1813     BOAT-ATTACKS, &c. IN CHESAPEAKE BAY     231

about 40 men, under the command of Lieutenant John Cririe, first of that ship, and of Lieutenant of marines Patrick Savage, were despatched up York river, in the Chesapeake, to cut out the United States schooner Surveyor, mounting six 12-pounder carronades. Captain Samuel Travis, the American commander; had furnished each of his men with two muskets ; and they held their fire until the British were within pistol-shot. The Americans then opened ; but the boats pushed on, and finally carried the vessel by boarding, with the loss of three men killed, and six wounded. Captain Travis had five men wounded. His crew amounted to only 16 ; and so gallant was their conduct, as well as that of their commander, in the opinion of Lieutenant Cririe, that that officer returned Captain Travis his sword, accompanied by a letter, not less complimentary to him, than creditable to the writer.

Admiral Warren, who had quitted the Chesapeake for Bermuda, returned to his command early in June, bringing with him, according to newspaper-account, a detachment of battalion-marines, 1800 strong, 300 of the 102d regiment, 250 of the Independent Foreigners, or Canadian chasseurs, and 300 of the royal marine-artillery ; total 2650 men. On the 18th of June the Junon frigate anchored in Hampton roads, and Captain Sanders despatched his boats to capture or destroy any vessels that might be found at the entrance of James river. Commodore John Cassin, the naval commanding officer at Norfolk, observing this, directed the 15 gun-boats at that station to be manned with an additional number of seamen and marines from the Constellation frigate, then moored at the navy-yard, also with 50 infantry from Craney Island, and despatched them under the command of Captain Tarbell, to attempt the capture or destruction of the Junon.

It was not till about 4 p.m. on the 20th, that this formidable flotilla, armed with upwards of 30 guns, half of which were long. 32 and 24 pounders, and manned with, at least, 500 men, commenced its attack upon the Junon, then lying becalmed. Captain Sanders warmly returned their fire with his long 18-pounders, hoping that they would soon venture to approach within reach of his carronades. This the gun-boats carefully avoided ; and, between them and the frigate, a distant cannonade, very slightly injurious to either party, was maintained for about three quarters of an hour. A breeze now sprang up ; which enabled the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate, Barrosa, Captain William Henry Shirreff, and the 24-gun ship Laurestinus, Captain Thomas Graham, lying about five miles off, to get under way, in the hope to have a share in the amusement. The Junon, also, was at this time under sail, using her best efforts to give a more serious complexion to the contest ; but Commodore Cassin, who, as he assures us, was in his boat during the whole of the action, considering that the flotilla had done enough to entitle him to display both his fighting, and his epistolary, qualifications, very

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