1814	Lieutenant Garland at Wareham	325

Macedonian were moved up the river, to the head of navigation for heavy vessels, and there dismantled ; and, while Captain Jones and the late crew of the Macedonian proceeded to reinforce the squadron under Commodore Chauncey on Lake Ontario, Commodore Decatur and his ship's company passed into the President, then at anchor in New-York, her late distinguished commander and his crew having been transferred to the new 44-gun frigate Guerrière, fitting for sea at Philadelphia, and armed on the main deck with 30 medium 32-pounders.

On the 7th of April, in the evening, Captain the Honourable Thomas Bladen Capel, of the 74-gun ship Hogue, commanding a small British squadron, consisting, besides that ship, of the Endymion and Maidstone frigates, and 14-gun brig sloop Borer, Captain Richard Coote, despatched six boats, containing 136 men, under the orders of Captain Coote, assisted by Lieutenant Harry Pyne, and Lieutenant of marines Walter Griffith Lloyd, to attempt the capture or destruction of some American vessels near Pettipague point, about 15 miles up Connecticut river. On the 8th Captain Coote and his party reached the point, and, after a slight skirmish with some militia, destroyed all the vessels, 27 in number, afloat or on the stocks within three miles of the place, besides several boats and a considerable quantity of naval stores. Three of the vessels were large privateers, completely equipped and ready for sea ; and the aggregate burden of the 27 was upwards of 5000 tons. In the evening, after dark, the boats dropped down the river, without rowing ; and the British reached their ships with no greater loss than two men killed and two wounded. For this gallant and important exploit, Captain Coote obtained post-rank, and Lieutenant Pyne his commission as commander.

On the 14th of June Captain the Honourable Charles Paget, of the British 74-gun ship Superb, detached, under the orders of Lieutenant James Garland, all that ship's boats, and two boats from the 18-gun brig-slop Nimrod, Captain George Hilton, to endeavour to destroy some newly-built ships and other vessels at a place called Wareham, at the head of Buzzard's bay in the state of Connecticut. Lieutenant Garland completely succeeded in his object, without incurring the slightest loss, and destroyed as many ships, brigs, schooners, and sloops, on the stocks and afloat, as measured in the aggregate 2522 tons ; also a large cotton manufactory, with its contents, valued at half a million of dollars. The extreme intricacy of the navigation rendered it too hazardous to attempt the enterprise without the assistance of daylight. This, however, would necessarily expose the boats, upon their return down the narrow stream, to a fire of musketry from a numerous militia, which, on the first alarm, had collected from the vicinity. But the foresight and prompt resolution of Lieutenant Garland completely succeeded in obviating the danger that was thus to be apprehended ; for, as soon as he had

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