find himself, heard plenty of equally opprobrious epithets applied to them. And the utmost that was done for the sake of national honor was the building of a lot of boats for “harbor-defence.” And then came a day when, to the injury that had been done unceasingly, was added insult, the memory of which to this day brings the hot blush of shame as well as the flood-tide of indignation to the brow of every American patriot. It was on the 16th of November, 1798. As the reader will remember, this nation was then actually at war with France, although no formal declaration of war had been made. The French ship _Croyable_, of fourteen guns, had been captured, taken into the American service under the name of _Retaliation_, and recaptured by the French ship _Insurgent_. Because of these troubles a fleet of sixty American merchant ships had gathered at Havana to await a convoy, and the _Constellation_, Capt. Thomas Truxton, and the _Baltimore_, Capt. Isaac Phillips, were sent to bring them home. This service having been performed in satisfactory manner, the _Baltimore_ was sent alone to convoy a smaller fleet from Charleston back to Havana. On November 16, 1798, while _en route_ on this passage, the convoy fell in with a British squadron consisting of two seventy-four-gun ships-of-the-line, one ninety-eight-gun ship-of-the-line, and two thirty-two-gun frigates. Because both Great Britain and the United States were then at war with France, the two nations were, of course, allies at this time. Nevertheless, knowing that the British ships were sure to be anxious for more sailors, Captain Phillips signalled his fleet to square away before the wind, and so get out of reach, while he bore up to have a talk with the Englishmen. On arriving near the flagship--the _Carnatic_, Captain Loring--Captain Phillips pulled over to her in his gig. He was received with the usual civilities, and then was coolly informed that every man on board the _Baltimore_ who did not carry the government certificate that he was an American citizen would be impressed into the British service. A ship of the American navy was to be treated as merchant ships had been treated. Captain Phillips protested, and said he would surrender his ship first. Then he returned to the _Baltimore_, where he found a British lieutenant already on deck and mustering the crew. No form of protest was of any avail. Everything said or done excited only the contemptuous smile of the lieutenant, and in the end, being overpowered by the great ship-of-the-line squadron, Captain Phillips had the humiliation of seeing five of his men impressed in the British service. Meantime Captain Loring had taunted Captain Phillips with the statement that there were already a number of impressed American citizens in the _Carnatic’s_ crew.