by 1812 it was generally recognized that,
unless a vessel was able to choose her own position, the short range of
carronades might leave her helpless, and, even when she had the greater
speed, an enemy with long guns might cripple her as she approached.
Porter had begged to change his carronades for long guns when he joined
the Essex. The request was refused, and the ship in this action had
forty thirty-two-pounder carronades and six long twelve-pounders. The
Phoebe had twenty-six long eighteen-pounders, one long twelve, and one
long nine, besides eight carronades. The Essex being crippled and at
anchor, Captain Hillyar, faithful, and most properly, to his principle
of surrendering no advantage, chose his position beyond effective
carronade range. The battle was therefore fought between the six long
twelves of the Essex and the broadside of the Phoebe, consisting of
thirteen long eighteens, one twelve, and one nine. Taking no account of
the Cherub, the disparity of force is sufficiently obvious.

[Footnote A: Marshall's Naval Biography, article Hillyar,
vol. iv, p. 861.]

Although, from the assurances Hillyar had made to him in conversation,
Porter had hoped that the neutrality of the port might be regarded, the
manner in which the enemy's vessels approached his new anchorage gave
serious reason to fear an attack. The ship was again got ready for
action, and a spring put on the cable to enable the guns to be turned on
the enemy in any position he might take. The desperateness of the
situation was, however, manifest to all. "I well remember," wrote
Farragut at a later day, "the feelings of awe produced in me by the
approach of the hostile ships; even to my young mind it was perceptible
in the faces of those around me, as clearly as possible, that our case
was hopeless. It was equally apparent that all were ready to die at
their guns rather than surrender; and such I believe to have been the
determination of the crew, almost to a man." A crippled ship, armed with
carronades, was indeed in a hopeless plight. At six minutes before four
in the afternoon the attack began. The Essex riding to an anchor with a
southerly wind, the Cherub took position on her starboard bow, or
southwest from her; the Phoebe north, under her stern. Both British
ships began fighting under sail, not being yet ready to anchor. The
spring on the Essex's cable being shot away, she was unable to turn her
broadside as was wished; but the Americans r