the source of an honorable emulation, and from the seeds of discord itself have reaped the fruits of an honorable union. This day completes the fourth week since fifteen hundred of you attacked treble your number of men, who had boasted of their discipline, and their services, under a celebrated leader, in a long and eventful war-attacked them in their camp, the moment they had profaned the soil of freedom with their hostile tread, and inflicted a blow which was a prelude to the final result of their attempt to conquer, or their poor contrivances to divide us. A few hours was sufficient to unite the gallant band, though at the moment they received the welcome order to march, they were separated many leagues, in different directions from the city. The gay rapidity of the march, and the cheerful countenances of the officers and men, would have induced a belief that some festive entertainment, not the strife of battle, was the scene to which they hastened with so much eagerness and hilarity. In the conflict that ensued, the same spirit was supported, and my communications to the executive of the U. States have testified the sense I entertained of the merits of the corps and officers that were engaged. Resting on the field of battle, they retired in perfect order on the next morning to these lines, destined to become the scene of future victories, which they were to share with the rest of you, my brave companions in arms. Scarcely were your lines in a protection against musket shot, when on the 23d a disposition was made to attack them with all the pomp and parade of military tactics, as improved by those veterans of the Spanish war.

Their batteries of heavy cannon kept up an incessant fire; their rockets illuminated the air; and under their cover two strong columns threatened our flanks. The foe. insolently thought that this spectacle was too imposing to be resisted, and in the intoxication of his pride he already saw our lines abandoned without a contest-how were those menacing appearances met?

By shouts of defiance, by a manly conntenance, not to be shaken by the roar of his cannon, or by the glare of his fire-work rockets; by an artillery served with superior skill, and with deadly effect. Never, my brave friends, can your General forget the testimonials of attachment to our glorious cause, of indignant hatred to our foe, of effection

ate confidence in your chief, that resounded from every rank, as he passed along your line. This animating scene damped the courage of the enemy; he dropped his scaling ladders and fascines, and the threatened attack dwindled into a demonstration, which served only to shew the emptiness of his parade, and to inspire you with a just confidence in yourselves.

The new year was ushered in with the most tremendous fire his whole artillery could produce-a few hours only, however, were necessary for the brave and skilful men who directed our own to dismount his cannon, destroy his batteries, and effectually silence his fire. Hitherto, my brave friends, in the contest on our lines, your courage had been passive only; you stood with calmness, a fire that would have tried the firmness of a veteran, and you anticipated a nearer contest with an eagerness which was soon to be gratified.

On the 8th of January the final effort was made. At the dawn of day the batteries opened and the columns advanced. Knowing that the volunteers from Tennesse and the militia from Kentucky were stationed on your left, it was there they directed their chief attack.

Reasoning always from false principles, they expected little opposition from men, whose officers even were not in uniform, who were ignorant of the rules of dress, and who had never been caned into discipline-fatal mistake! a fire incessantly kept up, directed with calmness and unerring aim, strewed the field with the bravest officers and men of the column which slowly advanced, according to the most approved rules of European tactics, and was cut down by the untutored courage of American militia. Unable to sustain this galling and unceasing fire, some hundreds nearest the entrenchment called for quarter, which was granted -the rest retreating, were rallied at some distance, but only to make them a surer mark for the grape and cannister shot of our artillery, which, without exaggeration, mowed down whole ranks at every discharge and at length they precipitately retired from the field.

Our right had only a short contest to sustain with a few rash men, who, fatally for themselves, forced their entrance into the unfinished redoubt on the river. They were quickly dispossessed, and this glorious day terminated with

a loss to the enemy of their commander in chief and one Major-General killed, another Major- eneral wounded, the most experienced and bravest of their officers, and more than three thousand men killed, wounded and missing, while our ranks, my friends, were thinned only by the loss of six of our brave companions killed, and seven disabled by wounds-wonderful interposition of Heaven! unexampled event in the history of war!

Let us be grateful to the God of battles who has directed the arrows of indignation against our invaders, while he covered with his protecting shield the brave defenders of their country.

After this unsuccessful and disastrous attempt, their spirits were broken, their force was destroyed, and their whole attention was employed in providing the means of escape. This they have effected; leaving their heavy ar tillery in our power, and many of their wounded to our clemency. The consequences of this short, but decisive campaign, are incalculably important. The pride of our arrogant enemy humbled, his forces broken, his leaders killed, his insolent hopes of our disunion frustrated—his expectation of rioting in our spoils and wasting our country changed into ignominious defeat, shameful flight, and a reluctant acknowledgment of the humanity and kindness, of those whom he had doomed to all the horrors and humiliation of a conquered state.

On the other side, unanimity established, disaffection crushed, confidence restored, your country saved from conquest, your property from pillage, your wives and daughters from insult and violation*-the union preserved from dismemberment, and perhaps a period put by this decisive stroke to a bloody and savage war. These, my brave friends, are the consequences of the efforts you have made, and the success with which they have been crowned by Heaven.

These important results have been effected by the united courage and perseverance of the army; but which the dif ferent corps as well as the individuals that compose it, vied with each other in their exertions to produce. The gratitude, the admiration of their country, offers a fairer re

* Previous to the attack Gen Packenham gave out for watchword. Beauty and Booty,' and promised three days riot and plunder.

ward than that which any praises of the Gen. can bestow, and the best is that of which they can never be deprived, the consciousness of having done their duty, and of meriting the applause they will receive.

Com. Decatur to the Secretary of the Navy.

H. B. M. ship Endymion, at sea, Jau. 18, 1815, SIR-The painful duty of detailing to you the particular causes which preceded and led to the capture of the late U. S. frigate President by a squadron of his Britannic majesty's ships* has devolved upon me., In my communication of the 14th, I made known my intention of proceeding to sea on that evening. Owing to some mistake of the pilots, the ship in going out grounded on the bar, where she continued to strike heavily for an hour and a half; although she had broken several of her rudder braces, and had received such other material injury as to render her return into port desirable, I was unable to do so from the strong westerly wind which was then blowing. We shaped our course along the shore of Long-Island and for 50 miles, and then steered S. E. by E. At five o'clock, three ships were discovered ahead; we immediately hauled up the ship and passed two miles to the northward of them. At day light, we discovered four ships in chase, one on each quarter, and two astern, the leading ship of the enemy a razee-she commenced a fire upon us but without effect. At meridian the wind became light and baffling; we had increased our distance from the razee, but the next ship astern, which was also a large ship, had gained and continued to gain upon us considerably; we immediatelyoccupied all hauds to lighten ship. At 3, we had the wind quite light; the enemy who had now been joined by a brig. had a strong breeze, and were coming up with us rapidly. The Endymion (mounting 50 guns, 24 pounders on the main deck) had now approached us within gun shot and had commenced a fire with her bow guns, which we returned from our stern. At 5 o'clock, she had obtained a position on our starboard quarter, within half point blank shot, on which neither our stern nor quarter guns would bear; I remained with her in this position for half an

* Majestic razee, Endymion, Pomone, Tenedos, Dispatch (brig. }

hour, in the hope that she would close with us on our broadside, in which case I prepared my crew to board, but from his continuing to yaw his ship to maintain his position, it became evident that to close was not his intention. Eve

ry fire now cut some of our sails or rigging. To have continued our course under these circumstances, would have been placing it in his power to cripple us, without being subject to injury himself, and to have hauled up more to the northward to bring our stern guns to bear, would have exposed us to his raking fire.

At

It was now dusk when I determined to alter my course south, for the purpose of bringing the enemy abeam, and although their ships astern were drawing ap fast, I felt satisfied I should be enabled to throw him out of the combat before they could come up, and was not without hopes, if the night proved dark (of which there was every appear ance) that I might still be enabled to effect my escape. Our opponent kept off at the same instant we did, and fire commenced at the same time? We continued engaged, steering south with steering sails set two hours and a half, when we completely succeeded in dismantling her. Previously to her dropping entirely out of the action, there were intervals of minutes, when the ships were broadside and broadside, and in which she did not fire a gun. this period, half past 8 o'clock, although dark, the other ships of the squadron were in sight, and almost within gun shot. We were of course compelled to abandon her. In resuming our former course for the purpose of avoiding the squadron, we were compelled to present our stern to our antagonist-but such was his state, though we were thus exposed and within range of his guns for half an hour, that he did not avail himself of this favorable opportunity of raking us. We continued this conrse until 11 o'clock, when two fresh ships of the enemy (the Pomone and Tenedos) had come up. The Pomone had opened her fire on the larboard bow, within musket shot; the other about two cables' length astern, taking a raking position on our quarter; and the rest (with the exception of the Endymion) within gun shot. Thus situated, with about one fifth of my crew killed and wounded, my ship crippled, and a more than four-fold force opp sed to me, without a chance of escape left, I deemed it my duty to surrender.