298 Naval War of 1812 



Often I have had simply to balance probabilities, 

 and choose between two sets of figures, aware that, 

 whichever I chose, much could be said against the 

 choice. It has, therefore, been quite impossible 

 to avoid errors; but I am confident they have been 

 as much in favor of the British as the Americans; 

 and in all important points my statements are sub- 

 stantially accurate. 



I do not believe that my final conclusions on the 

 different fights can be disputed. James asserts that 

 the American ships were officered by cunning cow- 

 ards, and manned to the extent of half their force 

 in point of effectiveness by renegade British. I 

 show that the percentage of non-American seamen 

 aboard the American ships was probably but little 

 greater than the percentage of non-British seamen 

 aboard the British ships; and as for the charges 

 of cowardice, there were but two instances in which 

 it could be fairly urged against a beaten crew that 

 of the British Epervier and that of the American 

 Argus (for the cases of Sir George Collier, Commo- 

 dore Rodgers, Chauncy, Yeo, the commander of 

 the Bonne Citoyenne, etc., etc., can not be considered 

 as coming under this head). James states that there 

 was usually a great superiority of force on the side 

 of the Americans; this is true; but I show that it 

 was not nearly as great as he makes it, and that in 

 dealing with the lake flotillas his figures are abso- 



