Jenks's Portland Gazette

American Naval Action

OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE NAVAL ACTION BETWEEN THE AMERICAN FRIGATE CONSTELLATION, AND A FRENCH 58 GUN SHIP.

PHILADELPHIA, FEB 24.

YESTERDAY morning lieutenant Shaw, of the armed schooner Experiment, arrived at Marcus Hook from a cruise, being dispatched by Commodore TRUXTON, with letters for the Secretary of the Navy: from which the following are extracted.

United States ship Constellation, at sea, February 3, 1800.

SIR,

On the 30th ult. I left St. Christophers with the Constellation in excellent trim, and stood to windward, in order to gain the station for myself, before the road of Guadaloupe, and at half past 7 A. M. of the day following, I discovered a sail to the S. E. to which I gave chase, and for the further particulars of that chase and the action after it, I must beg you to refer to the extract from my journal herewith, as being the best mode of exhibiting a just and candid account of all our transactions in the late business, which has ended in the almost entire dismantlement of the Constellation; though I trust to the high reputation of the American flag.

I have the honor to be, &c.

THOMAS TRUXTON.

Benjamin Stoddart, Esq. Sec'ry of the Navy.

Occurrences on board the United States ship Constellation, of 38 guns, under my command, February 1, 1800.

Throughout these twenty-four hours, very unsettled weather, kept on our tacks beating up under Guadaloupe, and at half past 7 A.M. the road of Basseterre bearing East five leagues distance, saw a sail in the S. E. standing to the S. W. which from her situation, I at first took for a large ship from Martinico, and hoisted English colours on giving chase by way of inducement; for her to come down and speak me, which would have saved us a long chase to leeward, off my intended cruising ground ;-- but finding he did not attempt to alter her course, I examined her more minutely, as we approached her, and discovered that she was a heavy French frigate, mounting at least 54 guns. I immediately gave orders for the yards &c. to be slung with chains, topails, top-gallant sail sheets. &c. stoppered, and the ship cleared; and every thing prepared for action, and hauled down the English colors. At noon the wind became light, and I observed the chase, that we had before been gaining fast on, held way with us, but I was determined to continue the pursuit, tho the running to the leeward I was convinced would be attended with many serious disadvantages, especially if the object of my wishes was not gratified.

Passed two schooners standing to the northward, one of them shewed American colours, and was a merchant vessel, and the other I supposed to be of the same description.

Feb. 2d. at one P. M. the wind being somewhat fresher, than at the noon preceding, and an appearance of its continuance, our prospect of bringing the enemy to action began again to brighten, as I perceived we were coming up with the chase fast, and every inch of canvas being set that could be of service, except the top-gallant studding sails, which I kept in the topsails, in case of the chase finding an escape from our thunder impracticable, should haul on a wind and give us fair battle; but this did not prove to be her commander's intention. I however got within hail of him at 8 p. M. hoisted our ensign, and had the candles in the battle lanterns all lighted, and the large trumpet in the lee gangway ready to speak him, and to demand the surrender of his ship to the United States of America; but he at that instant commenced a fire from his stern and quarter guns directed at our rigging and spars, No parley being then necessary, I sent my principal aide de camp, Mr. Vandyk, to the different officers commanding divisions on the main battery, to repeat strictly my orders before given, not to throw away a single charge of powder, but to take good aim and fire directly into the hull of the enemy, and load principally with two round shot and now and then with a round shot, and a stand of grape, &c.; to encourage the men at their quarters; to cause or suffer no noise or confusion whatever; but to load and fire as fast as possible when it could be done with certain effect. These orders being given, in a few moments I gained a position on his weather quarter, that enabled us effectually to return his salute: and thus a close and as sharp an action as ever was fought between two frigates commenced and continued until within a few minutes of 1 A. M. when the enemy's fire was completely silenced, and he was again sheering off It was at that moment that I considered him as my prize, and was trimming in the best manner I could my much shattered sails: when I found the main-mast was totally unsupported by rigging, every shroud being shot away, and some of them in several places; that even top-sail yards were useless, and could not be applied with effect. I then gave orders for the officers to send the men up from the gun deck to endeavor to secure it, in order that we might get alongside of the enemy as soon as possible: but every effort was in vain, for the main mast went over the side in a few minutes after, and carried with it the top men, among whom was an amiable young gentleman who commanded the main top. Mr. James Jarvis, son of James Jarvis Esq. of Newyork. It seems this young gentleman was apprised of the mast going in a few minutes by an old seaman; but he had already so much of the principle of an officer engrafted in his mind, not to leave his quarters on any account, that he told the man if the mast went they must go with it, which was the case, and only one of them was saved, I regret much his loss, as a promising officer and amiable young man, as well as on account of a long intimacy that has subsisted between his father and myself; but have great satisfaction in finding I have no other killed and only 2 or 3 lightly wounded--fourteen of the former, and twenty-five of the latter.

As soon as the main mast went, every effort was made to clear the wreck from the ship as soon as possible, which was effected in about an hour. It being impossible to pursue the enemy, and as her security was then the great object, I immediately bore away for Jamaica for repairs, &c. finding it impossible to reach a friendly port in any of the islands to windward.

I should be wanting in common justice, was I to omit here to journalize the steady attention to order, and the great exertion and bravery of all my officers, seamen and marines, in this action, many of whom I had sufficiently tried before on a similar occasion, and all their names are recorded in the muster roll I sent to the Secretary of the Navy, dated the 19th December last, signed by myself.

All hands employed at repairing the damage sustained in the action, so far as to get the ship into Jamaica as soon as possible

THOMAS TRUXTON.

List of Officers and Men, killed wounded and missing by the action of the 1st of Feb. 1800, on board the United States ship Constellation, of 38 guns, Thomas Truxton, Esq. commander, with a French National ship of 58 guns.

Mr. James Jarvis, midshipman, missing, who was in the maintop, went overboard with the mainmast.
Killed-- William Lightfoot; John Robinson, Seaman, John Smith, do. Thomas Stevenson, old do. John Williams, seaman; John Willon, do. James Foster, do. Emmanuel Manna, do. Robert Smith, do. Emmanuel Drift, do. William Powell, old do. Joseph Grover, seaman; Christopher McCormick, Midshipman.

Mr. A. Shirley, 2d Lieutenant, slight wound in the leg.

Mr. P. C. Wetterstrand, slight wound in the head;

Mr. R. Warren, midshipman, slight wound in the head;

Mr. F. Comerford, master's mate, slight wound in the head;

John Highland, quarter gunner, shot thro' the back;

James Rodgers, sergeant of marines, slight wound on the arm.

Jona. Bell, sail maker's mate, fractured leg;

John Hoxe, seaman, arm shot off, and wounded in the side;

William Mugrove, seaman, fractured thigh;

James Carter, seaman, wounded in the thigh and side;

Ephraim Jabins, seaman, wounded in the arm;

Benjamin Bradford, seaman, arm shot off, died;

Antonio Poyntz, seaman, slight wound in the arm and knee;

Edward Hallman, seaman, slight wound in the head;

George Matthews, old seaman, fractured thigh;

John Logan, old seaman, fractured leg;

Thomas Fitzgerald, old seaman, gluteus maximus muscle badly wounded;

Charles Lewis, old seaman, shot through the arm;

John Baptist, boy, leg shot off;

Philip Smith, boy, wounded in the back of the neck;

Cader Branton, marine, wounded in the thigh;

William Small, marine, shot thro' the thigh;

William Howell, old seaman, slight wound in the thigh;

George Caron, marine, shot thro' the head.

ISAAC HENRY, Surgeon.

Feb. 3, 1800.

An officer on board the Constellation, has forwarded the following address, which was delivered by the brave Truxton, to his officers and crew, on the 2d February, 1800.

PUBLIC thanks, tho but a small tribute, is nevertheless justly due to seamen and soldiers, who have manifested their zeal, activity and bravery so conspicuously, in support of the honor and dignity of their country's flag, as the crew of the Constellation, of 38 guns did last evening in an engagement with a French national frigate of 28 guns or upwards (carrying much heavier metal) in which the enemy was compleatly beaten, and would have become their prize, had not the damages sustained in making the first efforts to get alongside of her, together with the loss of the main mast, main top-mast, main top gallant mast, mizen-top mast, and several other spars, which also went over the side at the moment of her sheering off, together with the dismantled state of the ship otherwise, made a further pursuit impracticable.

As the commander, therefore, I feel infinite satisfaction in returning my thanks to the officers of every description, seamen, marines, and others, for the gallantry they displayed on this occasion, which under a beneficent Providence, has enabled me to add another laurel to the American character, on the records of the navy, and you may be assured gentlemen, seamen and soldiers, that you shall be properly noticed to the President of the United States, and such of you as have been unfortunately wounded & survive, will doubtless be put on the pension list, and while their misfortunes I regret, I shall state with pleasure their just claims to the government, in order that they may have that protection and care taken of them which is provided by a grateful country for those that the fortune of war has been unkind to.

THOMAS TRUXTON.

United States ship Constellation,

Feb. 2, 1800.