America in Congress assembled_: That the
President of the United States be, and he is hereby, requested to
present to Captain William Bainbridge, of the frigate
Constitution, a gold medal, with suitable emblems and devices;
and a silver medal,[80] with suitable emblems and devices, to
each commissioned officer of the said frigate, in testimony of
the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry, good
conduct, and services of Captain Bainbridge, his officers, and
crew, in the capture of the British frigate Java, after a brave
and skillful combat.

[Footnote 80: The silver medals are copies of the
one in gold given to Captain Bainbridge.]

Approved March 3, 1813.

_____

_Captain Bainbridge to the Secretary of the Navy._

To
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, United States frigate Constitution,
Washington, D. C. St. Salvador, January 3d, 1813.

Sir: I have the honour to inform you that on the 29th ultimo, at
2 P.M., in south latitude 13 deg., 06', and west longitude 39 deg., ten
leagues distance from the coast of Brazils, I fell in with and
captured His Britannic Majesty's frigate Java, of 49 guns, and
upwards of 400 men, commanded by Captain Lambert, a very
distinguished officer. The action lasted one hour and fifty-five
minutes, in which time the enemy was completely dismasted, not
having a spar of any kind standing. The loss on board the
Constitution was 9 killed and 25 wounded, as per enclosed list.
The enemy had 60 killed and 101 wounded, certainly (among the
latter, Captain Lambert, mortally), but by the enclosed letter,
written on board the ship (by one of the officers of the Java),
and accidentally found, it is evident that the enemy's wounded
must have been much greater than as above stated, and who must
have died of their wounds previously to their being removed. The
letter states 60 killed and 170 wounded.

For further details of the action, I beg leave to refer you (p. 168)
to the enclosed extracts from my journal. The Java had in
addition to her own crew upwards of one hundred supernumerary
officers and seamen, to join the British ships-of-war in the East
Indies: also Lieutenant-General Hyslop, appointed to the command
of Bombay, Major Walker