BRITISH DEPREDATIONS.

293

On the 26th of December, 1812, an order in council declared the bays of the Chesapeake and Delaware to be in a state of blockade; and a subsequent order, issued on the 20th of March, extended the blockade as far north as Rhode Island. Early in March, a squadron of four ships of the line and six frigates, under Admiral Cockburn, arrived in the Chesapeake, and three seventy-fours, and several smaller vessels, under Commodore Beresford, arrived in the Delaware about the same time. On the 16th of March, a demand for provisions, with an offer of payment, was made by Beresford, upon the inhabitants of Lewistown, a small port in the State of Delaware. A refusal being immediately returned, the destruction of the town was threatened as the alternative; and the inhabitants still refusing to comply with the request, a bombardment of the place was commenced, on the 6th of April. The fire was returned from an eighteen-pounder placed on a battery hastily thrown up; and the cannonading continued for twenty-two hours without the loss of a man, on the part of the Americans, or any injury being done to the town. Many attempts to land were made, after this period, by the boats of the squadron, for the purpose of obtaining water, without success, the militia being in general assembled at the water's edge, in sufficient force to repulse the assailants. Finding that they could gain no advantage by remaining, the squadron abandoned the river, after burning some merchant-vessels, and sailed for Bermuda.

The squadron in the Chesapeake, displayed much more activity, in the species of warfare it was thought proper to pursue. Admiral Cockburn cominenced his operations by capturing small vessels and plundering the country-seats and farm-houses on the shores of the bay and its dependent rivers. From the pillage of farm-houses the transition was easy to the plunder and conflagration of villages. Frenchtown, Havre de Grace, Fredericktown, and Georgetown, were plundered and burned. The private dwellings of the citizens in these towns were made the subjects of the most outrageous rapine. Nothing appeared too valuable, nothing too insignificant, to escape the rapacity or resentment of the victors. Furniture,

294

BRITISH ATTACK NORFOLK.

clothing, and even the houses themselves, were involved in the same general destruction.

Admiral Cockburn being powerfully reinforced by the arrival of Sir John Borlase Warren, as commander-in-chief, with a large body of troops, under Sir Sidney Beckwith, they determined to attack Norfolk. This town and the villages in its immediate vicinity were only saved from destruction by the determined resistance of the militia, aided by the seamen and marines from the frigate Constellation, on Craney Island, at the mouth of Elizabeth river, where they constructed a fort and breastwork, and made such a determined resistance that the British were compelled to retreat with great loss, leaving behind them upwards of two hundred in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

Irritated by their repulse from a place of which they expected to become masters with little or no opposition, the British made an attack on Hampton, a town about eighteen miles from Norfolk. After being obstinately resisted by four hundred and fifty militia, they succeeded, by means of an overwhelming force, in taking possession of the town, which was given up to the will of the soldiery, who perpetrated outrages of so revolting and inhuman a nature, as to forbid us from entering into a detail. It is sufficient to say that they called for the interposition of General Taylor, commander of the American forces at Norfolk, who succeeded in obtaining from Sir Sidney Beckwith, a promise that the future military operations should be carried on consistently with the established usages of war, and agreeably to the law of nations. The promise thus given seems to have been adhered to with fidelity. No further operations took place in the Chesapeake during this season. The greater part of the vessels remained, indeed, within its waters, and, by threatening the chief cities, kept the militia on a constant and harassing duty. Admiral Cockburn, however, whose genius seemed to be peculiarly adapted to the pursuit, was despatched with a considerable squadron to the shores of North Carolina, where he continued to pursue the same system of plunder and devastation.

BLOCKADE OF NEW LONDON.

295

Commodore Hardy, the commander of the squadron blockading New London, conducted his operations with far greater humanity and prudence. He held the frigates United States and Macedonian there in inaction during the latter period of the war, declining, however, to meet them with an equal force.

HE success of the Americans in their naval encounters, meanwhile, was not less surprising than in the preceding year. On the 23d of February, the Hornet sloop-of-war, Captain Lawrence, fell in with, and

after an action of less than fifteen minutes, captured the British brig-of-war Peacock, Captain Peake. She mounted twenty cannon, and two swivels, and had on board one hundred and thirty men. Such was the shattered condition of the Peacock, that she sunk before all the prisoners could be removed, carrying with her nine of her crew and three of the Americans. Besides the three men thus lost, the Hornet had only one man killed and three

CHESAPEAKE AND SHANNON.

297

wounded. Captain Lawrence returned to the United States. on the 19th of March, where he was received with all the respect due to valour and good conduct.

Captain Lawrence was promoted to the command of the frigate Chesapeake, then lying in Boston harbour. On his arrival to take the command, he found that several of the officers were sick, many of the crew had but newly enlisted, and the remainder were unacquainted with their officers, and discontented at the withholding of their prize-money; but he seems to have paid but little attention to these things, and to have seen or known nothing, except that the British frigate Shannon, Captain Broke, was cruising off the harbour of Boston, as if challenging him to come out to battle. The Shannon was fitted out expressly against American frigates, and was perhaps in a higher state of equipment and discipline, than any other in the British service. Captain Broke sent in a formal challenge to Captain Lawrence, signifying his desire to meet the Chesapeake, and giving a minute account of the force and equipment of the Shannon. Unfortunately this challenge arrived too late. Captain Lawrence, burning with impatience to meet the enemy, had sailed on the 1st of June, the day before its receipt. At half-past five, the action commenced by an exchange of broadsides, that from the Shannon proving remarkably fatal. In a very few minutes after the commencement of the action, the sailing-master was killed, and Lieutenants Ludlow, Ballard, and Brown, severely wounded. Shortly afterwards, Captain Lawrence received a dangerous wound; but remained on the deck, issuing his orders with perfect composure. The fire of the Chesapeake was directed with evident effect against the hull of the Shannon; that of the latter was aimed at the rigging of the Chesapeake, with such success, that in twelve minutes from the commencement of the action, she fell on board her antagonist. A raking fire was now poured into her from the Shannon; and Captain Broke, seeing that her decks were nearly swept of the crew, took the opportunity of boarding at the head of his marines. At this moment, Captain Lawrence, who had

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