complement of 300 men. During his continuance in her he captured the American brig-privateer Curlew, of 16 guns (pierced for 20) and 172 men: Highflyer, schooner privateer, 5 guns and 172 men; Herald letter of marque, 10 guns (pierced for 18) and 60 men, from Bourdeaux, bound to Baltimore[1]; and several unarmed merchantmen. He also assisted at the capture of the Snapper schooner privateer, of 10 guns and 90 men; and the Porcupine letter of marque, with a valuable cargo, from Bayonne bound to Boston; likewise at the recapture of a British 20-gun ship, and many trading vessels, which had been taken by the Constitution and other American cruisers. The Acasta returned to England in July, 1815; and Captain Kerr was about the same time nominated a C.B. as a reward for his long and arduous services. The following letter was addressed by him to the author of this work, shortly after the publication of Sir George Collier’s memoir:
“Sir,– I have just seen in the fourth part of your Naval Biography, a note attached to the memoir of the late Sir George Collier, which induces me to explain why I did not make a signal to the Leander of the force of the American squadron off Porto Praya, on the 11th Mar. 1815.
“Perhaps you are not aware that, at the time the Acasta’s log states the force of the enemy, the Leander was nearly as close to them as the Acasta; and as the water-lines of the enemy’s ships were distinctly seen from her, I could not suppose that any difference of opinion could possibly exist respecting their force. I therefore considered the senior officer fully able to judge for himself, and that it would be presumption in me to make that signal, or to suppose they could not make out the force of the enemy on board the Leander as clearly as we did in the Acasta. I am, &c.
“To Lieut. John Marshall, R.N."
answer.
- ↑ This vessel was afterwards the Barbadoes sloop of war.
