It had required all hands at the pumps for several days, to keep her from foundering.
Her captain had the candor to acknowledge that he had twice struck his colors, but owing to the darkness of the night, this was not perceived on board the Constellation, and he, finding that her fire continued, and concluding that it was the determination of his enemy to sink him, renewed the combat from necessity. When her mast went overboard, he took the advantage of the accident, and got off. In this engagement, the Constellation had fourteen men killed and twenty-five wounded.
Among the former was Midshipman Jarvis, a young man of great promise, who commanded in the main-top. When told by one of the old seamen of the danger of the mast falling, and requested, with his men, to come down, he replied that if it went, they must go with it. In a few minutes after it went over, and but one of the topmen was saved. For the signal gallantry displayed in this action, Congress passed the following resolution.
“Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be requested to present to Captain Thomas Truxtun a gold medal (see [Plate IX.],) emblematical of the late action between the United States frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, and the French ship-of-war La Vengeance, of fifty-four guns, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct in the above engagement, wherein an example was exhibited by the captain, officers, sailors, and marines, honorable to the American name, and instructive to its rising navy.”
Theodore Sedgwick,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Thomas Jefferson,
Vice President of the United States.
John Adams,
President of the United States.
Approved, March 29th, 1800.
Captain Truxtun still continued to serve his country with all the ardor of his temperament, and devoted all the energies of his character to the promotion of her glory. In the beginning of 1802, he was ordered to take the command of a squadron destined for the Mediterranean; he immediately proceeded to Norfolk, where the frigate Chesapeake then was, and made every preparation for the duty assigned to him.
It appears that it was customary in the navy for commanding officers of squadrons, to have assigned to them during their command, an officer who, being entrusted with the charge of the flag ship, could relieve the commander-in-chief of this trust, and thereby enable him to have more leisure to devote to the important duties of his station. This additional officer was deemed necessary by Captain Truxtun, and claimed by him of the secretary of the navy. A correspondence ensued, the sequel of which was that Captain Truxtun wrote to the secretary, informing him that “the task for the intended service would be too severe without some aid, and if that aid could not be rendered, he must beg leave to quit the service,” (meaning the intended service in the Mediterranean.) In the conclusion of his letter, after recommending some particular business to be attended to, he observes “if I do not proceed on the expedition.”