Concluding Operations 167 



on her port quarter, she struck, at 6.50, just forty 

 minutes after the beginning of the action. She was 

 at once taken possession of, and Lieut. Hoffman, 

 second of the Constitution, was put in command. 

 Having manned the prize, Captain Stewart, at 8 

 o'clock, filled away after her consort. The latter, 

 however, had only gone out of the combat to refit. 

 Captain Douglas had no ideaof retreat, and no sooner 

 had he rove new braces than he hauled up to the 

 wind, and came very gallantly back to find out his 

 friend's condition. At 8.50 he met the Constitu 

 tion, and, failing to weather her, the frigate and 

 sloop passed each other on opposite tacks, exchang 

 ing broadsides. Finding her antagonist too heavy, 

 the Levant then crowded all sail to escape, but was 

 soon overtaken by the Constitution, and at about 

 9 .30 the latter opened with her starboard bow-chas 

 ers, and soon afterward the British captain hauled 

 down his colors. Mr. Ballard, first of the Consti 

 tution, was afterward put in command of the prize. 

 By one o'clock the ships were all in order again. 



The Constitution had been hulled eleven times, 

 more often than in either of her previous actions, 

 but her loss was mainly due to the grape and mus 

 ketry of the foe in the beginning of the fight. 61 The 

 British certainly fired better than usual, especially 

 considering the fact that there was much manoeu- 



" Deposition of her officers as before cited. 



