hour or
two of this engagement the gunboats had an immense advantage;
being propelled both by sails and oars, they were enabled to
choose their own position. While the ship lay becalmed and
unmanageable they poured grape and canister shot into her stern
and bows like hailstones. At this time the ship's crew could not
bring a single gun to bear upon them, and all they could do was
to use their small arms through the ports and over the rails.
Fortunately for the crew, the ship had thick and high bulwarks,
which protected them from the fire of the enemy, so that while
they were hid and screened by the boarding cloths, they could
use their small arms to great advantage. At this stage of the
action, while the captain, with his speaking-trumpet under his
left arm, was endeavoring to bring one of his big guns to bear
on one of the gunboats, a grapeshot passed through the port and
trumpet and entered his chest near his shoulder-blade. The chief
mate carried him below and laid him upon a mattress on the cabin
floor. For a moment it seemed to dampen the ardor of the men;
but it was but for an instant. The chief mate (I think his name
was Randall), a gallant young man from Nantucket, then took the
command, rallied, and encouraged the men to continue the action
with renewed obstinacy and vigor. At this time a lateen-rigged
vessel, the largest of the three privateers, was preparing to
make a desperate attempt to board the ship on the larboard
quarter, and, with nearly all his men on the forecastle and long
bowsprit, were ready to take the final leap.

"In order to meet and frustrate the design of the enemy, the
mate of the ship had one of the quarter-deck guns loaded with
grape and canister shot; he then ordered all the ports on this
quarter to be shut, so that the gun could not be seen; and thus
were both parties prepared when the privateer came boldly up
within a few yards of the ship's lee quarter. The captain, with
a threatening flourish of his sword, cried out with a loud
voice, in broken English: 'Strike, you damned rascal, or I will
put you all to death.' At this moment a diminutive-looking man
on board the 'Louisa,' with a musket, took deliberate aim
through one of the waist ports, and shot him dead. Instantly the
gun was run out and discharged upon the foe with deadly effect,