H4 Naval War of 1812 



only available naval force of the Americans con 

 sisted of a few small row-boats, with which they 

 harassed the rear of the retreating British. The 

 Constitution, Capt. Stewart, was already at sea, 

 having put out from Boston on the I7th of Decem 

 ber, while the blockading squadron (composed of the 

 same three frigates she subsequently encountered) 

 was temporarily absent. 



The Hornet, Capt, Biddle, had left the port of 

 New London, running in heavy weather through the 

 blockading squadron, and had gone into New York, 

 where the President, Commodore Decatur, and Pea 

 cock, Capt. Warrington, with the Tom Bowline brig 

 were already assembled, intending to start on a 

 cruise for the East Indies. The blockading squad 

 ron off the port consisted of the 56-gun razee Ma 

 jestic, Capt. Hayes, 24-pounder frigate Endymion, 

 Capt. Hope, i8-pounder frigate Pomone, Capt. 

 Lumly, and i8-pounder frigate Tenedos, Capt, 

 Parker. 1 On the I4th of January a severe snow 

 storm came on and blew the squadron off the coast. 

 Next day it moderated, and the ships stood off to 

 the northwest to get into the track which they sup 

 posed the Americans would take if they attempted 

 to put out in the storm. Singularly enough, at the 

 instant of arriving at the intended point, an hour 

 before daylight on the I5th, Sandy Hook bearing 



1 Letter of Rear-Admiral Hotham, January 25, 1815. 



