IM . Porter'' s Voyage 



tual, almost every gun being disabled by the destruction of their 

 crews. 



I now sent for the officers of divisions to consult them ; but 

 what was my surprise to find only acting Lieutenant Stephen 

 Decatur M' Knight remaining, who confirmed the report respect- 

 ing the condition of the guns on the gun-deck — those on the 

 spar deck were not in a better state. Lieutenant Wilmer, after 

 fighting most gallantly throughout the action, had been knocked 

 overboard by a splinter while getting ^he sheet anchor from the 

 bows, and v/as drowned. Acting Lieutenant John G. Coweil, had 

 lost a leg ; Mr. Edward Barnewall, acting sailing master, had 

 been carried below, after receiving two wounds, one in the breast 

 and one in the face; and acting Lieutenant W. H. Odenheimer, 

 had been knocked overboard from the quarter an instant before, 

 and did not regain the ship until after the surrender. I was in- 

 formed that the cock-pit, the steerage, the ward-room, and the 

 birth -deck, could contain no more wounded; that the wounded 

 were killed while the surgeons were dressing them, and that unless 

 something was speedily done to prevent it, the ship would soon 

 sink from the number of shot holes in her bottom. And, on send- 

 ing for the carpenter, he informed me that all his crew had been 

 killed or wounded, and that he had been once over the side to 

 stop the leaks, when his slings had been shot away, and it was 

 with difficulty he was saved from drowning. The enemy, from 

 the smoothness of the water, and the impossibility of our reach- 

 ing him with our carronades, and the little apprehension that 

 was excited by our fire, which had now become much slackened, 

 was enabled to take aim at us as at a target ; his shot never missed 

 our hull, and my ship was cut up in a manner which was, perhaps, 

 never before witnessed — in fine, I saw no hopes of saving her, 

 and at twenty minutes after six P. M. gave the painful order to 

 strike the colours. Seventy-five men, including officers, were all 

 that remained of my whole crew, after the action, capable of 

 doing duty, and many of them severely v/ounded, some of whom 

 have since died. The enemy still continued his fire, and my brave, 

 though unfortunate companions, were still falling about me. I 

 directed an opposite gun to be fired, to show them Vv e intended 

 no further resistance ; but they did not desist ; four men were 

 killed at my side, and others in different parts of the ship. I 

 now believed he intended to show us no quarter, and that it 

 would be as well to die with my flag flying as struck, and was 

 on the point of again hoisting it, when about ten minutes after 

 hauling the colours down he ceased firing ! 



Soon after my capture, I entered into an agreement with Com- 

 modore Hilly ar to disarm my prize, the Essex Junior, and pro- 

 ceed with the survivors of my officers ;^a.nd crew to the United 



