1898-99. ] THE CONTEST FOR THE COMMAND OF LAKE ERIE IN 1812-13. 385 
pow, the Avze/ nearly abeam, the Caledonia on their weather quarter, the 
Somers, Tigress and Porcupine nearly astern, the 77zppe on their lee 
quarter and the Vzagara on their lee bow concentrated all their fire on 
these hapless vessels. They are said to have suffered still more from the 
deliberate gunnery of the schooners than from the more hurried broad- 
sides of the Vzagara. “The efficiency of the gunboats was fully proved 
in this action,” writes an eyewitness, “and the sterns of all the prizes 
bear ample testimony of the fact. They took raking positions and 
galled the enemy severely. The Lady Prevost lost twelve men before 
either of the brigs fired on her.”* 
When at length the Defrozt got clear, Inglis directed the Queen 
Charlotte to shoot ahead if possible, and attempted to back the foretop- 
sail to get astern when he found his ship completely unmanageable. A 
few minutes later the Queex Charlotte hauled down her colours. The 
Detroit was then exposed to the whole fire of all the American vessels, 
raking her ahead and astern. The mizentopmast and gaff had fallen, 
the other masts were badly wounded, most of the stays and braces were 
cut away, the hull was much shattered and many guns had been dis- 
abled. Seven or eight of the ten experienced seamen were killed or 
wounded, and more than half of the entire crew had fallen at their 
stations. In this situation, on being hailed from the Magara, Inglis 
replied that he would surrender and the other vessels rapidly followed 
his example. 
The beaten squadron had been fought to the last extremity beyond a 
doubt. “The sides of the Detrozt and Queen Charlotte,’ said an eye- 
witness, “were shattered from bow to stern ; there was scarcely room to 
place one’s hand on their larboard sides without touching the impression 
of a shot, a great many shot cannister and grape were found lodged in 
their bulwarks, which were too thick to be penetrated by our carronades 
unless within pistol shot distance. Their masts were so much shattered 
that they fell overboard soon after they got into the bay.’+ 
Every commanding officer and second in command of the British 
vessels had fallen. In all forty-one officers and men had been killed and 
ninety-four wounded. The loss of the American squadron was officially 
stated at twenty-seven killed and ninety-six wounded, of whom two 
killed and twenty-seven wounded were reported on board the Magara. 
This seems to have been understated, as Lieutenant Montgomery 
declared on the court-martial of Captain Elliott that the total loss 
on the Magara was thirty-three or thirty-four and an affidavit was 
put in, made by Dr. Barton, the surgeon, which stated that “the exact 
*Brown, ‘‘ Views of the Campaign of the North-Western Army,” pp. go-r. 
tBrown, ‘Views of N W. Campaign,” 1813, p. 89. 
