ve in sight to the northward,
standing for the town; made the Argus signal to chase. At
half-past three, one of our prize gunboats was blown up by hot
shot from the enemy, which passed through her magazine: she had
on board twenty-eight officers, seamen, and marines, ten of whom
were killed, and six wounded; among the killed were James R.
Caldwell, First Lieutenant of the Syren, and Midshipman John S.
Dorsey, both excellent officers; Midshipman Spence and eleven men
were taken up unhurt. Captain Decatur, whose division this boat
belonged to, and who was near at the time she blew up, reports to
me that Mr. Spence was superintending the loading of the gun at
that moment, and, notwithstanding the boat was sinking, he and
the brave fellows surviving, finished charging, gave three cheers
as the boat went from under them, and swam to the nearest boats,
where they assisted during the remainder of the action. The
enemy's gunboats and galleys (fifteen in number) were all in
motion close under the batteries, and appeared to meditate an
attack on our boats; the Constitution, Nautilus, and Enterprize,
were to windward, ready, at every hazard, to cut them off (p. 142)
from the harbour, if they should venture down; while the
Syren and Vixen were near our boats, to support and cover any
that might be disabled. The enemy thought it most prudent,
however, to retire to their snug retreat behind the rocks, after
firing a few shot. Our boats, in two divisions, under Captains
Somers and Decatur, were well conducted, as were our bomb
vessels, by Lieutenants Dent and Robinson. The town must have
suffered much from this attack, and their batteries, particularly
the seven gun battery, must have lost many men. At half-past five
P.M., the wind began to freshen from the N. N. E., I made the
signal for the gun and bomb boats to retire from action, and for
the vessels to which they were attached to take them in tow. The
Argus made signal that the strange sail was a friend.

In this day's action No. 4 had a twenty-four pound shot through
her hull; No. 6 her latteen yard shot away; No. 8 a twenty-four
pound shot through her hull, which killed two men; some of the
other boats had their rigging and sails considerably cut. We
threw forty-eight shells, and about five hundred