_Didon_, which had three days before sailed from Corunna with
despatches for the Rochefort squadron, and after escaping an action from
another English frigate, had been visited by the skipper of an American
merchant-vessel, who informed Captain Milius that a ship whose
topgallant-sails were just then rising out of the water to windward was
an English 20-gun ship, on board of which he had been the previous
evening, and from what he had heard he was sure that she would venture
to engage the _Didon_. Captain Milius, though ordered to avoid an
action, believing that victory was certain, backed his mizen-topsail and
kept his main-topsail shivering to allow the British ship to come up
with him. The stranger was the _Phoenix_, and which was not only a
smaller frigate, but Captain Baker had disguised her to resemble at a
distance a sloop of war. The mistake into which Captain Milius had been
led by his treacherous visitor was therefore not discovered until the
_Phoenix_ was close to the _Didon_, which ship, hoisting her colours,
fired a gun to windward, and at 8:45 a.m. opened her broadside. Captain
Baker, in order to prevent the _Didon_ from escaping, had resolved to
engage to leeward, but, from the manoeuvres of the French ship, unable
to do this, he stood down right at her to windward with all sail set.
By this bold measure he succeeded in bringing his broadside to bear on
the _Didon_ at pistol-shot distance, when a hot fire of round-shot,
grape and musketry was exchanged between the combatants. The _Phoenix_
from the press of sails she carried, ranged ahead of the _Didon_, which
lay almost stationary, and before she could haul up, was raked by the
latter; but as the crew were ordered to lie down, they escaped without
damage. By the rapidity with which the crew of the _Phoenix_ repaired
her damaged rigging, they avoided an attempt made by the _Didon_ to rake
her with her starboard broadside. In a short time the _Didon's_
larboard bow ran against the starboard-quarter of the _Phoenix_, both
ships lying nearly in a parallel direction, the former having only one
gun which could be brought to bear on her antagonist. At that moment
the Frenchmen in vast numbers attempted to board the _Phoenix_, but were
vigorously repulsed; while the marines of both ships exchanged a warm
and destructive fire. At this juncture a young midshipman, Edward
Phillips, observed a man upon the _Didon's_ bowsprit end taking
deliberate aim at Capt