PRESIDENT AND •NDYMION, Battle of the, in the War of 1812. The blockade of the -American coast by British ships was very strict and so effective that the frigates United States and Macedonian were dismantled in April 1814 at New London, and Stephen Deca tur (q.v.) and his crew were transferred to the President, then at New York. On the night of 14 Jan. 1815 Decatur decided to run the blockade and as a severe snowstorm and heavy gale had driven the blockading fleet out of sight he attempted to make for the open. Through a mistake of the pilot the President grounded while crossing the bar but the wind forced her across and despite her injuries she was compelled to proceed. Decatur hugged the Long Island shore for 50 miles, but at early dawn ran into the British squadron consisting of the Baltic, 56, the Endymion, 50, the Pomone and the Tenedos, 38's. These three promptly gave chase but being the fastest sailer the Endymion left the others in the rear and at 2:30 P.M. exchanged shots from her bow chasers with the stern guns of the President. At 5 o'clock the Endymion crept up on the Presi dent's starboard quarter, raked her for half an hour and punished her so severely that Decatur attempted to board his antagonist with the idea of capturing her, scuttling his own ship and escaping on the British ship. But the British
captain yawed his ship, whereupon Decatur poured such a galling fire into her that she was reduced to a wreck. He then attempted to escape but at 11 o'clock the Pomone and Tenedos came up and opened fire. ((Thus situ ated,") says Decatur, about one-fifth of my crew killed and wounded, my ship crippled and more than four-fold force opposed to me, without a chance of escape left, I deemed it my duty to surrender.? The loss on the President was 25 killed and 60 wounded; on the Endy mion, 11 killed and 14 wounded. Consult Adams, Henry, (The United States' (VoL IX, pp. 65-70); Barnes, James, (Naval Actions of the War of 1812' (pp. 219-227); Cooper, J. F., History' (Vol. II, pp. 235-238); James, William, 'Naval Actions' (pp. 82-94) •, Maclay, E. S. 'History of the Navy' (Vol. II, pp. 64 70) ; Roosevelt, (Naval War of 1812' (pp. 402 405) ; Spears, J. R, (History of Our Navy' (Vol. II, pp. 215-228), and biographies of De catur by T. C. Brady, S. P. Waldo and Mac Kenzie.