APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



251 



Admiralty-Office, Dec. '26th. 

 Copy of a letter from Admiral 

 tlie Kiijht Honourable Sir John Bor- 

 lase Warren, Bart. K. B. Comman- 

 der-in-Chief of his Majesty's ships 

 and vessels on the North American 

 station, to John Wilson Croker, 

 Esq. dated at Halifax, Nov. 18th, 

 1812. 



Sir ; — I beg leave to transmit co- 

 pies of letters from Captain Whin- 

 yates and Captain Sir John Beres- 

 ford ; the former giving an account 

 of the capture of his Majesty's brig 

 Frolic, by the American sloop of 

 war Wasp, after a hard contested 

 action ; and the latter acquainting 

 xne with the recapture of the Frolic, 

 and of his having at the same time 

 taken the Wasp, both of which 

 were conducted to Bermuda by 

 the Poictiers ; from whence I shall 

 send farther particulars for their 

 lordships' information the moment 

 I can learn them. 1 have the ho- 

 nour to be, &c. 

 ( Signed ( 



J. B. Warren- 



His Majesti/s ship Poictiers, 

 at sea, Oct. '23rd. 

 Sir ;— It is with the most bitter 

 sorrow and distress I have to re- 

 port to your excellency the capture 

 of his Majesty's brig Frolic, by the 

 sliip Wasp, belonging to the Unit- 

 ed States of America, on the 18th 

 inst. Having under convoy the 

 homeward-bound trade from the 

 Bay of Honduras, and being in la- 

 titude 36 deg. N. and 6i deg. W. 

 on the night of the 17th, we were 

 overtaken by a most violent gale 

 of wind, in which the Frolic car- 

 ried away her main-yard, lost her 

 topsails, and sprung the main top- 

 niast. On the morning of the 



18th, as we were repairing the da- 

 mages sustained in the storm, and 

 re-assembling the scattered ships, 

 a suspicious ship came in sight, and 

 gave chase to the convoy. The mer- 

 chant ships continued their voyage 

 before the wind under all sail ; the 

 Frolic dropped astern, and hoisted 

 Spanish colours, in order to decoy 

 the stranger under her guns, and 

 to give time for the convoy to es- 

 cape. About ten o'clock, both 

 vessels being within hail, we hauled 

 to the wind, and the battle began. 

 The superior fire of our guns 

 gave every reason to expect its 

 speedy termination in our favour, 

 but the gaff head-braces being 

 shot away, and there being no 

 sail on the main-mast, the brig be- 

 came unmanageable, and the ene- 

 my succeeded in taking a position 

 to rake her, while she was unable 

 to bring a gun to bear. After lay- 

 ing some time exposed to a most 

 destructive fire, she fell with the 

 bowsprit betwixt the enemy's main 

 and mizen rigging, still unable to 

 return his fire. At length the ene- 

 my boarded, and made himself mas- 

 ter of the brig, every individual 

 officer being wounded, and the 

 greater part of the men either kill- 

 ed or wounded, there not being 20 

 persons remaining unhurt. Altiiough 

 I shall ever deplore the unhappy 

 issue of this contest, it would be 

 great injustice to the merits of the 

 officers and crew if 1 failed to re- 

 port that their bravery and coolness 

 are deserving of every praise ; and 

 1 am convinced, if the Frolic had 

 not been crippled in the gale, I 

 should have to make a very differ- 

 ent report to your excellency. The 

 Wasp was taken, and the Frolic 

 re-captured the same afternoon, by 

 his Majesty's ship the Poictiers. 



Bein^j 



