APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



131 



each other have rendered them 

 unnecessary. I have the honour 

 to enclose you the copy of a gene- 

 ral order issued upon the occasion, 

 together with a return of killed and 

 wounded, and ordnance captured. 

 I have the honour to solicit your 

 particular attention to the valuable 

 services of Mr. Crawford, resident. 

 It is impossible I can convey to 

 you, how deeply I am impressed 

 with a sense of his talents and ex- 

 ertions. From the period of my 

 arrival, until the conquest of the 

 Krattan, he was uniformly active 

 and assiduous, and his personal ex- 

 posure in the assault of the works 

 merits equally my thanks and com- 

 mendation. iVIr, Robinson, of the 

 civil service, and Mr. Hardie, were 

 also volunteers upon the occasion. 

 I cannot speak too highly of their 

 eagerness and zeal. Mr. Deans, 

 assistant to the resident, was essen- 

 tially useful in conducting lieut.- 

 col. Dewar's party to the south- 

 gate. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 

 (Signed) 

 R. R. Gillespie, Colonel. 

 Returned of killed and wounded. 

 —Killed, 23, wounded, 76.— To- 

 tal, 99. 



Adtniratty Office, 

 April, 20, 1813. 

 Letters, of which the following 

 are copies and extract, have been 

 transmitted to this office by rear- 

 admiral Dixon, addressed to John 

 Wilson Croker, esq. by lieut. 

 Chads, late first lieutenant of his 

 tnajesty's ship Java : — 



Vti'Ued States Frigate Constitution^ 

 . off St. Salvador, Dec. 31, 1812. 



Sir, 

 It is with deep regret that I 

 write you, for the information of 



the lords commissioners of the 

 Admiralty, that his majesty's ship 

 Java is no more, after sustaining 

 an action en the 29th instant, for 

 several hours, with the American 

 frigate Constitution, which resulted 

 in the capture and ultimate de- 

 struction of his majesty's ship. 

 Captain Lambert being danger- 

 ously wounded in the height of the 

 action, the melancholy task of 

 writing the detail devolves oq 

 me. 



On the morning of the 29th inst. 

 at eight, a. m. off St. Salvador 

 (coast of Brazil), the wind at 

 N. E. we perceived a strange sail ; 

 made all sail in chase, and soon 

 made her out to be a large fiigate ; 

 at noon prepared for action, the 

 chase not answering our private 

 signals, and tacking towards us 

 under easy sail ; when about four 

 miles distant she made a signal, 

 and immediately tacked and made 

 all sail away upon the wind. We 

 soon found we had the advantage 

 of her in sailing, and came up 

 with her fast, when she hoisted 

 American colours ; she then bore 

 about three points on our lee-bow. 

 At fifty minutes past one, p. m. 

 the enemy shortened sail, upon 

 which we bore down upon her : 

 at ten minutes past two, when 

 about half a mile distant, she open- 

 ed her fire, giving us a larboard 

 broadside, which was not returned 

 till we were close on her weather- 

 bow. Both ships now manoeuvred 

 to obtain advantageous positions, 

 our opponent evidently avoiding 

 close action, and firing high to 

 disable our masts, in which he suc- 

 ceeded too well, having shot away 

 the head of our bowsprit with the 

 jib-boom, and our running rigging 

 so much cut as to prevent our pre- 

 serving the weather-gage. 



K 2 



