160 



porter's journal. 



Our next meeting on shore, after this correspondence, 

 was, however, very cordial. I made a proposition to put 

 all my prisoners on board one of my prizes, without a 

 cargo, and send her to England, with a passport, to secure 

 her from capture ; there to take in an equal number of 

 American prisoners, and proceed with them to the United 

 States. Captain Hillyar expressed some doubts of the 

 propriety of this course, and adverted to a similar arrange- 

 ment with the captain of the sloop of war Alert, captured 

 by me, sent to St. John's, Newfoundland, with my pri- 

 soners, and thence to the United States, with an equal 

 number of Americans. He wished, if possible, to see the 

 correspondence respecting this arrangement. 



In the course of this conversation, he mentioned the 

 stories related to him by the man who made his escape 

 from the Essex Junior, respecting my treatment of pri- 

 soners. Some of these were of the most extravagant and 

 malicious kind ; and if true, rendered me unworthy of my 

 country. They had made an impression on the minds of 

 the British officers, much to my disadvantage, and were 

 calculated to operate greatly to the injury of the American 

 prisoners that might hereafter fall into their hands. I felt 

 it therefore due to my country and countrymen, as well as 

 to my own honour, that the thing should be perfectly ex- 

 plained and understood. I accordingly wrote him the fol- 

 lowing letter, and received a reply — both of which 1 shall 

 lay before the reader. 



U. S. Frigate Essex, Valparaiso, 23d Feb. 1814. 



Sir, 



As you have expressed some doubts respecting the 

 correctness of an arrangement proposed by me for the dis- 

 posal of the prisoners of war on board the ships under my 

 command — and as those doubts were occasioned by a 

 communication made by admiral Duckworth to the Secre- 

 tary of the navy of the United States, of which you had 

 not a perfect recollection, I have done myself the honour 

 to transmit a copy of a letter from the Department, con- 

 taining an extract from the aforesaid communication, by 

 which you will be enabled to judge, whether the objections 

 made by the admiral, can be here applied. 



1 also do myself the honour to send you the copy of a 

 letter from the admiral to myself, as well as several other 



