,
William JONES, Plattsburgh Bay, September 13th, 1814.
Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: I have the honour to give you the particulars of the action
which took place on the 11th instant, on this lake.

For several days the enemy were on their way to Plattsburgh by
land and water, and it being well understood that an attack would
be made at the same time by their land and naval forces, I
determined to await, at anchor, the approach of the latter.

At 8 A.M. the look-out boat announced the approach of the enemy.
At 9, he anchored in a line ahead, at about 300 yards distance
from my line; his ship was opposed to the Saratoga, his brig to
the Eagle, Captain Robert Henley, his gallies, thirteen in
number, to the schooner, the sloop, and a division of our
gallies, one of his sloops assisting their ship and brig, the
other assisting their gallies. Our remaining gallies, with the
Saratoga and Eagle.

In this situation, the whole force on both sides became engaged,
the Saratoga suffering much, from the heavy fire of the
Confiance. I could perceive at the same time, however, that our
fire was very destructive to her. The Ticonderoga, Lieutenant
Commandant Cassin, gallantly sustained her full share of the
action. At half-past 10 o'clock, the Eagle not being able to
bring her guns to bear, cut her cable, and anchored in a more (p. 192)
eligible position, between my ship and the Ticonderoga, where
she very much annoyed the enemy, but unfortunately, leaving me
exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's brig. Our guns on the
starboard side being nearly all dismounted, or not manageable, a
stern anchor was let go, the bower cut, and the ship winded with
a fresh broadside on the enemy's ship, which soon after
surrendered. Our broadside was then sprung to bear on the brig,
which surrendered in about 15 minutes after.

The sloop that was opposed to the Eagle had struck some time
before, and drifted down the line; the sloop which was with their
gallies having struck also. Three of their gallies are said to be
sunk, the others pulled off. Our gallies were about obeying with
alacrity the signal to follow them, when all the vessels were
reported to me to be in a sinking state. It then became necessary
to annul the signal t