Concluding Operations 191 



SUMMARY 



The concluding operations of the war call for 

 much the same comments as those of the preceding 

 years. The balance of praise certainly 'inclines tow 

 ard the Americans. Captain John Hayes' squad 

 ron showed great hardihood, perseverance and 

 judgment, which was rewarded by the capture of 

 the President; and Decatur's surrender seems de 

 cidedly tame. But as regards the action between 

 the President and Endymion /taking into account 

 the fact that the former fought almost under the 

 guns of an overwhelming force, and was therefore 

 obliged to expose herself far more than she other 

 wise would have), it showed nearly as great supe 

 riority on the side of the Americans as the frigate 

 actions of 1812 did in fact, probably quite as 

 much as in the case of the Java. Similarly, while 

 the Cyane and Levant did well, the Constitution did 

 better; and Sir George Collier's ships certainly did 

 not distinguish themselves when in chase of Old 

 Ironsides. So with the Hornet in her two encoun 

 ters; no one can question the pluck with which the 

 Penguin was fought, but her gunnery was as bad 

 as that of the Cornwallis subsequently proved. And 

 though the skirmish between the Peacock and Nau 

 tilus is not one to which an American cares to look 

 back, yet, regarding it purely from a righting stand- 



