APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



249 



tisfy their Lordships she was de- 

 fended to the last. Captain Dacres 

 has fully detailed the particulars 

 of the action, as well as the very 

 gallant, conduct of, and the sup- 

 port he received from, the whole 

 of his officers and ship's company, 

 and I am happy to hear he is, with 

 the restof thewounded, doing well ; 

 they have been treated with the 

 greatest humanity and kindness, 

 and an exchange having been 

 agreed on, I am in daily expectation 

 of their arrival here. A list of the 

 killed and wounded is herewith 

 sent, which I regret to say, is very 

 large. I have the honour to be, &c. 

 (Signed) 

 H. Sawyer, Vice-Admiral. 



Boston, Sept. 7th, 1812. 

 Sir ; — I am sorry to inform you 

 of the capture of his Majesty's late 

 ship Guerriere by the American 

 frigate Constitution, after a severe 

 action on the 19th of August, in 

 lat. 40 deg. 20 min. N. and long. 55 

 deg. W. At two p. m. being by the 

 wind on the starboard tack, we saw 

 a sail on our weather beam, bear- 

 ing down on us. At three made her 

 out to be a man of war, beat to 

 quarters, and prepared for action. 

 At four, she closing fast, wore to 

 prevent her raking us. At ten 

 minutes past four, hoisted our 

 colours and fired several shot at 

 her. At twenty minutes past four, 

 she hoisted her colours, and re- 

 turned our fire, wore several times 

 to avoid being raked, exchanging 

 broadsides. At five, she closed on 

 our starboard beam, both keeping 

 up a heavy fire, and steering free, 

 Lis intention being evidently to 

 cross our bow. At twenty mi- 

 nutes past five our mizen mast went 

 pver the starboard quarter, auu 



brought the ship up in the wind ; 

 the enemy then placed himself on 

 our larboard bow, raking us, a few 

 only of our bow guns bearing, and 

 his grape and riflemen sweeping our 

 deck. At forty minutes past, the 

 ship not answering helm, he at- 

 tempted to lay us on board ; at 

 this time Mr. Grant, who com- 

 manded the forecastle, was carried 

 below, badly wounded. I immediate- 

 ly ordered the marines and boarders 

 from the main deck ; the master 

 was at this time shot through the 

 knee, and I received a severe 

 wound in the back. Lieutenant 

 Kent was leading on the boarders, 

 when the ship coming to, we 

 brought some of our bow guns to 

 bear on her, and had got clear 

 of our opponent, when at twenty 

 minutes past six, our fore and 

 main-masts went over the side, 

 leaving the ship a perfect unma- 

 nageable wreck. The frigate 

 shooting a-head, I was in hopes lo 

 clear the wreck and get the ship 

 under command to renew the ac- 

 tion ; but just as we had cleared 

 the wreck, our spritsail yard went, 

 and the enemy having rove new 

 braces, &c. wore round within pis- 

 tol shot, to rake us, the ship laying 

 in the trough of the sea, and roll- 

 ing, her main-deck guns under wa- 

 ter, and all attempts to get her 

 before the wind being fruitless ; 

 when calling my few remaining 

 officers together, they were all of 

 opinion that any further resistance 

 would only be a needless waste of 

 lives, I ordered, tho' reluctantly, 

 the colours to be struck.' The 

 loss of the ship is to be ascrib- 

 ed to the early fall of the mizen- 

 mast, which enabled our oppo- 

 nent to choose his position. 1 am 

 sorry to say we suffered severely 



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