The whole navy, was once more, September 1, safe in port, except only the “Essex,” a frigate rated at thirty-two but carrying forty-four guns, commanded by Captain David Porter. She left New York, July 3, with orders,[333] dated June 24, to join Rodgers, or failing this to cruise southwardly as far as St. Augustine. June 11 she met a convoy of seven transports conveying a battalion of the First Regiment, or Royal Scots, from the West Indies to reinforce Prevost and Brock in Canada. Porter cut out one transport. With the aid of another frigate he could have captured the whole, to the great advantage of Dearborn’s military movements; but the British commander managed his convoy so well that the battalion escaped, and enabled Prevost to strengthen the force at Niagara which threatened and defeated Van Rensselaer. August 13 the British 20-gun sloop-of-war “Alert” came in sight, bore down within short pistol-shot, and opened fire on the “Essex.” Absurd as the idea seemed, the British captain behaved as though he hoped to capture the American frigate, and not until Porter nearly sunk him with a broadside did the Englishman strike his colors. After taking a number of other prizes, but without further fighting, September 7 Porter brought his ship back to the Delaware River. The return of the “Essex” to port, September 7, brought all the national vessels once more under the direct control of the Department. Nearly every ship in the service was then at Boston. The three forty-fours--the “Constitution,” “United States,” and “President”--were all there; two of the thirty-eights--the “Congress” and “Chesapeake”--were there, and the “Constellation” was at Washington. The “Adams,” 28, was also at Washington; but the “Hornet,” 18, and “Argus,” 16, were with Rodgers and Decatur at Boston. The “Syren,” 16, was at New Orleans; the “Essex,” 32, and the “Wasp,” 18, were in the Delaware. Carried away by Hull’s victory, the Government could no longer hesitate to give its naval officers the liberty of action they asked, and which in spite of orders they had shown the intention to take. A new arrangement was made. The vessels were to be divided into three squadrons, each consisting of one forty-four, one light frigate, and one sloop-of-war. Rodgers in the “President” was to command one squadron, Bainbridge in the “Constitution” was to command another, and Decatur in the “United States” was to take the third.[334] Their sailing orders, dated October 2,[335] simply directed the three commodores to proceed to sea: “You are to do your utmost to annoy the enemy, to afford protection to our commerce, pursuing that course which to your best judgment may under all circumstances appear the best calculated to enable you to accomplish these objects as far as may be in your power, returning into port as speedily as circumstances will permit consistently with the great object in view.”