68 Naval War of 1812 



der the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel John, and 

 consisting of 600 troops, 80 marines, and 80 sea 

 men. 57 The flotilla was composed of barges, 

 launches, and rocket-boats, under the command of 

 Captain Barry of the Dragon, 74. In all there were 

 over 1,500 men. The seamen of the Adams, from 

 the wharf, opened fire on the flotilla, which returned 

 it with rockets and carronades ; but the advance was 

 checked. Meanwhile the British land forces at 

 tacked the militia, who acted up to the traditional 

 militia standard, and retreated with the utmost 

 promptitude and celerity, omitting the empty for 

 mality of firing. This left Captain Morris surround 

 ed by eight times his number, and there was nothing 

 to do but set fire to the corvette and retreat. The 

 seamen, marines, and regulars behaved well, and 

 no attempt was made to molest them. None of 

 Captain Morris' men were hit; his loss was con 

 fined to one sailor and one marine who were too 

 much weakened by scurvy to retreat with the others, 

 who marched to Portland, 200 miles off. The Brit 

 ish lost ten men killed or wounded. 



On Sept Qth Gunboats No. 160 and 151, com- 



57 James, vi, 481. Whenever militia are concerned James 

 has not much fear of official documents and lets his imagina 

 tion run riot; he here says the Americans had 1,400 men, 

 which is as accurate as he generally is in writing about this 

 species of force. His aim being to overestimate the number 

 of the Americans in the various engagements, he always sup 

 plies militia ad libitum, to make up any possible deficiency. 



