Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/415

 shore with her colours struck, where she afterwards rehoisted them. Captain Downie, with many of the best men of the Confiance, having most unfortunately fallen early in the action, the remaining part, with some exceptions, required the utmost exertion on the part of the surviving officers, to encourage and induce them to withstand the effect of so destructive a fire. About the middle of the action, the Eagle was compelled to cut, when she made sail, with an evident intention of quitting the action altogether; but passing close inside the Saratoga, and being hailed hy her, she again anchored between that ship and the Ticonderago. la this new position she kept up a destructive fire on the Confiance, without now being exposed to a shot from that ship or the Linnet. The fire of the Saratoga, about the same time, was silenced, and an attempt was made to get her larboard guns to bear on the Confiance, by cutting her bower-cable and swinging to the spring; but this evolution was never completely executed.

“The Confiance having now only four guns fit for service on the side opposed to the enemy, and they being lumbered by wreck, it became absolutely necessary to attempt to get the starboard guns to bear; this could not be expected to be easily executed, as the surviving crew now evinced an evident disposition to discontinue the action, and the anchor we were riding by being the only one left to us. A spring was notwithstanding got on the cable; the crew, by dint of entreaty, were induced to haul on the spring, and veer the cable, until the object was nearly accomplished; but the spring being only from the quarter, it then became necessary to get a bridle on it from the stern port: this was done; Lieutenant Creswick having with his own hands bent it, assisted by the other officers: but such a panic had now seized the surviving crew, that encouragement no longer availed, and not a man could be induced to haul on tbe bridle, which would have effectually brought the whole of the starboard guns to bear on the Saratoga, one fire of which (each gun being loaded with canister, in addition to a double shot) must inevitably have sent her to the bottom, or compelled her to strike: this we had a right to expect, as she did not fire a gun for at least fifteen minutes previous to the colours of the Confiance being struck. The attention of the Ticonderago having been but for a short time called to our guu-boats, gave her an opportunity nearly during the whole of the action, of keeping up a steady, deliberate, and latterly a raking fire, on the Confiance, while the new position of the Eagle gave her the same advantages. The enemy’s gun-boats, which appeared at the commencement of the action extremely shy, taking advantage of the perilous situation of the Confiance, and the extraordinary conduct of the principal part of our own boats, had now an ample opportunity, without risk to themselves, of complying with the written orders issued by Captain Macdonough prior to the action, viz. ‘that the fire of his whole force should be concentrated on the Confiance, to insure her capture or destruction.’

