ii2 Naval War of 1812 



made but seven prizes, all merchantmen, and had 

 recaptured one American vessel. 



On July 3d the Essex, 32, Captain David Porter, 

 put out of New York. As has been already ex 

 plained she was most inefficiently armed, almost en 

 tirely with carronades. This placed her at the mercy 

 of any frigate with long guns which could keep at 

 a distance of a few hundred yards; but in spite of 

 Captain Porter's petitions and remonstrances he was 

 not allowed to change his armament. On the nth 

 of July at 2 A.M., latitude 33 N., longitude 66 W., 

 the Essex fell in with the Minerva, 32, Captain 

 Richard Hawkins, convoying seven transports, each 

 containing about 200 troops, bound from Barbadoes 

 to Quebec. The convoy was sailing in open order, 

 and, there being a dull moon, the Essex ran in and 

 cut out transport No. 299, with 197 soldiers aboard. 

 Having taken out the soldiers, Captain Porter stood 

 back to the convoy, expecting Captain Hawkins to 

 come out and fight him; but this the latter would 

 not do, keeping the convoy in close order around 

 him. The transports were all armed and still con 

 tained in the aggregate 1,200 soldiers. As the Es 

 sex could only fight at close quarters these heavy 

 odds rendered it hopeless for her to try to cut out 

 the Minerva. Her carronades would have to be 

 used at short range to be effective, and it would of 

 course have been folly to run in right among the 

 convoy, and expose herself to the certainty of being 

 boarded by five times as many men as she pos 

 sessed. The Minerva had three less guns a side, 



