76 Naval War of 1812 



However, Mr. Johnston had to burn his boat to 

 prevent it from being taken by a larger force. 

 Meanwhile Lieut. Jones got under way with the 

 five gun-vessels, trying to reach Les Petites Co- 

 quilles, near a small fort at the mouth of a creek. 

 But as the wind was light and baffling, and the cur 

 rent very strong, the effort was given up, and the 

 vessels came to anchor off Malheureux Island pass 

 age at i A.M. on the I4th. 70 The other tender, the 

 'Alligator, Sailing-master Sheppard, of one 4-pound- 

 er and 8 men, was discovered next morning trying 

 to get to her consorts, and taken with a rush by 

 Capt. Roberts and his division. At daybreak Lieut. 

 Jones saw the British boats about nine miles to the 

 eastward, and moored his 5 gun vessels abreast in 

 the channel, with their boarding nettings triced up, 

 and everything in readiness; but the force of the 

 current drifted two of them, Nos. 156 and 163, a 

 hundred yards down the pass and out of line, No. 

 156 being the headmost of all. Their exact force 

 was as follows: No. 156, Lieut. Jones, 41 men and 

 5 guns (i long 24 and 4 12-pound carronades) ; 

 No. 163, Sailing-master Geo. Ulrick, 21 men, 3 

 guns (i long 24 and 2 1 2-pound carronades) ; No. 

 162, Lieut. Robert Speddes, 35 men, 5 guns (i long 

 24 and 4 light sixes) ; No. 5, Sailing-master John 

 D. Ferris, 36 men, 5 guns (i long 24, 4 12-pound 

 10 Official letter of Lieutenant Jones, March 12, 1815. 



