[ACTION BETWEEN THE ENDYMION AND PRESIDENT.] THE American government being determined upon an expedition to the East Indies at the latter part of the year 1814, a squadron, consisting of the President, Peacock, and Hornet, along with the Macedonian and Tom Bowline brigs, laden with stores for their use, was ordered to proceed to the bay of Bengal. On the night of the 18th of November, the Hornet, which had been left at New London as a guard-ship, succeeded in eluding the blockading force, and reached New York. The British squadron which, about this time, cruised off the port of New York, was commanded by Captain John Hayes, of the Majestic, of fifty-six guns, who had under his orders the forty-gun frigate Endymion, Captain Henry Hope, and the thirty-eight gun frigate Pomone, Captain John Richard Lumley. Between the time of her quit VOL. III. ting Halifax and her junction with Captain Hayes, the Endymion had experienced a serious misfortune. On the 9th of October, when off the shoals of Nantucket, she fell in with the American privateer brig Prince de Neufchatel, of eighteen guns. It being calm, Captain Hope detached his boats, under the orders of Lieutenant Abel Hawkins, of the Endymion, to capture the privateer. The boats were repulsed, after sustaining the loss of Lieutenant Hawkins, one midshipman, and twenty-six seamen and marines killed, the second lieutenant, one master's mate, and thirtyfive seamen and marines wounded: besides which, the launch was captured, and the crew made prisoners. On the 31st the Endymion fell in with the fiftysix-gun ship Saturn, Captain James Nash, bound to Halifax; and sending 2 F on board, along with her surgeon, and his servant, twenty-eight wounded officers and men, received from the Saturn, to replace the severe loss she had sustained, one lieutenant, four midshipmen, and thirty-three seamen and marines. On the 13th of January, 1815, Captain Hayes was joined by the Tenedos frigate of thirty-eight guns, Captain Hyde Parker. Although at this time close off the Hook, and in sight of the American squadron at anchor near Staten Island, the British ships were the same evening blown off the coast by a violent snow-storm. On the next day, the 14th, the weather became more moderate; but the wind blowing fresh from the W.N.W., the squadron could not get in with the Hook. Having no doubt that Commodore Decatur would take advantage, as well of the favourable state of the wind as of the absence of the British squadron, Captain Hayes, in preference to closing the land to the southward, stood away to the northward and eastward, with the view of taking a station in the supposed track of the American squadron on its way out; and, singular enough, at the very instant of arriving at the point, about an hour before daylight, on the 15th, Sandy Hook bearing W.N.W., distant fifteen leagues, the principal object of search to all the British captains made her appearance very near them. Considering the chance of escape greater, by taking a separate departure with the ships of his squadron, Commodore Decatur, in the afternoon of the 14th, weighed and put to sea with the President and Macedonian brig, having left directions with Captain Warrington to join him at the island of Tristan d'Acunha, with the Peacock, Hornet, and Tom Bowline. At half-past eight, P.M., owing partly to a mistake in the pilots, and partly to the ship's increased draught of water, from the quantity of stores on board of her, the President struck on the bar, and did not get off for an hour and a half. Having, besides some trifling damage to her rudder, shifted her ballast and got herself out of trim, the President would have put back, but the strong westerly wind prevented her. Accompanied by the brig, the American frigate now shaped her course along the shore of Long Island for fifty miles, then steered south-east by south, until, at five, A.M., on the 15th, she encountered the Majestic and her companions. Three of the ships appearing right a-head, the President hauled up, and passed about two miles to the northward of them; and at daylight Commodore Decatur found himself, as he states, chased by four ships-the Majestic about five miles astern, the Endymion a little further in the same direction, the Pomone six or eight miles on his larboard, and the Tenedos barely in sight on his starboard quarter. The Tenedos, indeed, having parted from her squadron the preceding evening, was taken for a second enemy's ship, and Captain Hayes ordered the Pomone, by signal, to bear away in chase of her. Consequently the President, at first, was pursued by the Majestic and Endymion only. These and the American frigate were soon under all sail, steering about east by north, with the wind now at northwest by north. At half-past six, A.M., the Majestic fired three shots at the President, but, owing to the distance, withbut effect; nor, for the same reason, probably, were they returned. Towards noon the wind decreased; and the Endymion, in consequence, began to leave the Majestic and gain upon the President. The American frigate commenced lightening herself by starting her water, cutting away her anchors, throwing overboard provisions, spare spars, boats, and every article of the sort that could be got at; she also kept her sails constantly wet from the royals down. The President opened a fire from her stern guns, which the Endymion returned with her bow-chasers. A shot from the President came through the head of the larboard fore-lower-studding sail, the foot of the mainsail, and the stern of the barge on the booms, and perforating the quarterdeck, lodged on the main-deck, without doing any other damage. Owing to the advance of the Endymion in her starboard and lee quarters, the President luffed occasionally, to bring her stern guns to bear, and was evidently much galled; whereas the greater part of her shot passed over the Endymion. The Endymion, having, for the last twenty minutes, maintained a position within half point-blank shot on her quarter, the President brailed up her spanker, and bore away south, to bring her anta- | but about half-past eleven, r.M., the gonist on her beam, and endeavoured to Pomone, came up and gained a posiaffect her escape to leeward. Putting tion upon the President's larboard quarher helm hard a-weather, the Endymion ter, and, luffing up, fired her starboard met the manœuvre, and the two frigates broadside, but did little or no damage. came into close action in a parallel line The President immediately shortened of sailing. The President now com- sail and luffed up also, as if to pour a menced with musketry from her tops, broadside into the Pomone. Instead of and the Endymion returned the fire that, however, the American frigate with her marines, hauling up occasion- hailed that she had surrendered, and ally to close with her antagonist, without hoisted a light in her mizen rigging. Not losing the bearing of her broadside. The hearing the hail, and mistaking the obtwo ships were now not more than half ject of the light, the Pomone fired a musket-shot apart; the Endymion, with second broadside, acknowledged to have her rigging and sails considerably cut, been as ineffectual as the first. On this, and the President, with the principal the President luffed up still sharper, as part of her damage in the hull, as be- if to lay the Pomone on board, and trayed by the slackened state of her instantly hauled down her light, again fire. hailing that she had surrendered. At The President hauled up, apparently this time the Tenedos, who had been to avoid her opponent's fire. Profiting hailed by the Endymion, and informed by this, the Endymion poured in two that the only two boats her misfortune raking broadsides; then hauled up also, with the Neufchatel had left her were and again placed herself on the Presi- destroyed, ranged up on the President's dent's starboard quarter. The President starboard side, and hailing, was anshot away the Endymion's boat from her swered, that the American frigate Prelarboard-quarter, also her lower and sident had surrendered. Captain Parker main-topgallant-studdingsails. For a immediately sent a boat and took posshort time the President did not return session; as did, nearly at the same a shot to the vigorous fire still main-moment, Captain Lumley, of the Potained by the Endymion. Recomencing, mone. Having repaired her running then, the President shot away the Endy-rigging, bent new courses, main-topsail, mion's main-topmast-studdingsail and jib, fore-topmast-staysail, and spanker, main-brace, and at length hauled sud-and trimmed them to the wind, the Endenly to the wind, as if to try the strength of their antagonist's masts. Having no fear for these, the Endymion trimmed sails, and, hauling up, bestowed another raking fire; to which the President, now evidently much shattered, replied with a discharge from the stern gun. In ten minutes the American frigate kept more away, firing only at intervals; and at 7h. 58m., P.M., ceased altogether, and showed, or appeared to show a light. Conceiving that the President had struck, the Endymion also ceased firing, and began to bend new sails, her present ones having been cut into ribands by the President's bar and chain-shot; one of which had torn away twelve or fourteen cloths of her foresail, stripping it almost from the yard. While the Endymion was thus compelled to drop astern, the President continued her course to the eastward, under a crowd of canvas, much relieved, no doubt, by the absence of the former; dymion went again in chase, as fresh as when she began the action, and was not very far astern of the Tendeos when the President struck. The principal damages sustained by the Endymion have already been detailed, Her fore-topmast was struck badly, but none of her other masts in any serious degree. If the high firing of the President displayed its effects in the disordered rigging and sails of the Endymion, the low firing of the Endymion was equally conspicuous in the shattered hull and lower masts of the President. The starboard side of the ship was riddled from end to end, particularly near the quarter. Almost every portsail and port-timber, both on the main and the quarter-deck, exhibited marks of shot. Three shots had entered the buttock, one of which had passed into the after magazine. Several shots had entered between wind and water, and some under water, which had cut the knees and timbers much. A great many shots had also passed through the ship, between the main and quarter-decks and in the waist; but, as a proof of the slight effect of the Pomone's fire, one shot only had entered in the larboard side, which passed through at the tenth port, and carried away the upper sill, clamp, and diagonal knees. With so many shot-holes in her hull, the President might well have six feet water in the hold. Five or six of her guns were completely disabled. The Endymion had eleven killed and fourteen wounded; the President thirty-five killed and seventy wounded. The President was the largest frigate at that time in the world, and of superior force to the Endymion. On the 25th the two ships arrived at Bermuda. On the 8th of March, after having undergone a partial repair, the President, accompanied by the Endymion, sailed from Bermuda for England, and on the 28th both ships arrived at Spithead. The President, of course, was added to the British navy; but her serious damages in the action, coupled with the length of time she had been in the service, prevented her from being of any great utility. FRENCH MARSHALS.-NO. IX. EDOUARD-ADOLPHE-CASIMIR-JOSEPH MORTIER, afterwards Duke of Treviso, was born at Cambray in 1768, and was much in England in his youth, having resided some time at Manchester with his brother, an eminent manufacturer there. He was the son of a merchant who represented the tiers etat of Cambresis at the states-general in 1789. Quitting the mercantile profession, for which he had been designed, he entered the army in 1791, as captain of the first battalion of volunteers of his department, and was in the action of Quievrain, where he had a horse killed under him. The battle of Hondscoot in 1793, raised him to the rank of major-general. In the campaign of 1796, he commanded the advanced guard of the army of the Sambre and Meuse, under General Lefebvre. Under Pichegru, and Moreau, and Massena, on the Rhine and in Switzerland, he continued to distinguish himself. After the peace of Campo Formio, he refused the rank of general of brigade, preferring the command of the 23rd regiment of cavalry; but at the opening of the campaign of 1799, he was appointed to the army of the Danube, with the rank of general of brigade, and commanded the advanced posts of the advanced guard. After obtaining new distinctions, he was removed to the army of Helvetia, where his division signalized itself in all the engagements which preceded and followed the capture of Zurich. He successfully executed the movements combined by Massena, to drive the enemy out of the Helvetic territories. He was subsequently appointed to the command of the second division of the army of the Danube, but was recalled in 1800, by an order of the consuls, to take the command of the 15th and 16th military divisions, including Paris. In 1803, after the re-commencement of hostilities with Great Britain, at the breaking of the peace of Amiens, he commanded the army which took possession of Hanover. On his return to Paris, Bonaparte appointed him one of the four commanders of the consular guard, and confided to him the special command of the artillery. In 1804 he presided at the electoral college of the department of the north; on the elevation of Napoleon to the imperial throne, he was raised to the dignity of marshal, and named chief of the second cohort of the legion of honour. In 1805, being appointed to the command of a division of the grand army, headed by Napoleon in person, he advanced to the left bank of the Danube, cut off the communications of the Russians with Moravia, and defeated part of their army, in the obstinate engagement of Diernstein. This battle, one of the most memorable of the campaign, was also one of the most desperately contested. Both sides claimed the victory. General Kutusoff received from the Emperor of Germany, the recompense of the order of Maria Theresa. The inhabitants of Cambray, the native city of Mortier, voted a column to be erected in honour of this battle. Mortier, however, declined the homage thus offered to his talent and courage. In 1806, he was named president of the electoral college of the department of the Gard. In the same year he commanded the eighth corps of the grand army, at | He was a military member of the counthe head of which he entered Hamburgh cil-of-war, which was charged in Novemon the 19th of November. On his arrival ber, 1815, with the trial of Marshal in that city he confiscated all British Ney, and which declared itself incomproperty, and put the British merchants petent. under arrest. In 1807, he again distinguished himself at the battle of Friedland, and was created Duke of Treviso, receiving a grant of 4000l. per annum out of the royal domains of Hanover. Soon after the invasion of Spain, he took the command of the French armies there. In the campaign of 1812, he had a command in Russia. On Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, the Duke of Treviso was left in that city to blow up the Kremlin and destroy the arsenal, and all public buildings, which order he fully executed. Pursued by superior forces in his retreat, and attacked in his passage of the Beresina, he effected all that bravery and skill could perform, to save the wrecks of his troops, with which he retired to Frankfort, where he re-organised the young guard, of which he had the command in the ensuing campaign of 1813. He fought at Lutzen, Dresden, Leipsic, and Hanau; and finally retreated upon Langres; nor did he cease to fight with valour until all means of resistance were gone. He commanded in Paris, jointly with the Duke of Ragusa, at the time of the surrender in 1814. Afterwards he concentrated his troops at Plessis-les-chenets, from which place he sent his adhesion to the acts of the new government. He was appointed governor of Lille, knight of the order of St. Louis, and peer of France. On the return of Napoleon from Elba, Louis XVIII. seems to have wished to make a stand at Lille, with his household troops, and the forces which he could collect from the national guards. The Duke of Treviso gave his majesty's person a faithful and generous protection; but he made the king understand that nothing but his speedy departure from Lille could prevent the rising of the garrison against him. The Duke of Treviso afterwards repaired to Paris, where he was made a peer of France by Napoleon. On the king's second return he lost the rank of peer, and lived as a private individual in Paris till 1816, when he was appointed to the command of the 15th division, situated at Rouen. I The Duke of Treviso, in 1816, was chosen member of the Chamber of Deputies for the department of the north, which he continued to be till 1819, when he was one of fifty-nine persons who were restored or raised to the peerage. In 1833, the Corsican Committee for raising a monument to the memory of Napoleon in Ajaccio, his native city, requested the Duke de Treviso, Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour, to form another committee at Paris, and take upon himself the office of president. The marshal im mediately laid the application before the king, who not only authorised the formation of this central committee, but farther sanctioned its object by desiring that his name might be placed at the head of the subscribers. In 1834, Louis Philippe, with whom he was a great favourite, prevailed on him to accept office on the resignation of Marshal Soult, but having neither taste, nor the requisite ability for the arena of politics, he soon after resigned. Being among the staff that accompanied the king and princes to the review at Paris, on the 28th of July, 1835, it was the fate of this brave officer to be one of the victims of the assassin Fiesche, whose "infernal machine,' sparing the king and princes, for whom it was specially intended, took deadly effect on Marshal Mortier, while it also killed and wounded several who were near him. Napoleon had a very high opinion of Marshal Mortier's skill and enterprise, and the intrepidity which he usually displayed rendered him dear to the troops and popular with the nation. His humanity is exhibited in the following anecdote : After the battle of Talavera, the Duke of Wellington (then Sir Arthur Wellesley) being under the necessity of withdrawing his army from that place to meet the corps of French advancing on his left, was obliged to resign his hospitals to the protection of a Spanish force. The very morning of Sir Arthur's departure, the Spanish general informed the English commandant that the French corps, which had been defeated a few days |