Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-12-21

disineenuous than Mr.. James's style Of explain
ing away the American victories over US at sea.
On this subject, we have already mentioned
that our author entirely loses his wonled spirit
of candour. Most Of his arguments make
against the cause be wishes to support, &
prove folly on our part, and an acuteness on
the part Of the Americans, which justly en-
tailed defeat upon us, and entitled them to the
victories they achieved. He tells US, that our
men of war were badly manned; and when
captain had contrived 10 man his ship as ship
Of war sought 10 be manned, the admiral on
the station would pronounce the ship too well
manned,' and order portion of her best men
to be drafted on board the flag ship, at her
mornings, to learn to be idle and worthless,
sending in lieu Of them set Of jal-birds, and
raw hands, 10 make those among whom they
were going nearly as bad as themselves If
this be true, what does it prove more, than that
our admirals betray or don't understand their
duty? and Of course the enemy are to be pras-
ed, for taking advantage of our folly. We are
next told that our crews were very inferior 10
those Of the American ships in gunnery, and
nevertheless the admiralty would scarcely al
low any shot for practising our men, whilst the
American admiralty made an allowance ade-
GU ate 10 the purpose. We find moreover, that
the Java, captured by the American frigate Con-
stitu,ion had scarcely exercised her crew at the
guns at all; and when ,he Cid exercise them, it
was with blank cartridges, without any shot
We are then told by Mr.. James, and he tells US
with very strange simplicity, that the Guer
riere IS shot, probably from badness of powder,fel
short Of her opponent, whilst the American hire
was most efficient against the Guerrero. The
Guerriere's breechings of her guns were, more
over, rotten, and broke the guns adritt on being
fired. Now, what does all this prove. but eyre
glOus incompetence on our part to the manage
men, Of such affairs, and dexlerity anc talent
in the Americans? Mr.. James tells US that one
source Of the American naval victories was
their firing dismanlling shot-a buck shot; but,
if these are SO excellent in fight, why had we
no, the sagaciiy to use them! In tracing the
causes of the defeat Of our frigates, we find the
loss of the Guerrero attributed to the "accident,
Of her masts going" This is very good
story 10 tell once But when the Java is cap
tured, our Court Martial find that her loss is TO
be attributed 10 the accident Of her being total
ly dismasted. The Macedonian is also captur-
ed by the loss Of her masts, and, because the
Americans had dismounted every carronade on
her oual ter-deck and forecastle, besides shat
terng her hull, and disabling great portion OF
her crew, before the Macedonian had material
ly injured her opponent. This is like man
| saying TO Mr.. Crib, "You are superior to me
in fight; should have beaten you had you not
pummeed me half to death, and had not been
too weak 10 return your blows" II is this
knocking away Of masts, dlsmounting guns,
and shatlerng the hull, that constitutes the ee-
mems Of superiority and success; and it is high
! ~ proper Tor US to investigate the American
superiority in order TO counterfeit ii; but 10
| trace these honorable causes Of victory in de-
probation of the superiority itself, is ridicu-
| lous. The American war formed a era In
naval actions. The exec Hence of their gunnery,
and the effect Of their fire, were what we had
been totally unused TO- In the first action, the
Guerrero lost 70 men killed and wounded; in
tbs second, the Macedonian, independent Of
her masts and rigging being annihilated, had
received more than 100 shot in her hull * lost
| Sc men killed, and 68 wounded; in third fight,
the Java was equally wreck, and lost % killed
and 100 wounded This was style Of fighting
totally dissimiar to any thing we had ever seen;
and such heavy losses on board frigates was an
precedented. Nothing on record equals this
| loss. he Java alone lost more men than any
! threedecker on the Is: Of June; and three ships
| together lost more than any four Of our three
deckers in that great victory. The losses sus-
| tanned by these three frigates exceeded our to-
tai loss in the great battle of ST. Vincent, and
the Java lost within two Of the numbers killed
and wounded, on board the Victory, Lord Mel
sons ship, IN the battle Of Trafalgar. 1t is in
vain TO deny the praise due to the Americans
for their efficient style Of fighting, or to with
hold from our seamen, the forti,ude with which
they bore the slaughter. Another mode of &C
counting for the American superiority, is to as
sert that their crews were partly English. Mr..
James brings curious argument 10 prove this,
viz: that with all the terror on one side, and
the persuasion on the other, the Americans
could only induce eight of the Guerriere's and
three OF the Java's crew, 10 enter their service:
of the Macedonian's men, "seven or eight TO-
reigners, who were fdGlers and trumpeters,
with three or four others, represented as A
mericans, were all that entered the Amer-
can service - 1t is not little strange to adj
duce in proof Of the American ships being
SO prodigiously well manned, that they were
so anxious to seduce into their service seven
or eight Of our fddlers and trumpeters. But
it Is said that the Conitstution at the capture
of the Macedonian, had many Of Lord Nelson's
old seamen on board of her, fifty Of her guns, and
that the crew Of one gun composed of the
former bargemen Of that great chief" This