POST-CAPTAINS OF 1813.
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ticleer. I then made the private signal which was answered in that direction; and the four vessels being right ahead, I continued my course, endeavouring to come up with them, as I was certain the Chanticleer must be one. About 3-30 I observed a firing amongst them, which gave me suspicion that the three strangers must be enemy’s vessels; and perceived from their superior force the Chanticleer must be in a very perilous situation. I was determined, whatever might be the consequence, not to forsake her, but to share the same fate, and continued under all sail, using every exertion in my power to close with them for her assistance: being confident, from the appearance of the strangers, that their force was more than double ours, both in guns and men, I only thought of selling the Manly as near as possible, in her support. I could not, however, distinguish which was the Chanticleer, till after I had received the fire of two of the enemy’s vessels, which I found to be three Danish brigs of war. I then perceived the Chanticleer to be abaft my larboard beam, making sail from the enemy. The largest brig now tacked to close the Manly. I hauled to the wind, and tacked, with our head to the eastward, to join the Chanticleer, if possible; but she still kept her course, steering from the enemy, and seemed to decline, on her part, to renew the action. I had, however, by this time, for her support, placed the Manly in a situation where it was impossible to avoid it, and the largest of the enemy’s brigs, which afterwards proved to be the Loland, coming up on our starboard beam, we received her whole broadside, which did us considerable damage. We instantly returned it, when an action commenced, and continued within nmsket-shot for ihe space of 2 hours and 25 minutes, when the other two brigs, which had now left off chasing the Chanticleer, returned to support the Loland, and were within musket-shot, the one endeavouring to take her station on our larboard bow, the other to supply the place of the Loland, who now tacked, and placed herself on our starboard quarter, keeping up a constant fire; nor was it in the smallest degree possible for us to prevent these manoeuvres on the part of the enemy, owing to their superior sailing, and we being completely disabled, our head-sails having been all shot away about the beginning of the action, and afterwards our standing and running rigging, with all the other sails entirely cut to pieces; our masts and bowsprit being badly wounded in several places, and 4 guns dismounted: as the fire of all three brigs would have been opened upon us at a very small distance, within the space of 5 minutes, they still continuing to close, and our force consisting of only 37 men and 5 boys; the brig being in a crippled state and quite unmanageable, I conceived it would only have been vain presumption on my part, and a cruel sacrifice of the lives of my brave little crew, to have pretended further resistance against three heavy vessels, each of which, as it afterwards proved, mounted 158long 18-pounders, especially when there was not the smallest hopes of any assistance, or possibility of escape. I was, therefore, reluctantly compelled to submit to their superior force; and although our loss in men was very trifling, having only 1 killed and 3 wounded, yet, from the length
