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jumped on board; but the rapidity of the vessel's passage prevented the remainder from following. Captain Little, finding the precariousness of Preble's situation, hailed him, desiring to know, if he would not have more men. His reply, indicative of great presence of mind, was, No, we have more than we want; we stand in each other's way." The brig being within pistol shot of the shore, the chief part of the enemy on deck leaped over board, and swam to land; who were followed by some, who made their escape through the cabin windows. The officers were just rising as Preble entered the cabin; he assured them, that they were his prisoners, and that any resistance would be vain and fatal to them. The vessel of course was surrendered, and it was supposed to superior force. Notwithstanding a brisk cannonade and firing of musketry from a battery on shore, Preble beat his prize out of the harbor, and arrived at Boston, without injury. The knowledge of this gallant achievement greatly enhanced his reputation as a naval officer.

THOMAS TRUXTON,

Commodore in the American Navy.

"THE father of Captain Truxton was an eminent counsellor of the bar, in the then colony of New-York, and resided on Long or Nassau Island, where the Commodore was born on the 17th of February, 1755. Having lost his father at an early age, he was placed under the care of John Troup, Esq. of Jamaica, Long-Island, a gentleman well known in the annals of the war between France and England, preceding the American revolution. The sea was his favorite element. At twelve years of age, he first embarked in his naval career under a Captain Joseph Holmes, in the ship Pitt, bound for Bristol, England. The next year, he sailed under a Captain Chambers, in the London trade. While yet in

his novitiate he was impressed on board of an English ship of war of sixty-four guns, during the dispute with Spain about the Falkland Islands, from which ship he was afterwards released, through the influence of some friends in power. The commander of his Britannic Majesty's ship Prudent, from which he was discharged, used every persuasion to induce him to remain in the service of the crown, with the strongest assurances, that every exertion should be used for his speedy promotion, but without effect, as he immediately returned to the and service from which he had been impressed.

ship

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In the beginning of the revolutionary struggle he forthwith embarked in the cause of the colonies against the unjust oppression of Great Britain, and early in 1775 had the command of an armed vessel, with which he cruised against the enemy with great success. In these cruises, the United States were much benefited by the quantities of powder which were found on board his zes, of which articles they were greatly in want. Towards the close of the same year, when on a voyage to St. Eustatia, a Dutch island in the West Indies, in a letter of marque, of which he was half owner, he was captured off the Island of St. Christopher's, his vessel condemned, and himself released under the provisions of the general restraining act of the British Parliament. From St. Christopher's he went to St. Eustatia, and thence to Philadelphia. His next cruise was in the capacity of first lieutenant of the private armed ship Congress, which was just equipping for sea. During the early part of the winter of 1776, this vessel, in company with another private armed vessel, called the Chance, fitted out at the same time, made several prizes off the Havanna, which were very valuable home-bound Jamaica ships, going through the Gulf of Florida. He, as prizemaster, brought one of them safe into the port of Bedford, Massachusetts. In June of the same year, while the harbor of New-York was blockaded by the British fleet, previous to its evacuation by the Americans, he made

his way to sea through the Long Island Sound, in a vessel called the Independence, fitted out by himself and Isaac Sears, Esq. and placed under his command. Off the Azores or Western Isles, he made several prizes, of which three were large and valuable ships, forming a part of the Windward Island fleet, under convoy. One of these prizes carried more guns and men than his vessel. The proud Englishmen, notwithstanding their vaunted natural prowess, were obliged to strike their colours to an inferior force. Truxton next directed his course to the British Channel, in the ship Mars, of twenty guns, where he made a number of prizes, several of which he sent into Quiberon Bay. The French court, from a desire to lessen the strength of a rival power, had for some time lent a secret aid to the revolting colonies, yet it had not manifested their hostile intentions so openly as to induce the recal of the British minister from Versailles. Hence upon the reception of these prizes, into a French port, the British ambasador, Lord Stormont, made a strong remonstrance to the cabinet, protesting against the admission of American armed vessels and prizes into the ports of France, but without effect. Truxton, after this cruise, domiciliated himself in Philadelphia, from which port he sailed during the remainder of the war, commanding vessels, of which he was in general part owner. His cruises were generally

successful.

When commanding the St. James, of 20 guns, and one hundred men, on a voyage to France with Thomas Barclay, Esq. the Consul General from the revolted colonies to that country, a passenger on board, he fell in with a British private ship of war, mounting 32 guns and a proportionate number of men, consequently nearly double his force. After a severe and close engagement, the enemy was obliged to sheer off, and was afterwards towed into New-York in a very crippled state. The late Secretary of the Navy, William Jones, Esq. acted as Captain Truxton's third lieutenant, and conducted him

self during the whole engagement with such distinguished bravery, that he was shortly after promoted to a first lieutenancy. In this vessel, Truxton returned safe to Philadelphia with a most valuable cargo. He used every means in his power to harass the enemy on the ocean, during every period of the war, and constantly evinced the most consummate skill and undaunted courage; and his exertions were almost universally crowned with complete success.

CHAPTER III.

JOHN PAUL JONES.

Commodore in the American Navy.

While we

"THE following interesting narrative is translatedfrom a French manuscript, written by himself. condemn the author for his egotism, we must make great allowances, on that account for the splendid success that attended his enterprises, and estimate his vanity by the reason he had to be vain. Few even, perhaps, circumstanced as Paul Jones was, would have praised themselves less than he has done in this sketch; which possesses the singular merit of being substantially correct in all parts, so far as we are informed of the matter."Niles' Register.

"At the commencement of the American war (during the year 1775) I was employed to fit out the little squadron, which the congress had placed under Commodore Hopkins, who was appointed to the command of all the armed vessels appertaining to America, and I hoisted, with my own hands, the American flag, on board the Alred, which was then displayed for the first time.

I at the same time, acquainted Mr. Hewes, a member of congress, and my particular friend, with a project for seizing on the Island of St. Helena, by means of our little squadron, which would have infallibly rendered us masters of part of the homeward-bound East India fleet; and as the congress, at that time, proposed to appropriate two thirds of the prizes to itself, they would have thus been furnished with the means of carrying on the war during several years; but an event of a more pressing nature prevented this scheme from being carried into execution.

The cruelties and vexations, at that time exercised by Dunmore, in Virginia, determined the congress to detach the squadron against him; but Mr. Hopkins displayed neither zeal nor talents upon this occasion, and lost so much time that his squadron was frozen in the Delaware.

After a delay of two months, the squadron was at length disengaged, and set sail for New-Providence, the principal of the Bahama Islands. There we found a large quantity of artillery, mortars and other implements of warfare, of which we stood greatly in want in Ameriea; and I had the good fortune to render myself extremely useful to the commodore, who was but little acquainted with military operations. It was to me he was indebted for the plan adopted by him when the squadron came in sight of New-Providence, and I also undertook to moor the squadron in a proper birth to execute our enterprize.

On our return from New-Providence, we took two armed vessels, one of which was loaded with bombs, and fell in, near Rhode-Island, with an English man of war, called the Glasgow, carrying twenty-four guns; but notwithstanding our superiority, both in point of force and sailing, the commander in chief suffered her to escape, after having lost many men killed and wounded, both on board the Alfred and the Cabot.

The squadron now entered the port of New-London,