204.] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



force so much superior, that he 

 had no chance for success, except 

 from some fortunate accident. He 

 bravely continued the action to two 

 hours and ten minutes, when the 

 injuries his ship sustained from the 

 enemy's fire having rendered her 

 a perfect wreck, lying like a log 

 upon the water, whilst his oppo- 

 nent was still in good condition, 

 and a heavy loss being incurred in 

 killed and wounded, he submitted, 

 however unwillinglj', to surrender 

 rather than make still greater 

 sacrifices. On being taken on 

 board the enemy's ship, the United 

 States, Commodore Decatur, he 

 ceased to wonder at the event of 

 the battle. She was of the scant- 

 ling of a 74 gun ship, mounted 

 thirty 24-pounders on her main- 

 deck, 22 carronades 42-pounders 

 two 24-pounders on her quarter- 

 deck and forecastle, and had a 

 complement of 478 picked men. 

 Of Captain Carden's crew there 

 were 104 killed and wounded. 

 In these several defeats sustained 

 by the British navy no honour was 

 lost, since every thing was done in 



defence that could be effected by 

 courage and conduct against supe- 

 rior force ; but the unusual cir- 

 cumstance of Eu'j'lish striking: to 

 foreign ships of a similar class, 

 produced as much mortification on 

 one side, as triumph on the other, 

 and both beyond the occasion. 



Ihe American government 

 seems, notwithstanding its failures 

 by land, to have persisted in its 

 purpose of invading Canada. Gen. 

 Dearborn, on November 16, broke 

 up his camp from Plattsburg, and 

 marched to Cham plain, on the 

 Canada line, the nearest point to 

 Montreal. No operations of con- 

 sequence, however, were under- 

 taken during the remainder of the 

 year. 



In England, more active mea- 

 sures by sea against a foe now re- 

 garded as worthy of serious atten- 

 tion, were contemplated, and a 

 public notice was issued by the 

 Prince Regent, on December 26, 

 that the ports and harbours of the 

 Che«apeak and Delaware were 

 placed in a state of blockade. 



CHAPTER 



