140 Naval War of 1812 



Captain Macdonough at once returned the British 

 officers their swords. Captain Pring writes : "I have 

 much satisfaction in making you acquainted with 

 the humane treatment the wounded have received 

 from Commodore Macdonough; they were imme 

 diately removed to his own hospital on Crab Island, 

 and furnished with every requisite. His generous 

 and polite attention to myself, the officers, and men, 

 will ever hereafter be gratefully remembered." The 

 effects of the victory were immediate and of 'the 

 highest importance. Sir George Prevost and his 

 army at once fled in great haste and confusion back 

 to Canada, leaving our northern frontier clear for 

 the remainder of the war; while the victory had a 

 very great effect on the negotiations for peace. 



In this battle the crews on both sides behaved 

 with equal bravery, and left nothing to be desired 

 in this respect; but from their rawness they of 

 course showed far less skill than the crews of most 

 of the American and some of the British ocean 

 cruisers, such as the Constitution, United States, or 

 Shannon, the Hornet, Wasp, or Reindeer. Lieut. 

 Cassin handled the Ticonderoga, and Captain Pring 

 the Linnet, with the utmost gallantry and skill, and, 

 after Macdonough, they divided the honors of the 



Midshipman Lee, in the "Naval Chronicle." The compara 

 tive loss, as a means of testing the competitive prowess of 

 the combatants, is not of much consequence in this case, as 

 the weaker party in point of force conquered. 



