College in 1755, studied law, and
settled in Boston in 1768; he was a delegate to Congress, 1774-1778;
serving on the Boards of Naval and of Foreign Affairs, and also on the
Board of War; commissioner to France, 1778; to Holland, 1780; minister
to Holland, 1782; to England, 1785-1788; vice-president of the United
States, 1789-1793; President of the United States, 1797-1801. He
retired to Quincy in 1801, and died there, July 4, 1826, on the
fiftieth anniversary of the Independence of the United States, and on
the same day with Thomas Jefferson.

No. 21. (p. 128)
PLATE XXII.

_February 2, 1800._

Patriae. patres. filio. digno. Thomas Truxtun. [Rx]. United State
frigate Constellation, of 38 guns, &c.

CAPTAIN THOMAS TRUXTUN.

[_Action with the Vengeance._]

PATRIAE. PATRES. FILIO. DIGNO. THOMAS TRUXTUN. (_The fathers of the
country to their worthy son, Thomas Truxtun._) Bust of Captain
Truxtun, in uniform, facing the left.

UNITED STATES FRIGATE CONSTELLATION OF 38 GUNS PURSUES ATTACKS AND
VANQUISHES THE FRENCH SHIP LA VENGEANCE OF 54 GUNS 1 FEBY.
(_February_) 1800. Naval action between the United States frigate
Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, Captain Truxtun, and the French
frigate La Vengeance, of fifty-four guns, Captain Pitot. The
Constellation has lost her main mast. Exergue: BY VOTE OF CONGRESS, TO
THOMAS TRUXTUN 29 MAR. (_March_) 1800.[71]

[Footnote 71: See INTRODUCTION, pages xxiii and
xxxi.]

The engraving is an exact representation of the original gold medal,
at present the property of Thomas Truxtun Houston, jr., of Washington,
the great-grandson, in the female line, of Commodore Truxtun.

THOMAS TRUXTON was born in Jamaica, Long Island, New York, February
15, 1755. He served as lieutenant and captain of privateers during the
War of Independence. In 1782, while engaged in carrying Mr. Thomas
Barclay, United States consul-general, to France, he beat off a (p. 129)
British frigate of thirty-two guns. After the war he commanded East
Indiamen, but in 1794, on the creation of the American Navy, he
received a commission as captain, and was appointed to the
Constellation, of thirty-eight guns. In 1799, he captured
l'Insurgente, a French frigate of thirty-six guns, Captain Barreault.
His celebrated engagement with La Vengeance, of fifty-four guns,
Captain Pitot, took place February