“I enclose a return of the killed and wounded, and I have great pleasure in bearing testimony of the very great assistance I received from the senior Lieutenant, Morgan, during the whole day’s proceedings; together with the cool and determined bravery of my officers and ship’s company, on this fortunate occasion. Where every individual has so conspicuously done his duty, it would be injustice for me to particularize; but I trust the loss and damage sustained by the enemy’s frigate, will shew the steady and well-directed fire kept up by his Majesty’s ship under my command. Although our loss has been severe, I am happy to state that it is trifling when compared with that of the enemy.”
The following statement will shew the comparative force of the parties opposed to each other on the 15th Jan. 1815:
ENDYMION. |
PRESIDENT. | ||||
Main-deck | 26 | long twenty-four-pounders, | 30 | long twenty-four-pounders, | |
Quarter-deck | 16 | thirty-two-pounder carronades, | 16 | forty-two-pounder carronades, | |
Forecastle | 6 | dittoditto | 4 2 |
dittoditto long twenty-four-pounders, | |
Total | 48 | guns, exclusive of a long-eighteen-pounder, used only as a bow-chaser, there being no broadside port for it. |
52 | guns, exclusive of a brass 8-inch howitzer, mounted upon a travelling carriage, and fought through a port on the spar-deck. |
Broadside weight of metal | long guns, carronades, |
312 352 |
664 pounds. | long guns, carronades, |
408 420 |
828 pounds[1]. | ||||
Size in tons | 1277 |
1533 |
The Endymion, previous to her encounter with the President, had had 28 officers and men killed, and 37 badly wounded, in an unsuccessful attack made by her boats upon the Prince de Neufchatel American privateer; but to make up for this heavy loss she obtained a draft of men from another ship belonging to the Halifax squadron. The total number of officers, men, and boys on board, at the commencement of the action, was 346: her loss consisted of 11 killed and 14 wounded.
The “New York Evening Post,” speaking of the President, says “she had a picked crew of 500 men.” Her watch-bill, the only paper found on board, contained the names of 477
- ↑ Exclusive of the howitzer, but including both of the forecastle 24-pounders, one of which was fought through a spare port on the quarterdeck. The President’s top-guns, 5 brass 4-pounders, were also used during this action.