284 Naval War of 1812 



an equal foe; and the Hornet could not tell till the 

 Peacock opened fire that the latter was inferior in 

 force, and moreover fought in sight of another 

 hostile vessel. In the action with the Guerriere it 

 was Hull and not Dacres who acted boldly, the 

 Englishman delaying the combat and trying to keep 

 it at long range for some time. In this fight it 

 must be remembered that neither foe knew the exact 

 force of the other until the close work began; then, 

 it is true, Dacres fought most bravely. So with 

 the Macedonian; James particularly says that she 

 did not know the force of her foe, and was confident 

 of victory. The Java, however, must have known 

 that she was to engage a superior force. In neither 

 of the first two frigate actions did the Americans 

 have a chance to display any courage in the actual 

 fighting, the victory was won with such ease. But 

 in each case they entered as bravely, although by 

 no means as rashly or foolishly, into the fight as 

 their antagonists did. It must always be remem- 

 bered that until this time it was by no means proved 

 that 24-pounders were better guns than i8's to put 

 on frigates; exactly as at a little later date it was 

 vigorously contended that 42-pounders were no 

 more effective guns for two-deckers than 32-pound- 

 ers were. Till 1812 there had been no experience 

 to justify the theory that the 24-pounder was the 

 better gun. So that in the first five actions it can- 



