138 Naval War of 1812 



of the yards. But meanwhile the Frolic suffered 

 dreadfully in her hull and lower masts, and had 

 her gaff and head braces shot away. 45 The slaugh 

 ter among her crew was. very great, but the survi 

 vors kept at their work with the dogged courage 

 of their race. At first the two vessels ran side by 

 side, but the American gradually forged ahead, 

 throwing in her fire from a position in which she 

 herself received little injury; by degrees the ves 

 sels got so close that the Americans struck the 

 Frolic's side with their rammers in loading, 46 and 

 the British brig was raked with dreadful effect. 

 The Frolic then fell aboard her antagonist, her jib- 

 boom coming in between the main and mizzen-rig- 

 ging of the Wasp and passing over the heads of 

 Captain Jones and Lieutenant Biddle, who were 

 standing near the capstan. This forced the Wasp 

 up in the wind, and she again raked her antagonist, 

 Captain Jones trying to restrain his men from board 

 ing till he could put in another broadside. But they 

 could no longer be held back, and Jack Lang, a 

 New Jersey seaman, leaped on the Frolic's bowsprit. 

 Lieutenant Biddle then mounted on the hammock 

 cloth to board, but his feet got entangled in the 

 rigging, and one of the midshipmen seizing his 

 coat-tails to help himself up, the lieutenant tumbled 

 back on the deck. At the next swell he succeeded 

 in getting on the bowsprit, on which there were 

 already two seamen whom he passed on the fore 

 castle. But there was no one to oppose him; not 



45 Capt. Whinyates' letter. 46 Capt. Jones' letter. 



