“When the crew of the Confiance would no longer continue the action, they alleged as their reasons, the fate of our two cutters, the conduct of our gun-boats, and the fire of the whole of the enemy’s force having been directed to them during the greater part of the action; and also the apparent inactivity of the land forces. The dreadful carnage on board, and the shattered and sinking state of the ship, conspired to depress their spirits to that pitch, as to render every effort on the part of the surviving officers unavailing, in attempting to force them to continue the action. In this situation, making no further resistance, the numerous and unfortunate wounded below in extreme danger of drowning, the water being above the gun-room deck, humanity, and the now hopeless state of the action, dictated to myself and to the surviving officers the propriety of giving the painful orders to strike the colours. A considerable time elapsed before the enemy was in a condition to take possession of the Confiance, during which time every effort was made to keep her from sinking, by pumping and bailing at the hatchways, for the preservation of the wounded, it being necessary to elevate their heads to prevent them drowning.
“The Chubb not having anchored, and consequently her early fall; – the Finch having grounded in such a situation, as not to be able to render any service in maintaining the action; – our gun-boats not having accomplished what they were equal to, and ordered to perform, by which means the Ticonderago was left at liberty to keep up a destructive fire on the Confiance during the greater part of the action; – the disorganised state of the crew of the Confiance, in consequence of their being called into action before there was sufficient time to train them to the guns, and to acquire a necessary knowledge of each other, and of their officers; – the number of guns disabled in the Confiance, in consequence of the bolts drawing, and otherwise, together with the judicious plan adopted by the enemy, of concentrating the fire of his whole force on the Confiance, must have operated in elevating the spirits of our opponents, while it could not fail in depressing those of so new a ship’s company. But notwithstanding all these disadvantages, and that the Confiance (assisted by the Linnet only) bore the whole brunt of the action, it was most decidedly in our favor until after the Eagle took up her new station, and until the moment the Confiance failed in the attempt to wind, for the reasons which have been already mentioned.
The conduct of Captain Macdonough to his prisoners was the extreme of delicacy and attention; not even permitting the American colours to be hoisted over the English in the prizes. He allowed Captain Daniel Pring, the senior surviving British officer, to proceed to England on parole; and he permitted Lieutenant Robertson to return to Canada, for the purpose of settling the affairs of the much-lamented Cap-
