1812. relative positions marked in the diagram at p. 168. Oct. Knowing that the greatest force of his ship lay in her quarter, and the smallest force of the enemy's ship in her bows, the first lieutenant of the Macedonian wished that the latter should continue her course, so as to pass ahead of the United-States, in the manner represented by the strong line in the diagram. But, captain Carden having decided to keep the weathergage, the Macedonian hauled close to the wind. At Opens 9 A. M., when abreast of the United-States on the with opposite tack, the Macedonian received her passing out fire; but it did not produce the slightest effect, the principal part of the shot falling short of, and the rest going over her.

her fire

effect.

Macedonian fires.

The rubicon being now passed, the Macedonian wore in pursuit; and, owing to her superiority of sailing already noticed, reached, at about 9 h. 20 m. A. M., a position on the larboard quarter of the american frigate. Here a broadside was exchanged: by that discharged from the Macedonian, the mizen topgallantmast of her opponent was shot away; and, by that from the United-States, the Macedonian lost her gaff halliards and mizen topmast, the latter falling into the main top. "This," as a contemporary well observes, "produced an equality in the rate of sailling, and the United-States kept her enemy in one position on the quarter in a running fight." *The United United-States steered about two points off the wind, main and, by her diagonal fire, soon cut away the chock of, tains a and dismounted, every carronade upon the starboard

States

run

ning

side of her opponent's quarterdeck and forecastle, fight. besides shattering the Macedonian's hull, and disabling a great portion of her crew. Having by this means up to reduced his antagonist to the use of her mainclose. deck battery only, and increased the disparity that

Hauls

previously existed to more than double, commodore Decatur, at about 10 h. 15 m. A. M., laid his main topsail to the mast, and allowed the Macedonian, now that it was too late, to come to close action.

By a few minutes past 11 A. M. the Macedonian * Brenton, vol. v. p. 59. See also diagram at p. 168.

abled

donian.

had had her mizenmast shot away by the board, 1812. and which had fallen over the starboard or engaged Oct. quarter, her fore and main topmasts shot away by the caps, and her main yard in the slings, her lower masts badly wounded, rigging of every sort destroyed, a Dissmall portion only of the foresail left to the yard, and state of two guns on the main battery, and all on the upper but Macetwo, disabled. The ship had also received upwards of 100 shot in her hull, several of them between wind and water; and had all her boats, except the jolly boat towing astern, destroyed, and more than a third of her crew killed and wounded. Owing, likewise, to the heavy sea and her dismasted state, the Macedonian rolled her maindeck guns under water; while the United-States, having no sail that she could not set but her mizen topgallantsail, remained perfectly steady.

ed be

her

crew.

In this dreadful state, the men of the Macedonian still possessed the spirit of british seamen; and, at 11 h. 10 m., when the United-States was making sail, to get from under the lee of her opponent, and the british frigate, as a last resource, had put her helm a-weather, with the intention of laying the american frigate on board, "every man was on deck," says Spiritlieutenant (now captain) Hope, "several who had havilost an arm, and the universal cheer was, 'Let us our of conquer or die.'"* Fortunately, considering the unnecessary carnage that must have ensued, the fore brace was at that moment shot away, and the yard, swinging round, threw the ship up in the wind. The United-States then stood athwart the bows of the Macedonian, without firing a shot; having, it appears, expended all her cartridges. This circumstance, being unknown on board the Macedonian, led to a very erroneous impression; and the crew continued to cheer after an enemy, who, until the United-States hove to out of gun-shot, they supposed was making off. As soon as she had refilled her cartridges and refitted her rigging, the United-States Macetacked, and at about noon stationed herself in a raking position across the stern of her defenceless ders.

* Marshall, vol. ii, p. 1018,

donian

surren

1812. antagonist; who, having no means of making a Oct. further resistance, struck her colours.

The following diagram is intended to represent the movements of the two ships, from the time that the Macedonian hauled up to pass to-windward of the United-States, to the termination of the contest.

Loss on board

U.S.

Of her 254 men (deducting the eight foreigners Mace- who refused to fight) and 35 boys, the Macedonian donian. had her boatswain, (James Holmes,) one master's

mate, (Thomas James Nankivee,) her schoolmaster, (Dennis Colwell,) 23 seamen, two boys, and eight marines killed, her first lieutenant, (David Hope, severely,) third lieutenant, (John Bulford, slightly,) one master's mate, (Henry Roebuck,) one midshipman, (George Greenway,) one first-class volunteer, (Francis Baker,) 50 seamen, (two mortally,) four boys, (two with each a leg amputated,) and nine marines wounded; total, 36 killed and 68 wounded.

The United-States is represented, by her captain

board

and his officers, to have had her masts and rigging 1812. not materially injured, and to have received only nine Oct. shot in her hull. "It is remarkable," adds one of her officers, "that, during an action of one hour and a half, and a fire which I believe was never equalled Same by any single deck, not an accident occurred, nor a on rope-yarn of our gun-tackle strained." Her loss, from Unitedthe same authority, amounted to no more than five States. seamen killed, lieutenant John Musser Funk and one seaman mortally, and five others badly wounded. The slightly wounded, as in all other american cases, are omitted.

A

to Uni

With respect to the damage sustained by the DaUnited-States, although commodore Decatur makes mage very light of it, captain Carden represents, that tedthe United-States "was pumped out every watch States. till her arrival in port, from the effect of shot received under water, and that two 18-pounders had passed through her mainmast in a horizontal line."* The masts of the american 44, it should be stated, are as stout as those of a british 74-gun ship; and, to render them still more secure from the effects of shot, four large quarter-fishes are girthed upon them. Although none of her masts, except her mizen topgallantmast, were shot away, the rigging of the UnitedStates was much cut. The reason that the american frigate had to refill her cartridges, all of which had been expended in the action, has already appeared;† and one of her officers, in a letter to a friend, exhibits the practical advantages of sheet-lead cartridges in the statement, that, during the time the Macedonian was firing 36 broadsides, the UnitedStates fired 70. But an allowance must here be made for the inability of the Macedonian, during a third at least of the action, to bring more than a few of her bow-guns to bear.

of each

We shall, as in the case of the Guerrière, exclude Guns from the broadside force, the Macedonian's boat- ship in carronade. We might be justified in doing the broad† See p. 149.

* Marshall, vol. ii. p. 1012.

side.

1812. same with the two french 8-pounders; for, it apOct. pears, they "were only fired once, the solder, by which pieces of metal for securing the locks had been affixed to them, having run the first discharge, and filled the touch-holes."* With respect to the United-States, we shall exclude her top-guns, although, during the time the close action lasted, they were used incessantly and with considerable effect, the shot from them frequently passing through the Macedonian's decks as she rolled; but the travelling carronade, having a port expressly fitted for its reception, we shall estimate as a part of the broadside force, and consider to have been an 18-pounder, although we are doubtful if it was not a 24. Captain Carden appears to think that he has underrated the crew of the United-States, and that the number, instead of being 478, as expressed in his official letter, ought to be 509, "the officers' names not being entered in her victualling book."* We differ from him on this point, and shall abide by his official statement; allowing four boys, although one only was seen, and he was at least 17 years of Upon the authority of a statement made by captain spect Carden, Mr. Marshall has represented the size of ing the the United-States to be " 1670 tons," as taken from the register of New-York dock-yard."* In of the the first place, there was no national dock-yard at States. New-York, until long after the United-States was launched. Secondly, that frigate, as we have already shown, was built at Philadelphia. Thirdly, 1670 tons, american measurement, which the statement must mean, if it means any thing, would be equal to 1800 english; thus swelling the american 44-gun frigate to a most extravagant size indeed. In direct opposition to this, a british officer of distinction was informed by an officer belonging to the United-States, at a time when there was no motive to deceive, that that frigate measured between 1400 and 1500 tons; which, allowing for the difference * Marshall, vol. ii. p. 1013. † See p. 7.

Error

re

ton

nage

United

age.

66