tering in fight the smaller sloops-of-war. Usually, in these
contests, the privateersmen were worsted, for they had not the training
which is obtained only in a regular service, and they were in no way to
be compared to the little fleet of regular vessels which in this same
war so gloriously upheld the honor of the American flag. Nevertheless,
here and there a privateer commanded by an exceptionally brave and able
captain, and manned by an unusually well-trained crew, performed some
feat of arms which deserves to rank with anything ever performed by the
regular navy. Such a feat was the defense of the brig General Armstrong,
in the Portuguese port of Fayal, of the Azores, against an overwhelming
British force.

The General Armstrong hailed from New York, and her captain was named
Reid. She had a crew of ninety men, and was armed with one heavy 32
pounder and six lighter guns. In December, 1814, she was lying in Fayal,
a neutral port, when four British war-vessels, a ship of the line, a
frigate and two brigs, hove into sight, and anchored off the mouth of
the harbor. The port was neutral, but Portugal was friendly to England,
and Reid knew well that the British would pay no respect to the
neutrality laws if they thought that at the cost of their violation they
could destroy the privateer. He immediately made every preparation to
resist an attack, The privateer was anchored close to the shore. The
boarding-nettings were got ready, and were stretched to booms thrust
outward from the brig's side, so as to check the boarders as they tried
to climb over the bulwarks. The guns were loaded and cast loose, and the
men went to quarters armed with muskets, boarding-pikes, and cutlases.

On their side the British made ready to carry the privateer by boarding.
The shoals rendered it impossible for the heavy ships to approach,
and the lack of wind and the baffling currents also interfered for the
moment with the movements of the sloops-of-war. Accordingly recourse was
had to a cutting-out party, always a favorite device with the British
seamen of that age, who were accustomed to carry French frigates by
boarding, and to capture in their boats the heavy privateers and armed
merchantmen, as well as the lighter war-vessels of France and Spain.

The British first attempted to get possession of the brig by surprise,
sending out but four boats. These worked down near to the brig, under
pretense of sounding, trying to get close enough to m