by John Marshall

“ The prize proves to be l’Etoile French frigate, mounting 44 guns (28 eighteen-pounders on the main-deck, and the remainder carronades) , with a complement of 320 men [2] ; she was commanded by Mons. Henri Pierre Philibert, Capitaine de frigate, who was returning, together with la Sultane the other frigate [3] , from a four months’ cruise to the westward. L’Etoile is a very fine ship, quite new, and sails well; she had 40 killed and upwards of 70 wounded; her remaining masts are shot through, and her hull is extremely shattered ”

“ Captain Palmer was shortly afterwards ordered to join the army under Major-General Ross, and he appears to have been the only naval officer of his rank that bore a part in the battle of Bladensburgh, Aug. 24, 1814; on which day upwards of 8000 Americans were defeated by 1500 British. His conduct during the march to and from Washington is highly spoken of both by Rear-Admiral Cockburn and the military commander-in-chief [6] .
In the summer of 1815, Captain Palmer was entrusted with the command of a small expedition sent to arm and organize the French royalists in the vicinity of Bourdeaux. ”

“ We first find him commanding the Wizard brig, at the reduction of Alexandria, in Mar. 1807 [1] ; and subsequently the Hebrus of 42 guns, on the Channel, and North American stations, in the Gironde river, and before Algiers. The following is a copy of his official letter to Sir Michael Seymour, Bart., reporting the capture of l’Etoile French frigate, after an arduous chase and a well fought action. Mar. ”