command of admiral Warren, was sent to the entrance of the Chesapeake to enforce this blockade.

The first interesting event this blockade gave rise to, was the affair of the Lottery. This vessel mounted six guns, and had a crew of thirty-five men. In sailing out of the Chesapeake, in the month of February, she was attacked by nine large British boats, having on board two hundred and forty well armed men. She sustained their united attack upwards of an hour and a half, when the British succeeded in boarding her, and pulled down her colours. The loss of the British exceeded the number of the Lottery.

On the 3d of April, the privateer Dolphin of Baltimore, was captured after a long and gallant resistance, by a number of barges and launches, belonging to the blockading squadron. The British finally succeeded in capturing her, by boarding and overpowering her crew by superior numbers.

About the middle of May, a party of the British blockading squadron, sailed up to the head of the Chesapeake bay, where they captured and destroyed a number of small vessels.

About the commencement of May, a large party of British marines and sailors, under the command of rear admiral Cockburn, successfully attacked the villages of Frenchtown, Havre-de-grace, Georgetown and Fredericktown. These places were situated near the head of the Chesapeake, and contained but few inhabitants. They of course could make but little resistance against a numerous body of assail

ants. The destruction committed by the British in those places was wanton in the extreme. The houses were set on fire. The furniture and other property of the inhabitants were either destroyed or conveyed on board their vessels. The squadron soon after returned down the Chesapeake.

On the 20th of June, commodore Cassin fitted out an expedition against some of the blockading frigates then in the vicinity of Crany Island. Fifteen gun boats were selected for this purpose and put under the command of captain Tarbell. The attack was commenced from the gun boats upon a frigate about three quarters of a mile distant. Two other British frigates were in sight. The frigate sustained considerable injury, and would have been captured by the gun boats had not a breeze sprung up which enabled the other two vessels to come to her assistance. The action however continued an hour and a half with the three frigates. Only one American was killed, and some others slightly wounded.

On the 22d of June, about three thousand British attempted to land on Crany Island, but were repulsed. Three of their barges were sunk: one of them, belonging to admiral Warren's ship had seventy-five men in her, the greater part of whom were drowned; a number of prisoners were taken. Many of the enemy also deserted. The American troops on the is land consisted of about five hundred land troops un der the command of lieutenant-colonel Beaty, and one hundred and fifty marines, and sailors, under the

command of lieutenants Neale, Shubrick, Saunders, and Brackenridge.

On the 25th of June, about two thousand five hundred British attacked the town of Hampton. The American force stationed there amounted to about four hundred, under the command of major Crutchfield. This small body of Americans opposed the very superior British force, with the utmost gallantry for a considerable time, when, overcome by numbers, they retreated, and the British took possession of Hampton, where the most inhuman and shocking acts were committed by them. Several of the defenceless and unfortunate females that remained in the place suffered every indecency and violence. Property to a large amount was most wantonly destroyed.

On the 14th of July the United States schooner Asp, of three guns and twenty-one men, in the Chesapeake bay, being attacked by several British vessels, ran up a creek, whither she was pursued by three boats, well manned and armed; but the assailants were soon compelled to retreat. After the lapse of an hour, the Asp was again attacked by five boats, the crews of which succeeded in boarding her. The crew of the Asp retreated on shore. The British set fire to the vessel and left her. The fire however was extinguished by the Americans. The loss of the latter in killed and wounded amounted to ten.

On the 18th of July, an attempt was made in the Chesapeake bay, to blow up the Plantaganet, a seventy-four, by means of a torpedo. Mr. Mix, the

projector of the scheme, had approached within forty fathoms of her, and dropped the torpedo; when he was hailed by one of the British guard boats. He instantly drew his machine into the boat and escaped. On the following night he made a second attempt, but was again discovered. In the night of the 20th, he made a third attempt, and got within fifteen yards of the ship's bow, and directly under her jibboom, where he continued fifteen minutes making preparations, when a sentinel from the forecastle hailed "Boat ahoy." The sentinel not being answered, fired his musket at the now retreating adventurer, to which a rapid discharge of small arms succeeded. Blue lights were resorted to in order to find out the position of the boat, but failed. Rockets were then thrown which illumined the water to a considerable extent, and discovered the boat. A heavy discharge of cannon immediately commenced. The Plantaganet slipped her cable, made some sail, while her boats were sent in pursuit. But the daring American escaped unhurt. Unsuccessful attempts were made the three following nights. But on the 24th Mr. Mix took his position within one. hundred yards of the Plantaganet, and in a direction with her larboard bow. The machine was dropped into the water, and the same moment the sentinel cried "All's well:" the tide swept it towards the vessel, but it exploded a few seconds too soon. A column of water fifty feet in circumference was thrown up thirty or forty feet. Its appearance was a vivid red, tinged with purple at the sides. The

summit of the column burst with a tremendous explosion, and fell on the deck of the Plantaganet in torrents, while she rolled into the yawning chasm below, and nearly upset. She however received but little injury.

In the month of July, the blockading squadron again sailed up the Chesapeake and entered the Potomac they however effected nothing. Soon after returning out of the river they sailed toward the head of the Chesapeake. They landed on Kent Island, where they remained for some time, when they again returned down the bay.

On the 6th of April the blockading squadron in the Delaware bay commenced a cannonade on Lewistown, the inhabitants of which had refused complying with an order of the English commodore, to supply the squadron with provisions. The cannonade lasted about twenty-two hours: a number of eighteen and thirty-two pound shot were fired, likewise shells and Congreve rockets; but produced little or no effect-not a life was lost. The inhabitants of the place were prompt in repelling every attempt to

land.

On the 27th of July, one of the United States gun boats was captured in the Delaware by a superior force, after a very gallant defence, in which the British had seven men killed and twelve wounded.*

* Clark's Naval History, vol. i. p. 194–197.