The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1816-04-24
AlDtsretiai,p.


COM.dJDUnE M'DONOGGH.
CThs following anccdote 10 extracted from I. bio
graphical sketch Of Com Macdonough, originally
published IN tho .hnaIecsc Magazine . pubiica-
zion ta, gives considerable respsctsbi'ity 70 Ame'
rican literature, at the same time that II coasu
tute. a valuable medium Of ,eterary Intelligence
The anecdt,te itself places the character of Mac
donouyh in = no less excellenl point OF vew'
= though perhaps less splended than the mcrnora'
bic battle Of Lake ChsmPlain.l
"purins the forenoon Of day, 10 sh,cb
oap,ain Smith was on shore, uasrehant
brig under the colours Of the United
States, came into po't, and anchored
"A. ud, and close 20 the Siren Soon atteg,
!, boa, was sen, from B-iish irigatc then
lving in The harbor, on board s"is big. AT
ter remaining aloagsida hide wh''e' tho
hnaf r.,nrned suiib nun norr then she
svens wifh, circum ancs attracted the no.
tice Of Macdonough sho sent heutcnoau'
Page. on board the i .g 20 know the partic-
llars Of he affair. NJ. Page returned viii
Information that the man hed been pressed
by the boat from the Br,slsh :''gste, ai,nou,n
he had 4 pro,ec Ion as an Ans lean h3ga
citizen. Immcdiately on III receipt of ,n.,
Information, iMacdonugh ordered the Si,ao's'
Gig TO be maoned and armed, and putting
himself in her, went In pursuii ot he best,
determined 70 roscnc his sona,ryman. He
overtook her alongside the british frigate,
iast az The man st the bow was raising his
boat hook 70 rcach the ship, and took out the
Americsn BY force, although the other boat
had eight oars, and bis only four, and carried
him on bosrI ofthc Siren. tfo.
When the report Of this aifAir was made to
tho cap,ain Of the British friga,e, he came on
board the Siren In great rage, aud desired
to know how Macdonough da,ed 10 take a
man from one Of his msjes,y'. boats. The
lieutenant, with great politsnsss, askcd him
down into tho cabins this he refused, a, tho
same time repeating the same damanc with
told him with frmncss, that he was not nc.
countable TO him, but to captain Smiths, for
his conduct, The Englishman 'h,e~ out
acme tbicats that h would take The man by
forcc, and said he wo9!d bsul the frigae aloog.
side the Siren for that parposc To this
Macdonough replied "he supposed his ship
could sink the Sirenshit ss tong as she could
swim he should keel me man." The Eng.
lish captain said TO Ma innough, "you are
very. young, and avesy iadlssree' young mao
suppose had been in The boS,, what woaid
you have done f"i"I would have taken the
,usnI or lost my life" "Whal--sir, would
you attempt. TO sop me IL ! were now TO at.
temp, 10 Impress men from that brig 20 Z" 1
would, and TO conv,ntc yoS self would, YOU
have ooly to make he a,,emp,." On this
she l.nglishman wen, on boa,d his ship, and
shortly afterwards was seen, bearing her in .
direction for the Amc sicsn merchant brig.
Macdonough ordered his boat manned and
armed, got iuto her hinself and was In read
insss for pursuit. The Englishman took a
circui, round the American brig, aud re,u n.
cd again TO the lrigase. When captain Smith
came on hoard, he Justified the condue, Of
Macdooough, and declared his intention to
project the American seamen." .Af