d during the rest of the
action. The purser, Mr. Mease, who commanded the guns on the
quarter-deck, being dangerously wounded in the head, I was
obliged to fill his place, and with great difficulty rallied a
few men, and shifted over one of the lee quarter-deck guns, so
that we afterwards played three pieces of 9-pounders upon the
enemy. The tops alone seconded the fire of this little battery,
and held out bravely during the whole of the action; especially
the main top, where Lieut. Stack commanded. I directed the fire
of one of the three cannon against the main-mast with
double-headed shot, while the other two were exceedingly well
served with grape and canister-shot to silence the enemy's
musketry, and clear her decks, which was at last effected. The
enemy were, as I have since understood, on the instant of calling
for quarter, when the cowardice or treachery of three of my under
officers induced them to call to the enemy. The English commodore
asked me if I demanded quarter, and I having answered him in the
most determined negative, they renewed the battle with double
fury; they were unable to stand the deck, but the fire of their
cannon, especially the lower battery, which was entirely formed
of 18-pounders, was incessant. Both ships were set on fire in
various places, and the scene was dreadful beyond the reach of
language. To account for the timidity of my three under officers,
I mean the gunner, the carpenter, and the master-at-arms, I must
observe that the two first were slightly wounded, and as the ship
had received various shots under water, and one of the pumps
being shot away, the carpenter expressed his fear that she would
sink, and the other two concluded that she was sinking, which
occasioned the gunner to run aft on the poop, without my
knowledge, to strike the colours; fortunately for me, a cannon
ball had done that before, by carrying away the ensign staff; he
was, therefore, reduced to the necessity of sinking, as he
supposed, or of calling for quarter, and he preferred the latter.

All this time the Bonhomme Richard had sustained the action
alone, and the enemy, though much superior in force, would have
been very glad to have got clear, as appeared by their own
acknowledgments, and their having let go an anchor the instant