d to communicate to the parents, or other near relatives,
of Captain Richard Somers, Lieutenants Henry Wadsworth, James
Decatur, James R. Caldwell, Joseph Israel, and Midshipman John
Sword Dorsey, the deep regret which Congress feel for the loss of
those gallant men, whose names ought to live in the recollections
and affections of a grateful country, and whose conduct ought to
be regarded as an example to future generations.

Approved March 3, 1805.

_____

_President Thomas Jefferson to Congress._

Washington, D. C., February 20th, 1805.

TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES.

I communicate, for the information of Congress, a letter of
September 18, from Commodore Preble, giving a detailed account of
the transactions of the vessels under his command, from July the
9th to the 10th of September, last past.

The energy and judgment displayed by this excellent officer,
through the whole course of the service lately confided to him,
and the zeal and bravery of his officers and men in the several
enterprizes executed by them, cannot fail to give high
satisfaction to Congress and their country, of whom they have
deserved well.

Th: JEFFERSON.

_____

_Commodore Preble to the Secretary of the Navy._ (p. 137)

To the Honourable
SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY,
Washington, D. C. United States ship Constitution,
Malta Harbour, September 18th, 1804.

Sir: I had the honour to write you from Messina, under date of
the 5th of July; I then expected to have sailed the day
following, but was detained, by bad weather, until the 9th, when
I left it, with two small bomb vessels under convoy, and arrived
at Syracuse, where we were necessarily detained four days. On the
14th I sailed, the schooners Nautilus and Enterprize in company,
with six gun boats and two bomb vessels, generously loaned us by
His Sicilian Majesty. The bomb vessels are about thirty tons,
carry a thirteen-inch brass sea mortar, and forty men. Gun boats,
twenty-five tons, carry a long iron twenty-four pounder in the
bow, with a complement of thirty-five men. They are offic