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' ?yv;*: :V _ -ppw? rn iIsjyr^v [Voi-Jf.j , , THOMASwfSKfolAlk Tlermt ?oll*/f per fcnhum, p?y . - ia* *" ?lttaned, but at kcs nre paid. _ line*, in*rt?l tiitffint time for wventyAfe cent*, and forty cents tor i rrmw v wffnjmiw,w ? mw, # able In advance.... No paper to I the option of the Editor; until a .1it\*rlltemtnt$ not exceeding'f SYNOPSIS 0* NAVAL ACTIONS. Ail Article, the first pnrt of which tho reader will flnil below, linn lately made it* appearance in the British Naval Chronicle. It appear* to contain all thnt has hither-to been urged, as well o- every tiling thnt can bo urucd in extenuation of*the numerous disasters of Kngtaud during the last war* on the ocean and tho lakes, together with a garnishing of invention, sneering, and sarcasm. Wc have all heard these excuses be fore, but thero are souie admissions made by this 44 lliitish Naval Officer" in his zcnl to account .for the almost miraculous disparity of loss in thi'rio actions, which cannot be accounted for by tho mere disparity of force, which we consider as decisive_of the question of superiority. Wc mean therefore, to t$ive tho whole of it td our rea ?ic'Vin our pwb?e/juent numbers, together with Hoine accompanying remarks, in order that a fair judgment may be formed. \Vc have preferred giving the 44 Synopsis" entire, rather tluin ciuote extracts from it, not only because wc consider cd it tho fairest way, bui for the reason that if on any occasion we deviated into severity of re mark, our readers might refer to that article for our justification. * mow Tim mitTIM If AVAL CHROXICLK .1 Synofuii of Atrtol .Itliont betisttnthc Stiff* //it /in fantile MqjrtUt imtlqf the United Stntei, (luring the fatt lVuv..../tyn Hritith mntil ojfctr in theJimeiicav nation. " Mr. KiiiTon?l'crmit me to present to you a 11.story of the encounters of British with American public and private united ship* i it wo* my intention to narrate such inuvj of national ships only as were, or by the rule# o our service should have been preceded by resistance, how ever alight or unavailing. I have ?into determined to includeal| hM?e? of regular men-of-war sustained by e. ther nation through the otlier'* means i nKo casual meet ings of tho respective nat ional vessel?, in which the strong or tlircjc hot merely declined engaging, but ranawav from ?n embay often more daring than discreet. American accounts of these matters are drawn tip not more to am. mate the c.itlxens, titan to acquire n name among the na tiona of Europe at our expense. In these metaphysical productions truth Is never aii obstacle. What Engl.sh' man can tead them without fe&lingH of indignation f?A former volume of yours dontains the translation of a let t. r from the captain of Le tlencrcanx. 74, to tlio French government, detailing his Capture of the|>eander 50 mn *ihip. That, except for its brevitv, afford* a tolcrubl. *pcoimett of the official correspondence of American na val commander*. . The latf#f have on advantage however in the talent of their mimevuuh commutators for i1rtw. ing Inferencei and explaining amMtuitiea to suit the wialte* of the writer and thelwte of the public. Much ?Jim been said.both in public and private about the cap' 'to re oi *o ninny of otur nat ional vessels by tho American* our yidebc^ilinn and excureu?on the enemy's ex j rerutlons Snd boastings have lieen itfvariably resorted Hons fire sometimes fiudty, but lather for want of mi. nuteneOt tlmntorsUidiedmMt<eyWi^|p^pn. Ourcmht has suffered n?re by paintrafc and jcftMRfot* than by the official sUtcift^nts orftritjan ofllcers.^p handsonie en graving of the action betwfeu the fiharabn and Chesa peake is turned from witNJIisgust bytfibse acquainted with the real force of thefpini. laukiny shows flf. t'een guns of aside oh her tfcain-dcck, when she had on. ly four teenier bridal-nort beiffg as usual vacant. Hhould that pass unobserved he that can read is at on*; inform, ed below, that the Chesapeake mounted fony-nine, the Shannon thirty -eight guns. Either Uie actual mounting or the rate of both ship) should lie given, not the mount ing of one Arid the rate of the other. This lay* us open to an enemy who, we should recollect, speaks our own language, and can therefore recriminate With double ef fect. . lie*.<lc<?, did the Shannon's act ion need any embel lishment t The period elapsed since most of ihc battles were fought, has brought to light many particulars re* npecting the armament of the Amer.can sli.ps that were ut first (for purposes of exoltat.on no doubt) Industry lonely concealed. Of thcte I shall lake advantage, and any lemalning point of difference lictwcen British and American statements I sh.il ende.<vorto reconcile. One r*->*on for deferring this pnblicat .on to so late a period is not only to collect all tlie iicr<M?ary facts, but to ob tain a view of tlie adverse statement of audi ncti/wi. tinr?-l ing l?y ttuit menus topresent the world Willi a fair and impartial Kiuunviry o* naval occurrcncc* Itetwecn us and America during die late war, and ?Inch may help ?<-de? 1rot r.nd refute wdk1 at leaat ??f the numerous falsehood* hitherto *n undcv;at.ng a feature in the maritime record* of the latter jxiwer. It i* now fully ascertained that the Amonc.m forty-four* are ennal in length to our first cla#? tevent)?four*,' and hn:lt with viuilur *cantling, having their sides l?oth ahove and l?elr- > at least a fourth thick er than our he;?v.c?t frigate*, 'lliey have 2 entiredeck*, and carry \he.r lower deck hattery equally high and coin manding' with llic new razee*. WIkni gosernmcnt re r.olvcd to have ships able to meet frigate* like ihf* on e pi.d term*, they ihould have fitted out n/ro with 2\ ixtuii'lerK on the lower deck?-reierving at the name tiit.e few *h.ps armed like? c Majestic and Hatum (with long .52%) to cope with thr new tli rty-two pounder fr.gatc* now fitting fur mm in Philadelphia ?nd Baltimore Ship* if the former kiwi, well manned and ap|K>'.nted, would '*f,it more I kely to *ueeccd m a longchMe action with ;he Arner can f.irty-foor tlmu '.he "slight Irtiilt" fir fifty*. I !ic Amer ? were manv ) car* ago fully sensible nf the ?el', antral * to lie der w:d from having tlieir *hi)>* of war ?.t't..r g,e.%trr force than the.r rate implied, and the mea Mtrv ?as deliberately rou?:<lercd and resolved on by the government How f.r the imposition thus wikmnlv re Mtlw-dnpou, when ifterwards??rried intnefUct, benefit' ted thi*cuiimng|?c<>p|e, i* now Jmt too well known. The ? apt'ire of our picket?? or of tlie ciiism)** ?evcnut-cut. tcr* attfl gttr.-l*iat* will !?? cuhhlcd from the plan?a! ?hough upwards of twrnty of the latter baser l>ccn I ?? ken ordestfojed, ami tin- l??r>i.*r?'?*- the unparalleled ?le tenren th'" hutemadr, r ,<d: <o the annaU of fame. O n lirst iu.h to the Aincn .us was the' Whitir.g schoon* ? r of fi?tir gum. Hhr wits taken at anchor in \ nicr.mn w tieri, ignorant of th*n War. The ne\" was the Alert s xtien guns ami forty-four m?m She nu down up ? ?n a-i ! eii|(.itfril lor scleral tiiMite* tin- K .se*,t'apt |*i?r ter, 01 le.ifly f.?ur time* her fn<e. I'.vcn lashnes* I k? thi.???, |ii<'feralile to a surrender 1 ke that of the froluk 1 to the Orpheus and Hh'-lhutne. NVIien the Amer.can i.ipudron first pro* ceiled to wu at tltc comment ciuent ot the \?ur, their nfcn Were thoroughly drilled .i the guns, iiiul the -everal situsfon* of bo:it*\t4in, gunner, captain ?if the guns, fee. on hoard every ship, were priwi pdl> filled l?y Hntish ?ean.cn. At tins tiericd mir half-m inn cd -Uips hiving no enemy, to dre.nl, (French ship* U-.ng ??eliloto out) were carelessly cruising .hout n eicry sc.t. Thus whs met by the American th>|i CouviVtt on, on the V'tli of August, 1812, the frig.ito li'ierrn re, returning it.Vi port with sprung masts Mtcf a long ctu<;c. A lon?j action ensued tad md burnt* .Tlie AmcricMi captain omitted toSnen. tton the foroc of I t* br then; The furnvtr 1 hate obt 1< V- belonged <0/ her, and the Istte BcUl account of tl* action. To ? or etch ship fo guged in,thcd,fle ?tl, I ihrtll pre* ?c?t tho broad ?i*t y, and whet* a shiftinggun is on oit. Tlic IWh ritro bad a gun it tin deck, Includ ing the bridal otv ring her. by <tlve mm!, whlcli tvw m1 such bow.gun could not be used cfore will bo c* eluded from the cc'of the Coniti tutkm In guns an rom an American statement subieouim,, u \y? tw%? them, and agrees within six pound* with that published incnptainDacnV letter lo tho sdtoirulty. The following.tbett is ait ?sli mate of the force engaged in that action. Uiurritrt. C'cnttliutitn. (Rating 38, m't'tng 44 gs.) (Rit mg44, mVmg 56 gs.J Brnddde?Main deck, 1-1 JBnadtlUe?Lower deck }i 181k long guns. 252lhs..?< 12511* loitg gun* 3<501bi". Quarter deck, 1 91b do. 0 Upper deck, i do. do. .34 Forecastle, 8 321b car. 356 Spur do. 12 321b 5ir 768 With probably one or two With howitters In all the ?mull boat gunt. tope, and nometaat gunsi Men (It boys included) 263 Men "all picked." 47o Measurement, 1084 ton*. Mcas'ment, (Kng.) 10301k. Superiority on the JintrJcan Wtfc?In weight ol^metnl n??three to two. In number of men a*?nine to live. In sine of vetucl a??thrco to two. With Mich dWpuritjrt of furcc no one ran Ikj Mirnrinvd at the result of thin w> tion. Hut certainly had tlic (juvrricic'a men been liali oa well "killed in tlic use of the great guns u? the Con* Mtitution'a were, the proportion of killed ntul wounded would nothavu been so great as fourteen to seventy-eight, nor one ?hip made u complete wreck of, while the other suffered no mitcrinl injury in hull or r.gging. Thcte uro lamentable truthi that betrayed a laxity nt discipline on board our ship*, ntul which in ihc eour?c of time would lutve ruined bur navy. Thank* to the war with Atncr.ca, ?o fatal a catutrophe is not now likely to happen again." A Cursory Jt.vamination of"A Synopsis, dj'c.M Tho4* naval officer on tlic American station" seta out with the assertion of the fact, that in every action that occurred during the last war, tho superiority eithar ill men, gun* or Hhips, was on the aide of the Americans. Our ships arc all great seventy-fours ; almost as large hb Ptole my's great galley?our guns throw trice or thrice as many pounds of nail, at a bioadside; and our men are not only much inorc numerous but much taller, stronger, braver, more active, dexterous and |io\v?rfut than the poor little heel - eating jack tars of 014 Etiglalid. The" Bri tish naval officer,'* doubtless Intending that hi* work should bea romance,has set otttin iltege nuine tract of the writers of Sir Tristan, Don Hclianis, and the peers of Charlemagne, whose heroes never yieltled to any thing less than a misbegotten uiant, a magic sworn, or an odds of at least fifty to one. This is the true language of fable, and no doubt the admiralty selected lor its defender one of the most learned in the ro mances of the middle ages. Such a writer was well calculated to make the betft of a bad bar gain, for though he couldjtot actually gain a vic tory over us, lie could tell exactly why tve ought i to nave been victorious, and it is always a mar velous consolation to know the reason of any thihg. The ingennity of the .English has been exhausted to find excuses during the last war, and had their officers and sailors been halfss 7.ealous in defending the honor of their flag, u? their writers, these Fast had not been put to such straits for excuse*, devices and inventions. One of the arts resorted- to in England, fur many years paBt, in all the official statements, as well as that romantic Action," Steele's List." has been, anil still is, that of stating the whole number of guns, of a captured ship, and only the number at wliieli the vessel capturing was rated, thus always making it appear that they had conquered a superior enemy. Hut the mo ment tho captured vessel is nut on Steele's List, as a government ship, you will find her frequent ly rated below the vessel by which she was ta ken. The (Juerriere at the time of her capture from the French was called a large forty-four, but in Steele's List, we find her transformed in to a thirty-flight j utiy? even tho candid author of tho Synopsis notwithstanding his affecting lamentation* on account of tlio national credit being injured by painter* and journalist*, him kcII adopt* thin very practice, with an easy ef frontery that would surpi iso u* in a writer of any other nation. So far, however from agreeing with him, that the reputation of the English na vy has been tarnished by the painters and jour nalihts, we aro of opinion that it i* principally owing to the exertion* of these worthy gentle mmi that it ha* now any reputation at all.-? Were it not for the fine pictures of the one, and the fine stories of the other, it would Imrdly now Iks believed that the navy of Kngland was once mistress of the ocean?that44 the rolling sea was llritain's wide domain"?or that old Neptune was once absolutely henpecked by llritannia. The observation, however, which ihe 44 l)riti?h officer on the American station" has coupled with his charge against the painters and journal ists, is not only just, but it netrays a curious se cret, as well as a very diverting perplexity. It seems lie is willing that these patriotic rogues should continue tliis practice or overrating tlie force of an enemy, and diminishing their own, in respect tolhe French and Spaniards, because they don't understAnd English?and therefore can't turn his falsity against the inventor*?or if they did, ItoncHt John Hull could not under stand them, and no harm would be done, lint ~and 44 there's the rub"-?we Americans can understand and read English, (though it seems we can't write it,) and conscquentl) fan expose these unblushing bravadoes and turu them hack upon their authors. This is a great stumbling block in the way of the modern writers of llri tisli romances. e fear .St. Meurgc will ue\er kill another dragon, and are really inclined to feel a little sympathy with the poor 44 llritisli of ficer on the American station." The writer of the Synopsis has placed the cap ture of the Chesapeake at the head of his lint, although it did not occur until long after several other engagements which had a different result. "Whether tliis it to pat himielf in spirits fur his herculean task, or merely t</piit John Bull jn a good humor, we ar* unaftlo to My. But we c?h* Hot forbear givii:g an opinion tf:at it is ill-judg ad?haought tohave saved it for u Boime-boucln*, at tye last, aim then Ids guests might possibly have risen from his feast of Polonium, with more satisfaction. Although* by the aid of a carpen ter's rule to measurer?together with a reasona ble assumption of British ingenuity, wo could very easily account fm* thccanturo of this vet* set, and prtAe how It ought ana should hnvc hap pened \ yet, to m&k? short work of it, we will give th* British officer the Cltesapcake and let liiut make the most of her. She wan always con sidered an unfortunate ship, and every one ktyows tins influence of such an impression on the mind ofSa. sailor. Hut we admit that the Chesapeake was taken by an ?i)ual enemy, and further that this exploit roquires no further em* bellishmont. It certainly lias been already suf* flciently embellished, by the painters und jour nalists heretofore denounced ov the British of ficer ; the gentlemen of Suffolk have presented Cant. Broke with a piccc of plnte, and compar cd liiin to Lord Wellington?and his royal mas ter hoH einliellished his merit with the order of kntahthood?assuredly then this exploit requires no further embellishment, and if It (till we might And it in Cant. Brake's official letter, wherein he assure* Mr. Croker thut 44 both ships came out of the action as if they Imd only been tiring salutes." We never heard of such'pieasunt sa lutes as these?they killed and wounded eighty four tnen of the Shannon, und came very near sending that vessel in search of tho (Jucnine and Java. Hoe ever, we give them the credit of this atVair, as well an that of tho Argus, altho1 in the former, the British had Ave, and in the latter three more guns ; and having su done, we require of thcin eijaal candor in their ackuowl edgmllitH. It is really paltry to deny what all the world kiityvs, and we cpicsttovi whether the reputation of Kngland ban suffered as much even by her defeats, as by her disingenuous and shuf fling attempts to deny them. For ourselves, wc freely admit tin ir claim to the honour of capturing tho Chesapeake, and the admission is no small proof of our magnanimity, because it is conceding an honor such as they have not been much accustomed to boast of in their contest with tho people of tho United States. It is this single solitary instance which is assu med by the British officer ns the groundwork, the proof of a claim to superiority which cannot be disputed, although wc have sixteen or eigh teen proofs to oppose to this modern miracle. Before the " British officer"-?the unfortunate British officer, we might say?begins his exami nation of his special cases, lie attempts to esta blish certain tcneral facts, which wc will also admit without hesitation. lie insists upon it thatour strips are better ships?that they arc bet ter manneo?and that their guns arc better ma naged than those of the British. Wc agree per fectly with him in nil these positions, and here we might leave the controversy to rest. What 19 it that constitutes the superiority which we Claim, but these things?anil on what other twsis can a superiority on the ocean be founded ? vVe have better ships, better men?and wc fire bet ter. Really if wc were Knglishmcu, wo should not thank the admiralty for sucJi a defence?and were we British naval ufficers, we. should fool excessively mortified at. the service to which we belonged being thus stripped of its laurels in this insidious manner to give them to our adversary. But it sceius that tlio British naval officers ne ver before discovered this superiority in. our ships, and men, and guns, and gunnery. Both in the ports of th* United States, and in the Mediterranean, during our war. with Tripoli, they had various opportunities to become sc ouaintcd with the foree and armament of our snips. Several of our frigates were at Gibraltar while sir James Baumarez' fleet lay in the bay. Fre(|uent visits were exchanged between our officer* and his, ami the latter had ample time and opportunity to form a correct est imate of our men anil ships. It was the same when thasqua dron of admiral Keith lay there. Our frigates were at Molta when the expedition came from Egypt, and auo when the British fleet arrived from the Dardanelles : so also when lord Nel son mistimed the command of the flcotthat after wards gained the battle of Trifalgar, as well a* ivhe.it a Russian and English combined fleet came to {Syracuse from the levant, destined to net against Naples, we met them daily. In short, in every part of the Mediterranean ves sel* of either nation fell in with each ether sing ly, and in squadrons, aitd prompted either liy courtesy or curloftity, the ofheers almost invaria Idy exchanged visit*. On these occasions they were led through every part of the ship, and per mit ted, nay invited, to examine every thing, for it wan a matter of pride to show the high order III which the vessels of the United States we tc Kent. Yet with this intimate and perfect knowledge of our slrip!* and our men, the British officers al ways gave the preference to their own, and their opinions gave me to various escelleut joke* that were uttered in and out of the ftritisn l'arliu ment-at the commencement of the war ; but which gradually died away, and are now only remembered by those at whose expense they first came abroad. Shortly before the war, the Con stitution, under captain Hull, was in an Eng lish port, as waualso the Essex, captain Smiths both were throned with British naval officers during their stay t and we well remember that on her departure, *lie w as called by these gentle men?and the phrnsc went the rounds of tho newsnancrs with treat applause?" a bunch of 1 bounf*' ?" a tir Iniilt ship w ith a bit of striped hunting at Ikm tua *f-head . No doubt captain Hull remciuhercd these pleasant jokes, in good time, and poor captain Oacrcsptiid the pipci for other people's daix ilig. Thus the mutter stood wbmi ft* war began, and it was discovered iu a little, time by these same sagacious officers, that thu same 44 bunch of pine boards" was unaccountably metauior* phosod into a Moventv-fuur in disguise! What excellent judges of ships of war mutt these offi cers of the royal navy be, who always preferred tlicir frigates to oyrs, aud nick-namca honest Old iron tides4k a bunch of pine boards!" We hardly know which mobt to rdmire. the pertina city with which they at first denied the equality* of our ships, or the obstinacy with which thoy now insist ujk?? their superiority* Your new con with, however, are vfcry opt* to so bevond the mark, aud to it hat fared with John hull, who has passed from a most exalted contempt, ton most degrading admiration of our prowess, which he demonstrate* every day by abusing uo manfully, calling us *? bastards," aud devising very imrenious excuse*, for wliat every body but him tell icnows is the consequence of his owu want of skill and courage, ami his senseless pre sumption of n superiority, which, if lie ever pos sessed, he has lost forever. It was not until the capture of the Guorriere, by 44 a bunch of pine boards,"?(poor John !)? that the Dritish na\ ul officers discovered, to ti.eir great astonishment, no doubt, that the American forty-four-gun frigntcs w ere 1* in length coital to our first class of seventy-folios, and built with similar scantling $ having their sides, both above and below, nt least a fourth thioker than our heaviest frigate* so says 44 tlm Dritish ofll cer on the American station/' Ye gods?what n metamorphosis of44 a bunch of pine boards !** Ovidcfc 'Trittibus is nothing to John Dull r/c Trif tibua t but fear is a great magnifier as well a* multiplier, and doubtless some of these valiant officers, like Jack Falstaff, multiplied 44 ?cant ling." aud 44 length," and44 grins," as that vali ant knight did his 44 men in buckram." There is little doubt that Shakespeare intended this Cat knight for the representative of John Dull, and it must he confessed that, with the exception of his wit, there is a striking resemblance. Captain Dacres had seen American frigates a hundred times, yet tflis superiority iu sifce and scantling, it seems, never struck him until tlip Constitution guve him such a terrible drubbing ; then, foi hootli. for the first time, his perception w as quickened, as they quicken that of the lit tle boys at school?by tho application of th? birch. Defore that, this gallant commander sorted the name of Ids ship on his top-sails in defiance of the 4( bunches of pine boards." In the heyday of imaginary superiority, ho endor sed a formal challenge on the register of a mer chant vessel. Nay, when he saw the Constitu tion running down to him, he said to his men there is a Yankee frigate > in forty-five minute* she is ctrOtinly ours;?-take her iu fifteen and I promise you four months nay." It is also cre dibly reported that lie ? " u prepared a hogshead of molasAcs and water to treat the Yankee pri soners ; but we will not vouch for thin liberality, sinco it happened unluckily for him that he had no np|>?rtNiiity of puttinglus gejierous intentions into operation. Whether he would have kept his promise to his ship's crew, mast also forcvor remain a matter of uncertainty. Now it came to pass thut after the capture of the Gucrriere, the Macedonian, the Java, and some other of bis ships, John Dull called for hU two-foot rule, and began to measure the length* aud breadth, aud thickness of his unfortunate vessels, and found that our frigates were a match for his seventy-fours, a discovery which delight ed the people of the United States beyond mea sure, and gave tho last blow to theft apprchenew ons of the British navy. He then got a nice pair of seata*> and putting on his spectacles, be gan weigh Romeofnurca'nnon balls that had stuck itihjfs ribs, dud to calculate the w eight of our iron metal, instead of looking to another kind of mem for the true canse of his nume rous and deplorable disasters. Some way or or ther, with toe uid of measuring, and weighing. and calculating, and putting on a little here, and clipping away u little thcrejic managed to mako nut a tolerable case, at leant ho managed to put a good face on the matter, and Imving collected all the forco of calculation, misreprcserouWion, and abuse, lie has poured it upon our heads in the form of a synopsis, the first part of which wo have given to the reader* in our present number. It will Iw perceived thnt the " British oflfcer on the Americun station" takes up and examine* separately each action, stating a sort of debtor and creditor account* and striking the balance with affected arithmetical precision. Thin me thod might have had its effect upon us some llvo or mix years ogo, when the reputation of Knglish official statements for veracity stood somewhat | higher than at present. At all events, it U n. method exceedingly well calculatcd to deceive, since we involuntarily pay a greater reuard to these arithmetical statements, without relict ting that a falsehood mav a* easily l>e cotiveved in fi gures, as in uw|uaAfled assertions. We have only to admit the premise* of the author of the Synopsis, which are mere founded on assertion, so far as they relate to our vessels, and all tlm rest follows of course. It is only necessary, by thi? modoof establishing facts, to assert that one ship carrie* thirty-eight twenty-four's, ami ano ther forty-nine thirty-two's ; and this being as sumed, the calculation of the weight of bull fired in every broadside respectively will bu undenia ble. Autthis is no w ay of demonstrating facts, for though it i* permitted a reasonor to prove tho truth of a hypothetical axiom by the assumption of his premises, another and a more solid badi is necessary in establishing fact*. A writer whose professed pbject was to give '* a fair and iinpurtiul summary of naval concur rencesbetween Kixjlaml and America during the late war, and to detect and refute some at least of the numcrnuH falsehoods hitherto so undevia ting a feature iu the maritime records of the lat ter power," ou^lit certainly to Itave had tho courtesy to inform 'iv how he came by the bsuis