships we're y The time I
gave orders the second time to csase firing, what
would in your opinion have be,A the etfrct of ano-
Their broadside from the Prcsrhnt
A / think it would have sunk te Little Belt.
Lieutenant John Oyde Creightoi sUGs ae0in pro-
duceG and examined.
@. BY commodore Rodgers-Nhat was YOUR i'm
preston as to the force ofthe Lite Belt, from the
time You first observed her until tie termination of
the firing Or indeed until her forct was asccrtained
the next morning!
A. ! was under the impression TINT the Little Belt
was frigate, until doubts were excited in my mind
by the feeble resistance she made inte acton-and
on the following morning was still of opirion that
she was frigate when we fir discovered her, and
unit! we got SO near her to be certain of her
force.
O. BY commodore Rodgers--Did | ask YOU imme-
diateiy YOUR return from the Little Belt, if her
wheel had been carried away!
Yes, sir, the commodore asked me that ques-
ton.
c. b. commodore Rodgers-From the Little
ee!t's manp,yres, the night Of the rencontre did
you suppose her wheel had been shot away !.
A. think there was great want of conduct on
boar' the Little Bet-se did not make that defence
which ship of her force ought to have made.
Q. By commodore r. dgers-Did captain Bing-
ham inform you, that he had not our coiOrs
A. Captain Bingham said to mc, the Presidents
co'ors had not been hosted-l replied to him, they
had been hoisted from the moment discovered
INN to be ship of war-he then said, yoi' m;zzen-
topsail would prevent me from seeing ito which
replied he must have seen cur pendant, showed
distinctly above the royals-he then said, YES, re-
collect my officers, who are better acquainted here
than am, told me you were burgee-
Q. BY commodore Rodsers-Is it the usage OF
the service to prepare for action before going along
side OF a strange vessel OF war
a. Yes sir.
The Court adjourned, to meet tomorrow morn
ing, at eleven O'Clock, al the same place.
~, Thursday, Sept 5, 1911.
u he Court met pursuant to adjournment.
dent.
Captains Charles Stuart and Isaac Chauacey.
Members.
The proceedings of the court of yesterday were
read and approved.
Jain Snith Svas produced to ,ke Court anS sworn
rs EpItpeSs
Y. Were you on board tn II. States fIigate the
Pr sldent, ON the ght of the 10th day of May last,
am was there an acton between her and his Brsan-
ME majesty ship The Little Pe,ti
a.. was, on the night o. that day, board the
Saia iTgate, the President, and there then az
acton between her and the said ship the Little
Belt
q. DO you hold any, and what station ON board the
said rigate the President and allerc were you quar-
tered at the time of the said action
"A. am a mdshiprnan, acting as masters mate on
Doaru thc rresiGent, and at the time of the said ac
on commanded the subdivision of the fourth division
OF guns on the forecastie.
q. On the night of the said action, did you hear
commodore Rodgers hail the Little Belt, < at what
hodrt and was there any and what reply given to
the commodore
A. Az eight o'clock, of the night of the said action
IF nearly at that hour, heard commodore Rodgers
hail the Little Belt to which did not hear any re-
ply
o. Did commodore RodgershsiI the Little Belt n
second time and how there any, and what
reply, from her
A. fhe commodore hailed the Little Belt second
ume, III about i've seconds, to Which heard no re-
ply.
Q. DID you, at the time of commodore Rodgers's
second hnl, o. at any other, and what tme hear the
report Of gun!
A. saw the flash aud heard the report of rri,
almost Immediately after commodore RoJccrs's Sc
cond hail.
y. When You saw the fash and heard the report
Oh te sa'd gun, We're you III position TO observe the
Il TIC Rclt =
\. Yes, sir, was standing on the side of the afte.
gun o. the iorecastie, Oo1ing directly at the Little
Was the said sia fred from the Little Be!tl
4. IL was, sir.
q When the Little Belt fred the said gun. had n
"! gun been tired by the President, or any proyoca-
tion whatever been given by commodore Rodrers. to
the cornmasder Of the Little Belt
y. AT that time there had not any gun been fired
from the President, nor had any proyocation that
Know Of, been given by the Commodore to tho captain
of ihc Little Belt.
q. Did the President return the FIRE Of the Little
Belt and hos !and lid tho President fire one
or more guns ia retprl
a. The President returned the fire of the Iitu,
Belt, ia four Is seconds, by firing Que un ONLY
q. Dli che Little Belt thereupon Immediately
commence general FIRE
~ heard three guns fred from the Little Belt