84 Naval War of 1812 



of them the victory was won with such perfect im 

 punity and the difference in the loss and damage 

 inflicted was so very great, that I doubt if the result 

 would have been affected if the odds had been 

 reversed. In the other case, that of the Reindeer, 

 the defeated party fought at a still greater disad 

 vantage, and yet came out of the conflict with full 

 as much honor as the victor. No man with a par 

 ticle of generosity in his nature can help feeling the 

 most honest admiration for the unflinching courage 

 and cool skill displayed by Capt. Manners and his 

 crew. It is worthy of notice (remembering the 

 sneers of so many of the British authors at the 

 "wary circumspection" of the Americans) that Capt. 

 Manners, who has left a more honorable name than 

 any other British commander of the war, excepting 

 Capt. Broke, behaved with the greatest caution as 

 long as it would serve his purpose, while he showed 

 the most splendid personal courage afterward. It 

 is this combination of courage and skill that made 

 him so dangerous an antagonist; it showed that the 

 traditional British bravery was not impaired by re 

 fusing to adhere to the traditional British tactics 

 of rushing into a fight "bull-headed." Needless ex 

 posure to danger denotes not so much pluck as 

 stupidity. Capt. Manners had no intention of giv 

 ing his adversary any advantage he could prevent. 

 No one can help feeling regret that he was killed; 



