Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p2.djvu/482

 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, 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, 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, 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 on her upper-deck, and 476 men; her loss in comparison