by the wind on the starboard tack, we saw a sail on our weather-beam bearing down on us. At 3 made her out to be a man of war; beat to quarters, and prepared for action. At 4, she closing fast, wore to prevent her raking us. At 4-10, hoisted our colours, and fired several shot at her; at 4-20, she hoisted her colours, and returned our fire, wore several times to avoid being raked, exchanging broadsides. At 5, she closed on our starboard beam, both keeping up a heavy fire and steering free, her intention being evidently to cross our bow. At 5-20, our mizen-mast went over the starboard quarter, and brought the ship up in the wind; the enemy then placed himself on our larboard-bow, raking us, a few only of our bow-guns bearing, and his grape and riflemen sweeping our deck. At 5-40, the ship not answering her helm, he attempted to lay us on board: at this time, Mr. (Samuel) Grant, (Master’s-Mate), who commanded the forecastle, was carried below, badly wounded. I immediately ordered the marines and boarders from the main-deck; the Master was at this time shot through the knee, and I received a severe wound in the back. Lieutenant (Bartholomew) Kent was leading on the boarders, when the ship coining to, we brought some of our bow-guns to bear on her[1], and had got clear of our opponent, when at 6-20, our fore and main-masts went over the side, leaving the ship a perfect unmanageable wreck. The frigate shooting a-head, I was in hopes to clear the wreck, and get the ship under command to renew the action; but just as we had cleared the wreck, our spritsail-yard went; and the enemy having rove new braces, &c., wore round within pistol-shot, to rake us, the ship lying in the trough of the sea, rolling her main-deck guns under water[2], and all attempts to get her before the wind being fruitless: when, calling my few remaining officers together, they were all of opinion, that any further resistance would only be a needless waste of lives, I ordered, though reluctantly, the colours to be struck.
“The loss of the ship is to be ascribed to the early fall of the mizen-mast, which enabled our opponent to choose his position. I am sorry to say we suffered severely in killed and wounded, and mostly whilst she lay on our bow, from her grape and musketry; in all, 15 killed, and 63 wounded[3], many of them severely. None of the wounded officers quitted the deck till the firing ceased.
“The frigate proved to be the United States’ ship Constitution, of thirty 24-pounders on her main-deck, and twenty-four 32-pounders and two 18-pounders[4] on her upper-deck, and 476 men; her loss in comparison- ↑ Some of the wads of which set fire to the Constitution’s cabin, but the flames were soon extinguished.
- ↑ To secure which required increased efforts, the rotten state of the breachings, as well as of the timber-heads through which the long bolts passed, having caused many of them to break loose.
- ↑ Six mortally, thirty-nine severely, and eighteen slightly.
- ↑ These were English 18’s, bored to carry a 24-pound shot. The Guerrière mounted thirty long 18’s, sixteen 32-pounder carronades, and two long nines.
