Naval War of 1812 



the head by a grape-shot and carried below; the 

 second lieutenant, Mr. U. H. Allen (no relation 

 of the captain), continued to fight the ship with 

 great skill. The Pelican's "fire continued very 

 heavy, the Argus losing her spritsail-yard and most 

 of the standing rigging on the port side of the 

 foremast. At 6.14 Captain Maples bore up to pass 

 astern of his antagonist, but Lieutenant Allen luffed 

 into the wind and threw the main-topsail aback, 

 getting into a beautiful raking position; 51 had the 

 men at the guns done their duty as well as those 

 on the quarter-deck did theirs, the issue of the fight 

 would have been very different; but, as it was, in 

 spite of her favorable position, the raking broad- 

 side of the Argus did little damage. Two or three 

 minutes afterward the Argus lost the use of her 

 after-sails through having her preventer-main- 

 braces and top-sail tie shot away, and fell off be- 

 fore the wind, when the Pelican at 6.18 passed 

 her stern, raking her heavily, and then ranged up 

 on her starboard quarter. In a few minutes the 

 wheel-ropes and running-rigging of every descrip- 

 tion were shot away, and the Argus became ut- 

 terly unmanageable. The Pelican continued raking 

 her with perfect impunity, and at 6.35 passed her 

 broadside and took a position on her starboard 

 bow, when at 6.45 the brigs fell together, and the 

 British "were in the act of boarding when the Argus 

 struck her colors," 52 at 6.45 A.M. The Pelican 



61 Letter of Lieutenant Watson. 

 52 Letter of Captain Maples. 



