privateer out of Baltimore, a remarkably fast sailer, had been captured and converted into a tender, belonging to the British squadron on the New-England station. This vessel the Commodore had the good fortune to capture by decoy, on the 22d of September, off Rhode-Island, and obtain possession of the private signals of the British navy; and it is somewhat singular, if report be true, that the sword which the British Lieutenant commanding the High Flyer tendered to the Commodore on surrendering, was the Commodore's own sword, plundered from his house in Havre-de-Grace, during the disgraceful and barbarous expedition of Cockburn, and which had been presented him in Sicily, for friendly and humane services to natives of that Island.

Ever after the chase of the British frigate Belvidere, the Commodore never could find a British frigate of equal force with his own, unaccompanied with a seventy-four. Although in three cruises in search of the enemy, no opportunity pre sented itself to signalize himself in combat, yet from his unwearied exertions he rendered his country signal services, and his reputation stood, and yet stands, deservedly high in public estimation.

At the attack on Baltimore he, with his seamen, commanded Fort Covington, and with Commodore Barney's flotilla-men in the six-gun battery, were the first, during the night bombardment, who descried and repulsed a body of the British 1250 strong, who in 50 boats with muffled oars, under the mantle of darkness, had passed Fort M'Henry with scaling-ladders for landing and attacking it in the rear.

During the siege Commodore Rodgers was indefatigable in rendering all the aid he was capa

ble of, for which he received public acknowledgements and various testimonials of respect, among which was a splendid service of plate.

On the return of peace, Congress constituted a board of Commissioners of the Navy, to relieve the Secretary of the Navy from a part of his duties by which it was judged the public service would be benefitted, in transferring to this body. The Commodore was appointed one of these and continues in the execution of the duties assigned him. In his person he is robust, very strong, well built, broad-shouldered, and has every appearance of the weather-beaten seamen. W. Pinckney, late Ambassador of the United States at the Court of Russia, is married to his sister.

LIEUTENANT

AUGUSTUS C. LUDLOW.

THE Biography of a young officer who has not arrived to chief command is generally barren of events which can attract public notice. The limited sphere in which he must necessarily move precludes notoriety, until some signal event brings him before the public.

Lieutenant Ludlow was a native of Orange County, State of New-York, where his relatives reside. His mother united herself in a second marriage, to a Mr. W. Jones, a native of Ireland, who followed the mercantile business. Young Ludlow, after having received his education, adopted the profession of a seamen and very early entered a Midshipman in the United States' service, where, by his good conduct, he secured uni

versal esteem and rose to the rank of first Lieutenant of the United States' frigate Chesapeake.

The circumstance of the engagement between the British frigate Shannon and the U. S. frigate Chesapeake, the 2d of June, 1813, which ended in the capture of the latter vessel, more particularly belongs to the biography of her commander, Captain Lawrence. Lieutenant Ludlow in the action was mortally wounded in attempting to repel the enemy's boarders, and died a few days afterwards. The Chesapeake having been carried into Halifax, Lieutenant Ludlow, in conjunction with his lamented commander, was buried with every mark of respect and honour due to a brave but unfortunate foe. Their remains were afterwards taken up, brought to the United States, and interred at New-York, amid the tears of relatives, friends and fellow-citizens, who paid thus their last tribute of affection to the mortal remains of departed. -worth..

CAPTAIN

JAMES BIDDLE,

Is the son of Charles Biddle, Esq. of Philadelphia, and was born on the 18th of February, 1783. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained a Midshipman's warrant in the

Mr. Crowninshield, of Salem, obtained a flag for the purpose, and sailed for Halifax-Having obtained the bodies of the deceased gallant officers, he returned to Salem, where every tribute of respect was paid to their remains, which were then delivered over to their friends and conveyed to New-York.

year 1900—was on board of the Philadelphia frigate at the time she was taken by the Tripolitans, and suffered a rigorous confinement of nineteen months.

At the conclusion of the peace with the Bashaw of Tripoli, in which the release of prisoners was stipulated, Mr. Biddle returned to the U. States with Captain Bainbridge. They landed at Norfolk, and travelled thence by land to Philadelphia, where they arrived in the month of Septem-ber, 1805. From this period, Mr. Biddle, who on his release had been promoted to a lieutenancy, was engaged in various situations until the breaking out of the war with Great Britain. He cruised for some time in a gun-boat on the southern coast in company with the John Adams; was employed in surveying the harbour of Beaufort ; from whence he came to Philadelphia, where after residing some time with his family, he obtained a furlough, and made a voyage to China in a merchant ship. On his return, he was employed under Commodore Murray in a flotilla of gun-boats, enforcing the Embargo. No other service than that of the gun-boats was during this period open to our officers, as the Chesapeake was the only frigate in commission.

In the year 1809, however, the equipment of a number of vessels being authorized, and Commodore Bainbridge appointed to the President, Mr. Biddle was assigned as his second Lieutenant.In consequence of their being no prospect of active service, Captain Bainbridge, in 1810, obtained a furlough, and in consequence relinquished the command of the President. Lieutenant Biddle was then ordered to take charge of the Syren from Philadelphia to Hampton Roads, where he joined the Constitution, Captain Hull. Fromthence, in

expectation that there would be an affair between a British frigate and the President, he went on board the latter vessel, which was short in her complement of Lieutenants. This expectation was founded on the irritation then subsisting, on account of that disgraceful event which is known by the appellation of the affair of the Chesapeake. The President sailed soon after, but met with no British frigate. This vessel being laid up for the winter at New-London, Mr. Biddle made a voyage to Lisbon, and on his return carried out despatches to our minister at Paris, where he remained nearly four months.

Mr. Biddle returned to Philadelphia, and used various other efforts to get into active service, but though government was aware of his talents, and well disposed to grant his wishes, no opportunity occured, until the arrival of the Wasp, Captain Jones, with despatches from our minister in France. She was deficient in the necessary number of officers, and an order was forwarded from the Navy department for Mr. Biddle to join her as first Lieutenant. The Wasp proceeded to sea the 13th of October, 1812, and six days after fell in with six sail of British merchantmen, four of them mounting from sixteen to eighteen guns, and carrying from forty to fifty men each. It was immediately determined to attack the sloop of war underwhose convoy they were.

On taking possession of the Frolic, Captain Jones placed her under the orders of Lieutenant Biddle, who was directed to rig jury masts, in the room of her main and foremasts, that had gone over very soon after the action, and to make the best of his way to a southern port of the United States. Before they separated, however, they had the misfortune to fall in with the Poic