by John Marshall

“ Humphreys is apprised of your perfect safety, and of your having fulfilled my directions. I hope you mind the public accounts which have been published of this affair as little as I do; we must make allowances for the heated state of the populace, in a country where law, and every tie, both civil and religious, is treated so lightly. It is the business of the French party to inflame the minds of the multitude, and possibly it may be the inclination of their rulers to fan that flame. ”

“ We cannot but regret that those ships, under the same commanders, had not been opposed to each other during the late conflict with America, although the British “line-of-battle ship [10] ” was inferior in size weight of metal, and men, to the United States’ “36-gun frigate,” there is very little reason to suppose that the result would not have been similar to that of their encounter in 1807. This, however, was not to be the case – Captain Humphreys having returned to England with his Admiral in 1808, has ever since been on half-pay ”

“ On arriving within hail, an officer was despatched, according to my instructions, to show the order to her commander, together with the following note from myself:–
“‘The Captain of his Britannic Majesty’s ship Leopard has the honor to enclose the Captain of the United States’ frigate Chesapeake, an order from the Hon. Vice-Admiral Berkeley, Commander-in-chief of his Majesty’s ships on the North American station, respecting some deserters from ships, therein mentioned, under his command, and supposed now to be serving as a part of the crew of the Chesapeake. ”