jragement she appeared in one continual blaze. About
twenty minutes after the action commenced when ttie
surgeon was busily engaged on the quarter-deck, the Kan-
dolph blew up. The cause of this disaster was never as-
certained. Only four men, out of three hundred and
fifteen, survived. After four days tossmg on a piece ot
48
566 GLORY OF AMERICA.
the ^\Teck on the ocean, they were taken up. So close
were these two ships engaged, that the crew of the Fair
American beheved it to have been the enemy's ship that
was blown up. The Captain of her was so convinced of
it, that he stood for ilie enemy's vessel with his trumpet in
hand to hail her, in order to ask after Captain Biddle,
when he discovered his error, and the other vessels escaped
m consequence of the disabled condition of the enemy,
which proved to be the British line of battle sliip Yar-
mouth, of sixtv-four grins.
Thus prematurely fell, in the spring of life, a young
man in the twenty-seventh year of his "age, for whom his
country entertained the highest regard and anticipations
of future achievements. While his personal worth has
called forth the tear of friendship, his m.emor}' has been
embalmed with the poet's pen.
THOMAS TRUXTOX.
The father of Captain Truxton was an eminent counsel-
lor of the bar, and resided on Long Island, or Nassau Isl-
and, where the Conmiodore was born on the 1 7th of Feb-
ruary, 17.55. Having lost his father at an early ao-e, he
was placed under the" care of John Troup. Esq. of Jamai-
ca, Long Island. The sea was his favourite element. At
twelve years old, 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.
In the beginning of the revolutionary' struggle he forth-
with embarked in the cause of the colon ies,"a_2"ainst the
unjust oppression of Great Britain, and early inT775 had
the command of an armed vessel, with which he cruised
against the enemy with oreat success. In these cruises,
the United States were much benefited by the quantities
of powder which were found on board his prizes, of wliich
THOMAS TRUXTON. 567
article 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 arm-
ed 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 prize-master, brought one of them safe into the port of
Bedford, Massachusetts. In June of the same year, while
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 In-
dependence, fitted out by himself and Isaac Sears, Esq.,
and placed under his command. Off the Azores or West-
ern 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 s^wis and men than his vessel. Truxton next di-
rected his course to the British Channel, in the ship ]Mars,
of twenty guns, where he made a number of prizes, seve-
ral of which he sent into duiberon bay. After this cruise,
he 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 twenty guns, and
one hundred men, on a voyage to France, with Thomas
Barclay, Esq., the Consul General from the revolted colo-
nies to that country, he fell in with a British private ship
of war, mounting thirty-two guns, and a proportionate
number of men, consequently nearly double his force.
After a severe and close engagement, the enemy was obli-
568 GLORY OF AMERICA.
ged to sheer off, and was afterwards towed into New York
in a very crippled state. Tiie late secretary of the Ucivy,
AVilham Jones, Esq. acted as Captain Truxton's third
Lieutenant, and conducted hiinself during the whole en-
gag-ement with such distinguished bravery, that he was
shortly afterwards promoted to a first lieutenancy. In
this vessel. Truxton returned safe to Philadelpliia. 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 crowmed with complete success. He likewise,
hi two instances, distinofuished himself on land.
On the return of peace, he continued his professional
pursuits between this country, Europe, and Asia, until
1794, when the lowering appearances of our affairs with
Great Britain, in consequence of the conduct of her naval
commanders, under the celebrated Corn order of Council
in 1793, induced the establishment of a navy. General
"Washington, then President, by advice and consent of the
Senate, appointed him Captain of one of the six ships of
war, which had been ordered to be built. But the build-
ing of these vessels was suspended, in consequence of the
treatv of 1795. On the abroo;ation of the consular con-
vention with France, in the year 179S, durinsf the admin-
istration of Mr. John Adams, Captain Truxton was di-
rected to superintend the building of the frigate Constella-
tion, at Baltimore, of which he was appointed commander.
This vessel was one of the first which put to sea in con-
sequence of the hostile attitude assunied by the United
States towards the French republic. His orders were to
cruise in the West India seas for the protection of Ameri-
can property. On the 9th of February, 1799, he fell in
with the French frigate, L'Insurgente, Captain Barreau,
off the Island St. Nevis. "With this vessel he commenced
a severe eno^agement, which lasted for an hour and a
quarter, when the Frenchman struck. With his prize, he
put into BcLSse Terre, St. Christopher's, where he refitted,
and returned to America. This was the first action which
had taken place since the commencement of the disturb-
THOMAS TRUXTOX. 569
ance between the United States and France. The fame
of the achievement was blazoned abroad, both in Europe
and America, and produced the Commodore the most
flattering marks of distinction. The merchants at Lloyd's
Coffee House, London, sent him a present of a service of
silver plate with a suitable device, valued at upwards of
SIX hundred guineas. The captive commander, in a let-
ter to the Commodore, while he lamented the unhappy
posture of affairs between the two countries, expressed
himself as being well pleased, that the chances of war had
thrown him into such gallant and brave hands, and thank-
ed the Commodore for his generous conduct towards him-
self and his crew.
During his cruise, he captured many private armed and
other vessels, and completely cleared those seas of the
French cruisers, by which so many depredations had
been committed on the American and English commerce
in that quarter.
While our other vessels of war were busily engogf'd in
convoving; the American commerce, the Commodore
heard, in January, 1800. that the French ship of war La
Vengeance, mounting fifty-four guns, with a complenjent
of five hundred men, was lying at Guadaloupe, Vvn'th
troops, and several general officers on board, intending to
put to sea. He immediately changed his cruising ground,
and endeavoured to fall in with her, and, if possible, to
bring her to action. The superiority of her force was, in
a great measure, counterbalanced, by a complement of too
many men and a number of troops.
On the 1st of February, his wishes were gratified, as
he descried her on the morning of that day, and after
twelve hours' chase brouofht her to action. In conse-
quence of having too many troops and a great number of
officers on board, the French commander was unwilling
to risk a combat, but the intentions of his gallant antago-
nist were very different. An engagement took place, and
after a close action of nearly five hours, the Frenchman
was silenced. During a squall, while the Americans
were busily engaged in clearing their ship, the French
captain efiected'^his escape. This he was enabled to do
48*
$70 GLORY OF AMERICA.
by the darkness of the niglit. thougli prior to this circiim
stance, he had struck his colours, as he afterwards ac-
ktiowledo;ed, but was induced to renew the contest, be-
heving it to be the iniention ot his anta2T)nist to sink him.
The Vengeance now arrived at Curacoa in a very shat-
tered condition, havino; lost in the enofaorement one hun-
dred killed and wounded, and all her masts and rio:o:ino:
Co O
being nearly shot away.
Congress, on this occasion, voted Truxton an emble-
matic medal, for his sfallantrv and 2:ood conduct.
He retired to Philadelphia, to enjoy the pleasing scenes
of domestic life, until 1S16, when the citizens of the citv
and county of Philadelphia evinced their respect for his
various services rendered them in the most perilous times,
by electinof him to fill the important office of sheriff, the
duties of which he discharged with general satisfaction.
HUGH MERCER.
This o;entleman was a native of vScotland ; but the
year of his birth is unknown to us. Having received a
liberal education, he studied medicine, and it is hiofhlv
probable that he ca.me to Anierica with the unfortunate
General Braddock. in the capacity of a surgeon, as he
was with him in the disastrous campaign of 17-5.5 ; and
in the action wherein the general was slain, near Fort du
Q.uesne, now Pittsburgh, was wounded in the shoulder.
Thus early was he the companion in arms of the illus-
trious Washington. As Dr. fiercer found himself unable
to retreat, he sought concealment under a fallen tree, on
which, directly over Avhere he lay, an Indian jumped, to
desciy, if possible, the fugitive combatants, and in a few
moments departed without discovering him.
After the Indians, having satiated themselves with
blood and plunder, had retired from the sanguinary field,
the doctor reached a neighbouring brook, and, almost
fainting with the loss of blood, slaked his thirst, which
HUGH MERCER. 57J
fio far refreshed him as to enable him to walk He
then endeavoured to return by the route in which the
army had advanced. Incredible as it may appear he
reached Fort Cumberland, on the Potomac, a distance of
more than a hundred miles, through a trackless wild,
with no other nutriment than a rattlesnake, which he
adventitiously killed and threw over his shoulder \fter
the peace of 1763, the doctor settled and married in Ame-
rica, but m what year we are not informed. In him were
united in a very uncommon manner the qualities of the
gentleman, the scholar, the soldier, the statesman, the
husband, the father, and the friend. His worth was so
generally known and admired, that at the commencement
of the American revolution, he was honoured with a bri-
gadier-general's commission, and thus he exchanged the
peaceful scenes of private life for the tumultuous Held of
slaughter and carnage. His brigade formed a part of the
lett column of Washington's army, at the capture of the
Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey, in December, 1770,
In this adventure of brilliant achievement, he accompa-
nied the commander-in-chief, who conducted the left
wmg in person. Findino- the'ha.zardous situation of his
army in its position, and' the advance of the British, to
save Philadelphia, Washington determined to throw him-
self in the rear of the enemy and withdraw his attention
to other objects. To deceive the enemy, who meditated
an attack the next morning, he left his fires burnino-. and
withdrew his forces towards Princeton, before day-lio-ht
on the morning of the 2d of January, 1777. The enemy
did not discover that the Americans had decamped, till
they had prepared to execute the contemplated attack'.
On the morning of the 3d was the memorable encrajre-
ment, which terminated General Mercer's life in a^ few-
days thereafter. He commenced the engagement with
his column, consisting of not more than^hree hundred
and fifty men, near Stony-brook. On hearing; the firino-,
General Washington led on the Pennsylvania militia To
the support of Mercer, with two pieces of artillery. The
force engaged against him was the British 17th reg-iment,
commanded by Colonel Mawhood. After the thfrd fire,
572 GLORY OP AMERICA.
in consequence of a charge made by the British, Mercer's
corps fled in disorder. He was dismounted, and exerted
himseh' in endeavouring to rally tliem, but while he was
thus engaged, he v.^as thrown into the rear, and being
unable to escape, he turned about and surrendered. He
was, however, forthv.ath knocked down by the sanguinary
foe, and received tliirteen thrusts of the bayonet. Feign-
ing himself dead, the enemy left him, the fortune of the
day being against them. He was then borne off to a
n&i^-hbouring house, where he expired on the 12th. His
body was conveyed to Philadelphia and interred with
military honours. The American loss, in this action, did
not exceed thirty, fourteen of whom were buried on the
field of battle.
In the year 1793, the Congress of the United States
made a provision for the education of Hugh Mercer, his
youngest son.
General Wilkinson, his companion in arms on that and
the preceding exploit at Trenton, in his memoirs, which
sheds more light on the biography of General Mercer,
than any work we have seen, thus notices the worth ot
that gallant officer : " But in General Mercer we lost a
chiefj^who for education, experience, talents, disposition,
integrity, and patriotism, was second to no man but the
commander-in-chief, and was qualified to fill the highest
trusts of the country."
General Wilkinson, in the same work, observes, that
" the evening of January 1, was spent with General St.
Clair, by several ofTicers, of whom Mercer was one, who
in conversation made some remarks disapproving tlie ap-
pointment of Captain William Washington to a majority
in the horse, which was not relished by the company; he
thus explained himself:
" We are not eno^acred in a war of ambition : if it had
been so I should never have accepted a commission under
a man (Patrick Henry) who had never seen a day's ser-
vice ; we serve not for ourselves, but for our country: and
every man should be content to fill the place in which he
can be most useful. I know Washington to be a good
captain of infantry, but I laiow not what sort of a major
HUG? *JERCER. 573
of horse he may make; and I have seen good captains
make indifferent majors : for my own part, my views in
this coittest are confined to a single object, that is, the
success of me cause, and God can witness how cheerfully
I would lay down my life to secure it."
Little did he then expect that a few fleeting moments
would have sealed the compact.
His death was universally regretted, and was a most
serious loss to his country, his family, and friends.
CHARLES MORRIS.
The memoirs of this gentleman, who has passed with
unspotted honour from the station of midshipman to that
of Post-Captain who is now one of the navy commission-
ers the brief narrative of whose actions exhibit traits
well worthy of preservation will not be given in this
work. It had been prepared for the press, with some few
exceptions, to supply which, a letter of request had been
written to the post-master at Providence, R. L Informa-
tion was given by that gentleman, that the letter was for-
warded to Captain Morris. The latter gentleman forward-
ed a letter to the editor, from which the following is an
extract, and it is offered as an apology for omitting the
mem.oir. The omission of the sketch already prepared,
is much to be regretted, but the request of Captain Morris
is of paramount obligation.
" Washington, 7th October, 1833
" Having always been averse to the publication of any
thing in the shape of a memoir, of my own acts, during
my life, I have always declined giving any aid, and when-
ever reference has been made to me^ have requested that
it should not be attempted. I beg leave to make the same
request of you, and am. Sir, your obedient servant,
"C. MORRIS,"
574 GLORY OF AMERICA.
In closing these biographical sketches, the editor takes
liberty to remark, that the priority of place has in no in-
stance been the consequence of a supposed priority of
claim on the score of merit. The work was already in
the hands of the printer, ere a lourth part of it had passed
under the hand of the editor, or the whole of the materi-
als from which it has been gathered were within his
reach. Circumscribed in time, and labouring under em-
barrassments which few can duly appreciate, he has at
length produced a book, inferior indeed to his ambition,
but perhaps worthy all the patronage which may fall to
its share.
That the deeds of other heroes, whose names are in-
scribed on the roll of fame, are here omitted, is but to say,
that though a large book has been produced, a larger still
is needed. In this, matter sulRcient to fill several vo-
lumes, has been condensed into one. If other editors,
aiming at fame or pelf, be so disposed, other volumes may
follow"^ and the series be completed by another hand.
Perfectly indifferent as to the name which may be obtain-
ed by this species of writing, I resign the pen in this de-
partment of literature, to those who shall be abler, or more
disposed to wield it.
With one general remark, I now take leave of the
reader. If all who have acted the part of heroes, could
be brought to the front ground, and their deeds of " noble
daring" recorded on the historic page, the officers under
whos^ command they have acted would not wholly en-
gross the pen, the press, and the public attention.
CONTENTS.
A T PASS
Andrew Jackson, -
Richard Mentor Johnson, - ... ,^c
Stephen Decatur, - - - . . - 19
David Porter, - - ... cos
Zebulon Montgomery Pike, - - -. 968
Leonard Covington, - - - . . loi
John Ohrystie, - - - .. 2=?'
William Henry Allen, - - -. 286
John CubHiNG Aylwin, - - _.. 297
William Bcreows, - - -.. 3qj
James Lawrence, - - -_. onr
Eleazer Wheelock Riplet, - - - . . 313
William Bainbridge, - - _.. 333
Thomas Macdonough, - -... r.-^
William Carroll, - - _. occ
Jacob Brown, - - _. n-^
John Rodgers, - - -.. 335
James Biddle, - - - . * . _ 30,
WiNFiELD Scott, - - -._. 30-
Lewis Warrington, - - _.. ^Qg
George Croghan, - - -_. 413
Henry H. Dearborn, - - ._ 420
Alexander Macomb, - - _.. 430
Oliver Hazard Perry, - - .. 449
Jacob Jones, - - -.. 4-^
Isaac Hull, - - . . . . . 4gg
Joseph Warren, - - -... a-jq
Richard Montgomery, - - .. 474
Daniel Morgan, - - -... 4^3
John Barry, - - -... 404
John Manly, - - -._. 437
Baron De Kalb, - - -._ 459
William Heath, - -.. . . . . . 434
Anthony Wayne, - - - . . . . gl3
Charles Lee, - - - .. 527
Nathaniel Greene, - - -.. 551
Nicholas Biddle, - - _.. 560
Thomas Truxton, - - - - . . . 5gg
Hugh Mercer, - - . _ .. . . ^g
V
JUN - 3 1928