The administration had at first only considered the laying up of our ships, but the indignant protests of our naval officers caused another course. The first ships to get to sea were those at New York: the _President_, 44, Commodore Rodgers; the _Essex_, 32, Captain David Porter; and the _Hornet_, 18, Master Commandant Lawrence. These were joined down the bay on June 21st by the _United States_, 44, Commodore Decatur; and the _Congress_, 36, Lieutenant Commandant Sinclair from Norfolk. All except the _Essex_, which was overhauling her rigging, got to sea on the 21st, immediately after the reception of the declaration of war, and stood southeast to intercept a reported fleet of West Indiamen. On June 23d, however, a frigate, later known to be the _Belvidera_, was sighted and chased. On nearing her, Rodgers himself went forward to direct the firing, and at 4:30 he fired the starboard forecastle gun, the first shot of the war. The next gun was fired from the main deck by the officer of the division, and a third was fired by Rodgers. The three shots had all struck the chase, killing and wounding seven men. A fourth was now fired from the main deck. This gun burst, lifting the forecastle deck, killing and wounding sixteen men. Among the latter was Rodgers, who was thrown into the air and in falling broke his leg. The forward guns being thrown out of action, the _President_ was obliged to yaw from time to time to bring her broadside guns to bear. This gave the chase an advantage which was added to by her throwing overboard boats and anchors and fourteen tons of water. By midnight she was out of danger. The _President_ does not seem to have been handled as well as she might have been, but account must be taken of the very serious accident aboard and of the injury to the commodore. The _Belvidera’s_ fire killed and wounded six of the _President’s_ crew. She was well handled and her captain, Richard Byron, deserves marked credit for his escape. Rodgers continued his cruise in pursuit of the West Indiaman as far as the entrance to the English Channel, but by August 31st was in Boston, having made but seven prizes and one recapture. The _Essex_ did not leave New York until June 23d. The ship carried, mostly, only carronades which were totally inefficient except at close quarters. This fact placed her at a great disadvantage when in meeting a convoy of troops she was unable to bring to action the convoying frigate. She cut out, however, one ship with 197 soldiers aboard. But on August 13th she captured the sloop-of-war, _Alert_, of twenty 18-pounder carronades, the first man-of-war prize of the war. The _Essex_ returned to New York on September 7th, having taken ten prizes and 423 prisoners.