132 Naval War of 1812 



it had any influence on the battle, for he was beaten 

 when the mainmast fell ; and it must be remembered, 

 on the other hand, that the American crew was ab 

 solutely new, while the Guerriere was manned by 

 old hands. So that, while admitting and admiring 

 the gallantry, and, on the whole, the seamanship, of 

 Captain Dacres and his crew, and acknowledging 

 that he fought at a great disadvantage, especially in 

 being short-handed, yet all must acknowledge that 

 the combat showed a marked superiority, particu 

 larly in gunnery, on the part of the Americans. Had 

 the ships not come foul, Captain Hull would prob 

 ably not have lost more than three or four men; as 

 it was, he suffered but slightly. That the Guerriere 

 was not so weak as she was represented to be can 

 be gathered from the fact that she mounted two 

 more maindeck guns than the rest of her class ; thus 

 carrying on her maindeck 30 long i8-pounders in 

 battery to oppose to the 30 long 24*8, or rather (al 

 lowing for the short weight of shot) long 22's, of 

 the Constitution. Characteristically enough, James, 

 though he carefully reckons in the long bow-chasers 

 in the bridle-ports of the Argus and Enterprise, yet 

 refuses to count the two long eighteens mounted 

 through the bridle-ports on the Guerriere' 's main- 

 deck. Now, as it turned out, these two bow guns 

 were used very effectively, when the ships got foul, 

 and caused more damage and loss than all of the 

 other maindeck guns put together. 



Captain Dacres, very much to his credit, allowed 

 the ten Americans on board to go below, so as not 



