he captured "Epervier," flying the stars and
stripes, was proudly making her way up the harbor of Savannah amid the
plaudits of the people of the little city, there sailed from
Portsmouth, N.H., a vessel that was destined to fight a good fight for
the honor of that starry banner; and, after winning a glorious
victory, to disappear forever from the face of the ocean, carrying to
some unknown grave a crew of as brave hearts as ever beat under
uniforms of navy blue.

This was the new sloop of war "Wasp," named after the gallant little
craft that had been taken by the British after her capture of the
"Frolic." She was a stanch three-master, carrying eleven guns to a
broadside. Her crew was purely American, not a foreigner among them;
but all trained seamen from the seaboard villages and towns of New
England,--the homes at that time of probably the hardiest seafaring
population in the world. Capt. Blakely, who commanded the vessel, had
been attached to the "Enterprise" for some time, but had been ordered
to the command of the "Wasp" a few days before the former vessel
fought her successful battle with the "Boxer." Blakely, while in
command of the "Enterprise," had greatly desired to meet an enemy
worthy of his metal. Great, then, was his chagrin, when the
"Enterprise," two weeks after he quitted her, fought her gallant
battle. In a letter written in January, 1814, he says, "I shall ever
view as one of the most unfortunate events of my life having quitted
the 'Enterprise' at the moment I did. Had I remained in her a
fortnight longer, my name might have been classed with those who stand
so high. I cannot but consider it a mortifying circumstance that I
left her but a few days before she fell in with the only enemy upon
this station with which she could have creditably contended. I confess
I felt heartily glad when I received my order to take command of the
'Wasp,' conceiving that there was no hope of doing any thing in the
'Enterprise.' But when I heard of the contest of the latter ship, and
witnessed the great delay in the equipment of the former, I had no
cause to congratulate myself. The 'Peacock' has ere this spread her
plumage to the winds, and the 'Frolic' will soon take her revels on
the ocean; but the 'Wasp' will, I fear, remain for some time a dull,
harmless drone in the waters of her country."

Notwithstanding his impatience, Blakely was forced to endure the
restraints of Portsmouth navy-yard for nearly three month