e fact, that, if this vessel
could be carried, the American line would be turned, and the day won
by the English. But the American schooner fought stubbornly. Her
gallant commander, Lieut. Cassin, walked up and down the taffrail,
heedless of the grape and musket-balls that whistled past his head,
pointing out to the gunners the spot whereon to train the guns, and
directing them to load with canister and bags of bullets when the
enemy came too near. The gunners of the schooner were terribly
hampered in their work by the lack of matches for the guns; for the
vessel was new, and the absence of these very essential articles was
unnoticed until too late. The guns of one division were fired
throughout the fight by Hiram Paulding, a sixteen-year-old
midshipman, who flashed his pistol at the priming of the guns as soon
as aim was taken. When no gun was ready for his services, he rammed a
ball into his weapon and discharged it at the enemy. The onslaught of
the British was spirited and determined. Often they pressed up within
a boat-hook's length of the schooner, only to be beaten back by her
merciless fire. Sometimes so few were left alive in the galleys that
they could hardly man the oars to pull out of the fight. In this way
the "Ticonderoga" kept her enemies at bay while the battle was being
decided between the "Saratoga" and the "Confiance."

For it was upon the issue of the conflict between these two ships,
that victory or defeat depended. Each had her ally and satellite.
Under the stern of the "Saratoga" lay the "Linnet," pouring in raking
broadsides. The "Confiance," in turn, was suffering from the
well-directed fire of the "Eagle." The roar of the artillery was
unceasing, and dense clouds of gunpowder-smoke hid the warring ships
from the eyes of the eager spectators on shore. The "Confiance" was
unfortunate in losing her gallant captain early in the action, while
Macdonough was spared to fight his ship to the end. His gallantry and
activity, however, led him to expose himself fearlessly; and twice he
narrowly escaped death. He worked like a common sailor, loading and
firing a favorite twenty-four-pound gun; and once, while on his knees,
sighting the piece, a shot from the "Confiance" cut in two the
spanker-boom, a great piece of which fell heavily upon the captain's
head, stretching him senseless upon the deck. He lay motionless for
two or three minutes, and his men mourned him as dead; but suddenly
his activity return