The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-09-18
/ HE DAILY DISPATCH
MONDAY MORNING, sEprEMBsa 1854.

''THE MONTH OF VICTORIES. this
read, the National Tnteiiigencer refers to the
brilliant victories, won by Ameri-
Q IN valor in September, 1919:
On the 5th of that month, the U. s. brig
Capt. Blythe, captured H. d. M.
Boxer, after fight of forty FIVE minutes. On
the 10th of the same month, Commodore Per
ry won his magnificent victory on Lake Erie.
On the nth, Commodore Chauncey chased
the British squadron around Lake ontario
and had a running fight of six hours. lie
pursued them through the whole month OF
September and on the 5th of October, cap
tured five Of their vessels. On the right OF
the nth of September. the U. S. sloop Wasp
engaged several British vessels, and in the
course of the action, sunk II. b. M. brig Avon.
On the same day, Com. Macdonough gained
his splendid victory on Lake Champlain, cap
turing one British frigate, one brig and two
sloops of war. On the 18th, Gen. Alex. Ma
comb repulsed the British from Plattsburg,
with the loss of nearly $500 men, whilst the
American loss was only l56. On the 18th and
18th, the enemy was repulsed from Baltimore
in brilliant style. On the 18th Gen. Brown
made splendid sortIe from Fort Erie, car
ried the enemies batteries in the most dash
ing style, blew up their principal work, and
took 400 prisoners. The total loss OF the enc
my was about 900. On the 23d of September
Gen. Harrison captured Maiden, fort on the
Canada side, which was followed on the 5th
Of October by his brilliant victory over Gen.
Proctor.
Glory enough for one month, certainly.
We are glad that the Inteligsncer has re-
vived these "reminiscences. They are not
only gratifying to American national pride,
but they will suggest useful reflections toany
arrogant foreign power which may be anxious
at this time to provoke collision with the
United States. The truth is, that our regular
the least of it, for the bravest veterans of
Great Britain, and the battle of New Orleans,
showed that even our militia, under certain
circumstance, are capable of defeating, in
most disastrous and humiliating manner, the
flower of the British army
x
late war was the ocean. On that element,
America astonished herself and the whole
world. Up to that time she had believed as
fully in British naval invincibility as the Bri-
tons themselves. The great mass of the ma
ton thought it was suicidal madness even to
attempt to cope with G. Britain on the deep.
There were men however who thought differ
emily, and those men were our gallant naval
officers themselves. The nation owes them
a debt of gratitude which she can never re-
pay. Their names ought to be written among
the stars, in the highest heaven of fame
the favor of his Mistress they begged to be
permitted to test the spell of British invinci
bility. Their prayer was granted, and within
one hour after the declaration of war had
been officially announced in New York, the
little American squadron, in those waters
was at sea, and sailing straight into the jaws
of the lion, secured the British channel in
search of foe. The nation was astonished
to see this little feet of five ships return in
safety and in honor. So profound was the
contempt which the British entertained at
that time for American prowess that, on the
month succeeding the declaration of war,
British sloop of war, the Alert, actually at
tackled an American frigate, the Essex, Capt.
Porter. In only eight minutes, the conceit
was so completely taken out of the saucy
corvette, that she struck her colors, with Sc
ven feet water in her hold. Then followed
the splendid victory of the Constitution over
the Guerrero, two frigates of equal force, in
which the Constitution, in thirty minutes, H.
terally pounded her adversary to pieces,
and, while she was herself so little damaged
taat she was Immediately ready for another
action, the Guerrero was so cut to pieces
that she could not be carried into port, and
had to be blown up the next day. This was
the beginning of series of the most brilliant
naval trinmphs on record. In all that bloody
war, the British never gained but two victo.
ries where the opposing forces approached
an equality. The British captain who con
quered the Chesapeake, was knighted for his
exploit, fact without a parallel in the naval
history of Great Britain. Americans We're
no longer an object of contempt! In add
ton to these victories of our public vessels,
American privateers whipped British ships
wherever they met them, and in five months
after the war begun, brought $50 prizes into
port, and made 5000 prisoners. On the other
hand very few American merchantmen fell
into the hands of the enemy.
Now, what has been done before, can be
done again. If Great Britain forces this
country into another war, while she may do
US great damage at first, she will lose her
sceptre on the ocean forever, before that war
has ended. In the last forty years, America
has made the most prodigious progress as a
maritime power. She has the seamen. she
has the skill, she has the resources, she has
the courage, she has the ambition and the on.
ergy, to become the first naval as well as tho
FIRST commercial power of the world. and II
only remains for Great Britain to make bor
So by firing one hostile gun upon the Anne.
rican flag.
LAUDABLE CoNDUcr.-A letter wr;tten hr
. resident of Savannah to friend in Nor
York, pays high tribute to Mr.. Ward. tho
L. e. zs, Al: