cials, leaving word that no Spaniards should be
allowed to come aboard because of the bad feeling against the English.
Three or four large boats filled with troops presently veered alongside
and were ordered to keep clear. This command was resented, and the
troops opened fire, followed by the forts. Now for the deed of a man
with his two feet under him.

"The chief officer of the Betsy whose name was Hudson, a man of
extraordinary bravery, cut his cable and his ship swung the wrong way,
with her head in shore, passing close to several Spanish ships which,
with every vessel in the harbor that could bring a gun to bear, together
with three hundred soldiers in boats and on ship's decks and the two
batteries, all kept up a constant fire on him. The wind was light,
nearly a calm. The shot flew so thick that it was difficult for him to
make sail, some part of the rigging being cut away every minute.

"He kept his men at the guns, and when the ship swung her broadside so
as to bear upon any of the Spanish ships, he kept up a fire at them. In
this situation the brave fellow continued to lie for three-quarters of
an hour before he got his topsails sheeted home. The action continued
in this manner for near an hour and a half. He succeeded in getting the
ship to sea, however, in defiance of all the force that could be brought
against him. The ship was very much cut to pieces in sails, rigging, and
hull; and a considerable number of men were killed and wounded on board.

"Hudson kept flying from one part of the deck to the other during the
whole time of action, encouraging and threatening the men as occasion
required. He kept a musket in his hand most part of the time, firing
when he could find the leisure. Some of the men came aft and begged him
to give up the ship, telling him they should all be killed--that the
carpenter had all one side of him shot away--that one man was cut in
halves with a double-headed shot as he was going aloft to loose the
foretopsail and the body had fallen on deck in two separate parts--that
such a man was killed at his duty on the forecastle, and one more had
been killed in the maintop--that Sam, Jim, Jack, and Tom were wounded
and that they would do nothing more towards getting the ship out of the
harbor.

"His reply to them was, 'then you shall be sure to die, for if they
do not kill you I will, so sure as you persist in any such cowardly
resolution,' saying at the same time, 'OUT SHE GOES, OR DOWN