13& 
Sir,—I have the honour to re- 
quest you will be pleased to lay the 
enclosed copy of a letter and its 
enclosures, which I have this day 
addressed to Vice Admiral Sir 
Alexander Cochrane, the Com- 
mander in chief, detailing the cap- 
ture of the United States ship 
President, on the 15th instant, 
under the circumstances therein 
mentioned, before the Lords Com- 
missioners of the Admiralty, with 
which, in his absence, I have di- 
rected Lieut. Hare, commanding 
his Majesty’s schooner, Picton, to 
proceed forthwith to England for 
their Lordships information. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed ) 
Henry Horuam, 
Rear Admiral. 
Superb, at anchor before New 
London, Jan. 23. 
Sir,—I have the honour to ac- 
quaint you with the capture of the 
United States ship President, on 
the 15th instant, by the following 
force, viz.—the Majestic, Captain 
Hayes; Tenedos, Captain Hyde 
Parker; Endymion, Captain Hope; 
Pomone, Captain Lumley: which 
I had collected off the bar of New 
York, under the direction of Cap- 
tain Hayes. She and the Mace- 
donian armed brig, of 420 tons, 
loaded with provisions, sailed on 
the preceding evening, under the 
command of Commodore De- 
catur ; but the present season of 
the year, and the dark nights of 
which he availed himself, have not 
enabled him to elude the vigilance 
of Captain Hayes, and the Com- 
manders of his Majesty’s ships 
under his orders, who have well 
discharged the important duty I 
assigned to them ; and I beg leave 
to offer you my congratulationson 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
the design of the American go- 
vernment being defeated. 
You will perceive by the reports 
Captain Hayes has delivered to 
me (copies of which I do myself 
the honour to transmit to you 
herewith), the ardour displayed by 
Captain Hope in the pursuit: the 
intrepidity with which he brought 
the enemy’s ship to close action, 
andthe undaunted spirit with which 
the Endymion’s inferior force was 
singly employed for the space of 
two hours and a half, leaving 
honourable evidence of judgment 
in the position she was placed in 
and of the destructive precision of 
her fire, in the sinking state of her 
antagonist, the heavy losssustained — 
by him, and his inability to make — 
further resistance when the Po-~ 
mone arrived up with him, when 
the loss sustainedbythe Endymion 
was comparatively small : and al- 
though the distinguished conduct 
of Captain Hope, his officers, and 
ship’s company, can derive no ad- 
ditional lustre from my commen- 
dation, I cannot withhold my tri-~ 
bute ofapplause, nor can I refrain. 
from assuring you, that the judi- 
dicious conductofCaptain Hayesin 
the direction ofthe force entrusted 
to his orders, and the exertions 
exhibited by himand by captains 
Parker, Hope, and Lumley, have 
justified the confidence Ihad placed 
in their zeal, and have rendered 
them worthy of yourapprobation. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) 
Henry Horuam, 
Rear Admiral. 
To the Hon. Alexander 
Cochrane, K.B.ViceAd- 
miral of the Red, Com- 
mander in Chief,&c.&c. 
