298 Naval War of 1812 



any rate disabled, her; and had the swift Madison 

 cast off her tow she could also have taken an effective 

 part in the engagement. If the Pike could put the 

 British to flight almost single-handed, how much 

 more could she not have done when assisted by the 

 Madison and Oneida? The cardinal error, however, 

 was made in discontinuing the chase. The British 

 were in an almost open roadstead, from which they 

 could not possibly escape. Commodore Chauncy 

 was afraid that the wind would come up to blow a 

 gale, and both fleets would be thrown ashore; and, 

 moreover, he expected to be able to keep a watch 

 over the enemy, and to attack him at a more suit- 

 able time. But he utterly failed in this last; and 

 had the American squadron cast off their tows and 

 gone boldly in,they certainly ought to have been able 

 to destroy or capture the entire British force before 

 a gale could blow up. Chauncy would have done 

 well to keep in mind the old adage, so peculiarly 

 applicable to naval affairs : "L'audace ! toujours 1'au- 

 dace! et encore 1'audace!" Whether the fault was 

 his or that of hfs subordinates, it is certain that while 

 the victory of the 28th of September definitely set- 

 tled the supremacy of the lake in favor of the Amer- 

 icans, yet this victory was by no means so decided 

 as it should have been, taking into account his su- 

 periority in force and advantage in position, and the 

 somewhat spiritless conduct of his foe. 



Next day a gale came on to blow, which lasted 

 till the evening of the 3ist. There was no longer 

 any apprehension of molestation from the British, 



