For the Analectic Magazine.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

OF THE LATE LIEUTENANT AYLWIN.

JOHN CUSHING AYLWIN was the son of Thomas Aylwin, Esq. and nephew of the Hon. William Cushing, one of the judges of the supreme court of the United States. His father, previous to the revolution, was a merchant in Boston, and, at the time of the siege of that town, retired to Quebec with his wife, to whom he had been then recently married. It was in this city, at the close of the war, that the subject of this memoir was born. The first years of his boyhood displayed a generous spirit, a contempt of danger, and those ardent feelings which, though not uncommon at that age, add much to worth, and always characterized the subsequent stages of his life. He received there the rudiments of his education, which, however, was not further extended than to the first principles of mathematics, an elementary knowledge of the latin, and a perfect acquaintance with the French language. His father destined him to a naval life, and while yet a child, had him borne on the books of a frigate which Captain Coffin, now Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin Greenly, then commanded.* The intentions of his father were, however, not long after frustrated by an occur rence that young Aylwin witnessed in the streets of Quebec. The horror excited in his breast at seeing a lad whom he had known, torn from the bosom of his parents by a pressgang, caused an invincible disgust to the English naval service: he could never be again brought to think of entering it. His attachment, notwithstanding, to a sea life was not lessened; and he became urgent with his parents to send him to their relatives in New England, that he might enter the American service. While arrange

The rating of the names of the children of some gentlemen, with that of our youth, without being actually mustered on board, was one of the charges preferred against Captain Coffin by his officers upon the breaking out of a quarrel between them; and this cost him his commission. He was a few years after restored to his rank, as it was discovered that the courtmartial had not been regularly detailed.

ments were making to carry into effect his wishes, he was suddenly left an orphan by the death of his parents within the short space of two months of each other. This loss was in some degree alleviated by the kind attentions of a paternal uncle, who finding it impracticable to procure a suitable situation for his nephew in his favourite profession, endeavoured to dissuade him from a life of danger, and to turn his attention to mercantile pursuits. An effort was made to comply with the entreaties of his uncle, but it was ineffectual. He was then bound apprentice to a captain in the London trade upon most favourable terms; it being agreed that on their arrival in England, he should be permitted to remain at a naval academy for at least six months, and that he should be advanced to the grade of mate as soon as he acquired the requisite experience. As the captain had determined not to return to Quebec, he little regarded the stipulations into which he had so readily entered, and, on his arrival at London, put his vessel into the West-India trade.

Two voyages were performed by our youth, and such was the progress he made in his profession, that hardly had he passed his fifteenth year when he was made a mate in the ship. This plea sing dawn (which in some degree compensated for the violation of the agreement) was soon overcast, for on the homeward voyage a dispute arose between him and his captain, which so enraged the latter, that on their coming to anchor he caused him to be kidnapped by a pressgang. He was immediately sent on board a receiving ship in the Thames; where he found himself surrounded by six or seven hundred individuals, the scourings of a vitious metropo lis. All communication with friends was denied him; letters which he wrote were suppressed; hope itself was almost excluded from his breast. From this receptacle of wretchedness he was in a few weeks transferred to a gun brig. Here he was narrowly watched and endured all the rigour exercised in the English ser vice towards their impressed men, to induce them to enter as voluntary seamen. The great antipathy, however, which he had conceived for their service would not permit him to subscribe to that which he considered would be his own infamy. Threats were unavailing; he had a mind that could not be subdued.

After cruising in the north sea, the brig was ordered up the

Mediterranean, and at the time of the invasion of Egypt by the French, was stationed on that coast. From thence the vessel was ordered to the East Indies; two years he passed on board of her in the Red Sea; and three more in different parts of the Indian ocean. His constitution having become almost a sacrifice to the climate, he was there invalided, and permitted to return to his relatives and friends, by whom even his existence was unknown. In the course of this service he was in several engagements, and distinguished himself particularly in one, by lashing to their brig the bowsprit of a French corvette, and then boarding. A warrant was offered him on the occasion, and promises were constantly held out to him of promotion, if he would but enter. These he always withstood, and though few indeed could he find among his messmates to commune with, yet he preferred his station of captain of the foretop to any office that could be bestowed on him in that service. While in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea almost his sole resource for amusement and instruction was his bible. In identifying the positions of places distinguished in the sacred volume, and in tracing in the manners of the modern those of the ancient inhabitants of the surrounding countries, he would often forget the loss of his liberty and the evils of his situation. Although the inmate of the forecastle for more than six years, yet he remained untainted by the surrounding contagion.

He never could speak of the loss of so many of the most valuable years of his life without the deepest sorrow; it was with him ever after a matter of astonishment that his existence had been supported without the deadening of every honourable sentiment— without the extinguishment of every principle of virtue. The pliability of his mind to his misfortunes ever appeared to him a miracle.

A short residence with his friends in Boston re-established his health, and having become by adoption, what he almost considered himself by birth, a citizen of the United States, he immediately obtained that employment in our merchant service which his thorough seamanship entitled him to anticipate.

For several years he sailed as master of a vessel, experiencing many of those vexations and losses from the respective belligerants to which the commerce of our country has been exposed.

In the winter preceding the declaration of war, he considered that event as inevitable. To continue therefore in the merchant service would be sharing the dangers without the honours of warfare to privateering he would not willingly descend. The regular service appeared to him the only proper occupation for one who disliked inglorious ease-the field where his courage and nautical skill would find their reward. Captain Hull, learning his views on this subject, invited him to take the station of sailing master on board the Constitution, with an assurance that his exertions should not be wanting to procure him a lieutenancy as soon as practicable. Of this invitation he willingly availed himself, repaired to Washington to join the frigate, and on the 24th April, 1812, received his warrant as sailing master in the navy of the United States.

In the early part of July the Constitution sailed from Annapolis, and on the 18th, in the neighbourhood of Cape May, ran a hair breadth escape of capture in that sixty hours' chase, which will not be ranked among the least brilliant efforts of our infant navy. Mr. Aylwin availed himself of his station to make known his seamanship, and much of the merit of the management of the Constitution on that occasion was due to him. In a letter, at this time, to an intimate friend, which predicted the eventual success of our navy, he remarks, "I feel all possible conviction, and I can well judge, from having been in the British navy, that they have not a single frigate of equal force with the Constitution, but what must, if we fall in with her and go fairly at it, strike her colours. Thank God, in this chase, we had no occasion to be brought to the test: but there was not a countenance on board that displayed any thing like yielding without an heroic struggle. There seemed to be a solemn gloom in each visage, as if sensible of such a too early misfortune, yet combined with a cast of desperate resolution. It is not seldom that I have examined the human face in the hour of battle; and I never before saw a truer stamp of courage than was then to be found in every sailor's countenance."

The Constitution having arrived in safety at Boston, was there fully equipped, and departed on her first cruise which terminated in the destruction of the Guerriere.

Doubts were entertained at the commencement of the war, by many people, and, it is believed, by some of our naval commanders, whether an English thirty-eight gun frigate would not be an overmatch for any of our frigates. Personal examination enabled Mr. Aylwin to form a truer estimate of the result of such a contest; and his opinion was hardly thought a serious one by his brother officers. It was therefore with much satisfaction that he found his predictions verified in the capture of the Guerriere. In another letter to his friend, he says, "On the 19th August we fortunately fell in with the Guerriere. I say fortunately, for I would not have missed the chance-no! not for the richest prize that ever floated. It has given our officers and men the only thing hitherto wanting confidence in themselves. Fifteen minutes of close cannonading completely rendered her our's; this was a little sooner, to be sure, than my anticipation; but it astonished all."

In this engagement he received a slight wound from a musket ball and the style in which he brought the Constitution into action, and manoeuvred her throughout the battle, procured for him the applause of Captain Hull and all on board. On their return to port he was appointed an acting lieutenant; this being the second instance in our navy of promotion from the grade of sailing

master.

The Constitution having been refitted, set sail from Boston, under the command of Commodore Bainbridge, in company with the Hornet, on the 26th October, 1812. During this cruise Mr. Aylwin was junior lieutenant, and evinced an exemplary attention to his duty-acquired the love of the seamen and the respect of his brother officers.

In the memorable action with the Java Lieut. Aylwin received that wound which terminated his life, and deprived the navy of the services of a valuable officer. A musket ball or grape shot struck him just under the collar bone, within an inch of his former wound, and passed through the shoulder blade. The wound was not perceived by any one, nor did he make mention of it himself, until all the men had been dressed. He went below then, and observed to the surgeon that he believed he had received a slight scratch: upon examination the doctor was surprised to find that the wound had assumed a gangrenous appearance. The next