162 Naval War of 1812 



of the calibre of these carronades each of the latter 

 was loaded with one 4-pound and one 6-pound ball, 

 giving her a broadside of 76 Ibs. On the 26th of 

 February, two leagues from Havana, the Chasseur 

 fell in with the British schooner St. Lawrence, Lieut. 

 H. C. Gordon, mounting twelve 1 2-pound carron 

 ades, and one long 9; her broadside was thus 81 Ibs., 

 and she had between 60 and 80 men aboard. 55 The 

 Chasseur mistook the St. Lawrence for a merchant 

 man and closed with her. The mistake was discov 

 ered too late to escape, even had such been Captain 

 Boyle's intention, and a brief but bloody action en 

 sued. At i .26 P.M., the St. Lawrence fired the first 

 broadside, within pistol shot, to which the Chasseur 

 replied with her great guns and musketry. The 

 brig then tried to close, so as to board; but having 

 too much way on, shot ahead under the lee of the 

 schooner, which put her helm up to wear under the 

 Chasseur's stern. Boyle, however, followed his an 

 tagonist's manoeuvre, and the two vessels ran along 



" Letter of Captain Thomas Boyle, of March 2, 1815 (see 

 Niles and Coggeshall); he says the schooner had two more 

 carronades; I have taken the number given by James (p. 539). 

 Captain Boyle says the S/. Lawrence had on board 89 men 

 and several more, including a number of soldiers and marines 

 and gentlemen of the navy, as passengers; James says her 

 crew amounted to 51 "exclusive of some passengers," which 

 I suppose must mean at least nine men. So the forces were 

 pretty equal ; the Chasseur may have had 20 men more or 10 

 men less than her antagonist, and she threw from 5 to 21 

 pounds less weight of shot. 



