198 Naval War of 1812 



sisted by Lieutenant Roach, the other under Sailing- 

 master George Watts and Captain Tbwson. After 

 two hours' rowing they reached the foe, and the 

 attack was made at three o'clock. Elliott laid his 

 boat alongside the Detroit before he was discovered, 

 and captured her after a very brief struggle, in 

 which he lost but one man killed, and Midshipman 

 J. C. Cummings wounded with a bayonet in the leg. 

 The noise of the scuffle roused the hardy provincials 

 aboard the Caledonia, and they were thus enabled 

 to make a far more effectual resistance to Sailing- 

 master Watts than the larger vessel had to Captain 

 Elliott. As Watts pulled alongside he was greeted 

 with a volley of musketry, but at once boarded and 

 carried the brig, the twelve Canadians being cut 

 down or made prisoners; one American was killed 

 and four badly wounded. The wind was too light 

 and the current too strong to enable the prizes to 

 beat out and reach the lake, so the cables were cut 

 and they ran down stream. The Caledonia was 

 safely beached under the protection of an American 

 battery near Black Rock. The Detroit, however, 

 was obliged to anchor but four hundred yards from 

 a British battery, which, together with some flying 

 artillery, opened on her. Getting all his guns on 

 the port side, Elliott kept up a brisk cannonade till 

 his ammunition gave out, when he cut his cable and 

 soon grounded on Squaw Island. Here the Detroit 

 was commanded by the guns of both sides, and 

 whichever party took possession of her was at once 

 driven out by the other. The struggle ended in her 



