286 Naval War of 1812 



and of course each side, to the end of time, will be- 

 lieve its own leader. But it is not of the least con- 

 sequence, -as neither accomplished anything. 



On the loth the same tedious evolutions were 

 continued, but at 7 P.M. the two squadrons were 

 tolerably near one another, Yeo to windward, the 

 breeze being fresh from the S.W. Commodore 

 Chauncy formed his force in two lines on the port 

 tack, while Commodore Yeo approached from be- 

 hind and to windward, in single column, on the 

 same tack. Commodore Chauncy's weather line 

 was formed of the Julia, Growler, Pert, Ash, On- 

 tario, and American, in that order, and the lee line 

 of the Pike, Oneida, Madison, Tompkins, and Con- 

 quest. Chauncy formed his weather line of the 

 smaller vessels, directing them, when the British 

 should engage, to edge away and form to leeward 

 of the second line, expecting that Sir James would 

 follow them down. At 1 1 the weather line opened 

 fire at very long range; at 11.15 it was returned, 

 and the action became general and harmless; at 

 11.30 the weather line bore up and passed to lee- 

 ward, .except the Julia and Growler, which tacked. 

 The British ships kept their luff and cut off the two 

 that had tacked, while Commodore Chauncy's lee 

 line "edged away two points, to lead the enemy 

 down, not only to engage him to more advantage, 

 but to lead him from the Julia and Growler" 1S Of 

 course the enemy did not come down, and the Julia 

 and Growler were not saved. Yeo kept on till he 



18 Letter of Commodore Isaac Chauncy, Aug. 13, 1813. 



