T H E OF THEWONDERFUL BATTLE OF TH E IT B IT H S UADRON W H A R IS Q , AT FAY AL , 18 14 . H M T T EFA OUS UN LONG OM. G , S K ET CH O F TH E L IF E OF CAP TAIN SAMUEL CHESTER REID COMM AND ER OF THE ARM STRON G , WH O D ESIGN ED TH EP RESENT FLAG F THE UNITED STATES IN 1818 H IST RY H E O . O OF T F LA INTERESTING INCID ENT ET G . S C , . B OST M A ON , SS L B AR A . P . T co RI TE , N RS. 1893 . DI AT DE C ION . IN d hed gratitu e for the patriotic services of that distinguis , naval officer C OM M O brave , and accomplished United States , EAD E RE RIC H ARD W . M D O , in aiding to commemorate the gall ant deeds of my father in defence of the honor of his ’ fla country s g, the pages of this pamphlet are specially dedicated . And the P EOP LE OF T , generally , to magnanimous HE UN IT ED STATES OF AM ERIC A , in appreciation of their noble , generous sentiments in never failing to recognize the heroic val or of their countrymen . EID . SAM C . R l WA SH IN G TON CITY D . C . Fou rth of "u 1893 . , , y , PR FA E C E. TH Edesign of the publication of this pamphlet is to p ro a fu nd cure by its sale for the erection , at the National a C AP TAIN SAM EL Capital , of monumental statue of U C H ESTER REID n - , the galla t commander of the private armed bi 'i - oi—War g General Armstrong , in commemoration of his al r heroic v o and distinguished services to his country . The people of th e United States generally will thus be enabled to contribute to this patriotic and praiseworthy object . This pamphlet gives the historic details of one of the most wonderf u l and extraordinary naval battles ever fought on the seas , with interesting incidents never before published . It outlines the policy of Great Britain in its efforts to gain fro m France the possession of the Province of Louisiana and the Mississipp i River ; the causes Which led to the War of 1 81 2 the gigant ic scheme of Engl and for the conquest of New O m rleans , Louisiana, and Mexico , and the circu stances which led to its defeat ; speculations as to the‘ Treaty of Ghent ; a sketch of the biography and ge nealogy of Captain Reid and his services ; Vindication of our merchant marine ; tribute of Senators Voorhees and Evarts ; letter of Governor Shelby ; history of Long Tom origin and history of the Fl ag o f the United States ; historical connection between Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane and Captain Reid the song of the General Armstrong ; the romance of the celebrated case of t he Armstro ng ; and the poem of James Jeffrey ” Roche on The fight of the Armstrong privateer . LE E FROM HE E E F HE TT R T S CR TARY O T NAVY. The following extract of a le tter from Hon . Hilary A . H N in erbert , Secretary of the United States avy , relation to h a fu nd the sale of this pamp let, in order to procure for the erection of a, monumental statue of Captain Samuel Chester W Reid, at ashington City , expresses the approbation of the N avy Department for this project . NAVY D E P A RTMENT . W ASH IN GTON "u l 1 5 1 8 93 . , y , E . MR . SAM C . R ID D . C , Washington , DEAR SIR : I think the purpose you have in View , a namely , the raising of money for the purpose of building o u r l n . monument to y gal a t father , is patriotic and noble t Yours respec fully , E S GN D IL Y HERB . [ I " H AR A . ERT E"HIBITS OF TH E UNITED STATES NAVY DEPARTMENT. TH E following are among th e exhibits of the United States Navy Department on board of the MOD E L B ATTLE SHIP ' LLIN IS and h CATALO GUE F TH E I O , are t us mentioned in the O E"IBITS O F T NIT D TAT S NAVY PAR TM NT H HE U E S E DE E , ’ WORLD S C O LUM B IAN E"POSITIO N 1 8 93 , , as compiled by n H . C . S Lieute ant Poundstone , United tates Navy 1 . F IN E No . 9 51 RTRAIT O C AP TA SAM U L ST R ID PO CHE E RE . officer in 17 83 1 86 1 This was born , and died in ; served as acting midshipman in the West India squadron oo m m anded - i r the private a ned brig G eneral Armstrong , during War 1 81 2 u the of , and fo ght one of the most remarkable d naval battles on record , at Fayal , one of the Azore Islan s , in 1 814 ; he designed the present form of the flag of the 1 81 8 . United States , as adopted by Congress in Captain Reid was appointed a sailing master i n the United States Navy , which position he held till his death . 9 2 N . H E RD F o 51 . T SW O O CAPTAIN SAM UEL CHESTER REID . This is the battle sabre of Captain Reid Which was wielded with such heroic prowess during the engagement with the enemy . " OF . IBITS T U s. N AVY D PARTM NT E H HE E E . 7 L T M - . 9 51 3 . ON G O A RTY TW UND R No , FO O PO E . — One of the guns of the fam ous private armed brig-of- war General Armstrong , commanded by Captain Samuel Chester Reid . The remarkable heroism of Captain Reid and his officers m en and is conspicuous in the history of our country . In a conflict with a British squadron , mounting one hundred and - did thirty six guns and over two thousand men , this gun such admirable execution that the British lost over three hundred d offi cers . men an , killed and wounded The Armstrong n d carried only seven guns and inety men , an lost but two killed and seven wo u nded . The battle took place at Fayal , one of the Azore Islands , on the night of the t wenty- sixth and twenty- seventh of h m 1 8 14 . t e Septe ber , The disabling of squadron , which was Ne w O a part of the expedition against rleans , so delayed ’ Cochrane s fleet at Jamaica that it saved Louisiana from British conquest . — — . FIG H AD F P Rl AT R B RI No 951 4 . URE E O THE V EA MED G GEN ERAL ARMSTRONG . This is a quaint and curious looking specimen of the ship ’ no w carver s art of other days , which has nearly gone out of I existence . t s fantastic coloring is still in a good state of preservation . It was saved by the crew of the Armstrong after she was scuttled on the beach to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy , and years afterwards was presented th e M r . to Naval Institute , at the Boston Navy Yard , by D . abney, the United States Consul at Fayal TH EWON DERFUL B ATTLE O F TH E BRIG GENERAL ARMSTRON G W ITH A B ritish S u a dro n at Fa a l 1 1 8 . q , y , 4 The wonderful battle between the United States private “ - of- Arm st ron and armed brig war General g, a British squad F ron , was fought in the waters of ayal , one of the Azore or - — Western islands , on the twenty sixth and twenty seventh of 1 814 . September , hu n The Armstrong was a small brigantine , of only two t - and dred and for y six tons , mounted six long nines with a ” - t wo L d . H forty pounder , ong Tom , on a pivot ami ships er n officers. crew consisted of inety men , including She was commanded by Captain Samuel Chester Reid . The British squadron was composed of the ship- of- the -line - Plantagenet, of seventy four guns ; the frigate Rota , of forty d - oi - C four guns ; an the brig war arnation , of eighteen guns , d - with a total force of one hun red and thirty six guns , and h n r over two t ousand men , u de the command of Commodore h . d t e d Robert Lloyd Consi ering forces engage , the Battle of Fayal was the most desperate , bloody , heroic , and romantic naval fight that ever occurred on the seas . That t he reader may more fully com prehend the extraordinary resu lts of this n E remarkable conflict, as affecting the desti ies of both ng A land and merica at that time , it will be necessary , before ’ 1 0 GREAT BRITAIN S POLICY . ’ n E n d describing the battle , to outli e what was then glan s policy and object in regard to America . G reat Britain had conquered the Canadas from France in 1 7 6 0 , and had for long years endeavored to obtain the pos session of the province of Louisiana and the control of the ’ . E m Mississippi River France , aware of ngland s designs , ade 1 7 6 3 a secret treaty with Spain , in , and turned over the Province to the Spanish authorities , with the agreement that Spain should make a retrocession whenever called for .