dness."

CHAPTER XIV.

Occasional American Defeats as Well as Victories--Captain Decatur's
Misfortune--The _Chesapeake_ and _Shannon_.

You would gain a wrong impression if my account of the leading naval
events in the War of 1812 were made up wholly of American victories. It
was inevitable that our gallant officers and men should meet with some
defeats. In order, therefore, to give as true an idea as possible of
those times I shall devote this chapter to telling about some events
which went the wrong way.

Enough has been related concerning Stephen Decatur to show that he was
the most prominent of our naval leaders in our last war with Great
Britain. He entered into the work with the same dauntless enthusiasm he
showed whenever it was his privilege to serve his country, and his
capture of the _Macedonian_ was one of the most brilliant exploits of
the many that took place during those memorable years.

In order to understand my use of the words "captain" and "commodore," it
is necessary to explain that at the time to which I now refer the latter
rank was different from what it is to-day. The commodore of a squadron
was the highest ranking officer and he might be lower than a captain.
Thus "Commodore" Perry, who won the remarkable victory on Lake Erie, was
promoted from that rank to "captain."

Another interesting fact may be named. The Stars and Stripes used in
that war was slightly different in pattern from the present, for,
instead of containing thirteen stripes, as it did at the close of the
Revolution and as it does to-day, it had fifteen. The first law of
Congress bearing on this point was to add a stripe for every new State
admitted to the Union, but after two had come in and others were making
ready it became evident that before long the pattern of the beautiful
emblem would be spoiled if the rule were followed. So the increase in
the number of stripes stopped and remained fifteen for a few years after
the close of the war, even though new States had been admitted. Then the
law was changed so as to provide that the increase of States should be
shown by the stars in the blue field, while the stripes should always
remain thirteen in number, typical of the original colonies of the
Revolution.

It was decided early in the war to send a squadron consisting of the
_President_, Captain Stephen Decatur, and the sloops of war _Peacock_,
Captain Warrington, and _Hornet_, Lieutenant Biddle, and the storeship