he did not know his
antagonist. Like his comrades of the service he had failed to grasp the
fact that the _Constitution_ and the other American frigates of her
class were the most formidable craft afloat, barring ships of the line,
and that they were to revolutionize the design of war-vessels for half a
century thereafter. They were frigates, or cruisers, in that they
carried guns on two decks, but the main battery of long
twenty-four-pound guns was an innovation, and the timbers and planking
were stouter than had ever been built into ships of the kind. So stout,
indeed, were the sides that shot rebounded from them more than once and
thus gave the _Constitution_ the affectionate nickname of "Old
Ironsides."

Sublimely indifferent to these odds, Captain Dacres had already sent a
challenge, with his compliments, to Commodore Rodgers of the United
States frigate _President_, saying that he would be very happy to meet
him or any other American frigate of equal force, off Sandy Hook, "for
the purpose of having a few minutes' tete-a-tete." It was therefore with
the utmost willingness that the _Constitution_ and the _Guerriere_
hoisted their battle ensigns and approached each other warily for an
hour while they played at long bowls, as was the custom, each hoping to
disable the other's spars or rigging and so gain the advantage of
movement. Finding this sort of action inconclusive, however, Hull set
more sail and ran down to argue it with broadsides, coolly biding his
time, although Morris, his lieutenant, came running up again and again
to beg him to begin firing. Men were being killed beside their guns as
they stood ready to jerk the lock strings. The two ships were abreast
of each other and no more than a few yards apart before the
_Constitution_ returned the cannonade that thundered from every gun port
of her adversary.

Within ten minutes the _Guerriere's_ mizzenmast was knocked over the
side and her hull was shattered by the accurate fire of the Yankee
gunners, who were trained to shoot on the downward roll of their ship
and so smash below the water line. Almost unhurt, the _Constitution_
moved ahead and fearfully raked the enemy's deck before the ships fouled
each other. They drifted apart before the boarders could undertake their
bloody business, and then the remaining masts of the British frigate
toppled overside and she was a helpless wreck. Seventy-nine of her crew
were dead or wounded and the ship was sinking be