On the Ocean 125 



her opponent, the rest passing over and through her 

 rigging. 22 As the British frigate again wore to 

 open with her starboard battery, the Constitution 

 yawed a little and fired two or three of her port 

 bow guns. Three or four times the Guerriere re 

 peated this manoeuvre, wearing and firing alternate 

 broadsides, but with little or no effect, while the 

 Constitution yawed as often to avoid being raked, 

 and occasionally fired one of her bow guns. This 

 continued nearly an hour, as the vessels were very 

 far apart when the action began, hardly any loss 

 or damage being inflicted by either party. At 6 .00 

 the Guerriere bore up and ran off under her topsails 

 and jib, with the wind almost astern, a little on her 

 port quarter ; when the Constitution set her maintop 

 gallant sail and foresail, and at 6.05 closed within 

 half pistol-shot distance on her adversary's port 

 beam. 23 Immediately a furious cannonade opened, 

 each ship firing as the guns bore. By the time the 

 ships were fairly abreast, at 6.20, the Constitution 

 shot away the Gucrricre's mizzenmast, which fell 

 over the starboard quarter, knocking a large hole in 



92 See in the Naval Archives (Bureau of Navigation) the 

 Constitution's Log-Book (vol. ii, from Feb. i, 1812, to Dec. 

 13. 1813). The point is of some little importance because 

 Hull, in his letter, speaks as if both the first broadsides fell 

 short, whereas the log distinctly says that the second went 

 over the ship, except two shot, which came home. The hy 

 pothesis of the Guerrtlre having damaged powder was 

 founded purely on this supposed falling short of the first 

 two broadsides. 



M "Autobiography of Commodore Morris" (Annapolis, 

 1880), p. 164. 



