ocks, and within three of their
batteries, every one of which, in succession, were silenced, so
long as we could bring our broadside to bear upon them; but the
moment we passed a battery, it was re-animated, and a constant,
heavy fire kept up from all that we could not point our guns at.
We suffered most when wearing or tacking; it was then I most
sensibly felt the want of another frigate. At half-past four, the
wind inclining to the northward, I made the signal for the bombs
and gunboats to retire from action, and, immediately after, the
signal to tow off the gunboats and prizes, which was handsomely
executed by the brigs, schooners, and boats of the squadron,
covered by a heavy fire from the Constitution. At three-quarters
past 4, P.M., the light vessels, gunboats, and prizes being (p. 140)
out of reach of the enemy's shot, I hauled off to take the
bomb vessels in tow. We were two hours under the fire of the
enemy's batteries, and the only damage received in the ship is a
twenty-four pound shot nearly through the centre of the mainmast,
thirty feet from the deck; main royal yard and sail shot away;
one of our quarter-deck guns damaged by a thirty-two pound shot,
which, at the same time, shattered a mariner's arm; two lower
shrouds and two backstays were shot away, and our sails and
running rigging considerably cut. We must impute our getting off
thus well to our keeping so near that they overshot us, and to
the annoyance our grape shot gave them; they are, however, but
wretched gunners. Gunboat No. 5 had her main yard shot away, and
the rigging and sails of the brigs and schooners were
considerably cut. Lieutenant Decatur was the only officer killed,
but in him the service has lost a valuable officer. He was a
young man who gave strong promise of being an ornament to his
profession. His conduct in the action was highly honourable, and
he _died nobly_. The enemy must have suffered very much in killed
and wounded, both among the shipping and on shore. Three of their
gunboats were sunk in the harbour, several of them had their
decks nearly cleared of men by our shot, and a number of shells
burst in the town and batteries, which must have done great
execution. The officers, seamen, and marines, of the squadron
behaved in the most gallant manner