JAMES A. MANSON 233 



third cut the captain down and was immediately 

 cut down himself for his pains. Meanwhile a 

 gallant middy, Bill Smith by name, and six sailors 

 had jumped on the Chesapeake's main-yard and 

 silenced the firing in her main-top. Smith then 

 came down to help Mindham, and another man 

 attended to the captain's injuries. Whilst having 

 his head bandaged, Broke saw his old ensign go 

 up over the Yankee's colours, and was satisfied. 

 He was conveyed to the Chesapeake's quarter deck 

 and seated on a gun. A bungle in the changing 

 of the colours, however, cost the life of the 

 Shannon's first lieutenant, Mr. Watt. Hauling 

 down the American flag, he bent the English 

 ensign below instead of above it, and ran it up. 

 The blunder was observed Ijcfore the flags were 

 half way up to the mizzen peak ; but ere it could 

 be rectified the men on the Shannon, seeing the 

 Stripes go up first, concluded the fighting was not 

 yet done, and unwittingly began firing on their 

 own folk on the quarter-deck of the Chesapeake, 

 Mr. Watt being killed and several men wounded. 

 As soon as the British ensign was hoisted properly 

 they recognised their disastrous error and ceased 

 firing. Even now it seemed the Americans had 

 not yet had enough, inx they fired from the hold 

 and slew the sentry. At this the British, justly 

 incensed, poured a volley into the hold, whirh 

 fetched instant shrieks for mercy. Captam Broke 



