2, 1800, and for this exploit
Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. He afterward
commanded the President, of forty-four guns. In 1802, Mr. Smith,
secretary of the Navy under President Jefferson, having interpreted as
a resignation Truxtun's refusal to accept the command of the
Mediterranean squadron, unless a flag captain was given him, the
country was deprived of this gallant officer's services. He retired to
New Jersey, and afterward removed to Philadelphia, where he was
high-sheriff of the city and county from 1816 to 1819, and where he
died, May 5, 1822.

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ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting a Medal to Captain Truxtun, etc._

_Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled_: That the
President of the United States be requested to present to Captain
Thomas Truxtun a golden medal, emblematical of the late action
between the United States frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight
guns, and the French ship of war La Vengeance, of fifty-four, in
testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his
gallantry and good conduct in the above engagement, wherein an
example was exhibited by the Captain, officers, sailors, and
marines, honourable to the American name, and instructive to its
rising navy.

_Resolved_: That the conduct of James Jarvis, a midshipman in
said frigate, who gloriously preferred certain death to an
abandonment of his post, is deserving of the highest praise, and
that the loss of so promising an officer is a subject of national
regret.

Approved March 29, 1800.

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_Captain Thomas Truxtun to the Secretary of the Navy._ (p. 130)

To
Benjamin STODDART, Esq., United States ship Constellation,
Secretary of the Navy. At sea, February 3, 1800.

Sir: On the 30th ult. I left St. Christopher's, with the
Constellation, in excellent trim, and stood to windward in order
to gain the station for myself before the road of Guadaloupe; and
at half-past seven in the morning of the day following I
discovered a sail to the south-east, to which I gave chase, and
for the further particulars of that chase, and the action after
it, I must beg to refer to the extracts from my journa