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? 63 ?
to the Americans, were in open boats, exposed to a heavy fire for some time, without the ability to return it with effect. They certainly displayed great gallantry and determination in advancing against such a fire as Jones opened upon them. But the Americans, too, labored under great disadvantages. Owing to the state of the tide and wind, Jones? boat having become detached from the others, the British were able to concentrate upon it a powerful force, and its capture rendered that of the others inevitable. The gunboats could thus be attacked in detail. It was, therefore, really when the close fighting commenced, a combat between one or two gunboats of ten guns and less than a hundred men, and some twenty-five or thirty barges, with more than six hundred men. The other boats, in the meantime, could not take part in the fight when the barges closed upon their companions, as they could not use their guns. Having captured two of the gunboats, the British could turn their own guns on the remaining ones, which lay entirely at their mercy.
?The results will show how severe and gallant an action it was. The Americans lost, in killed and wounded, about one-third their number (according to Jones? official report 6 killed and 35 wounded). Among the wounded were Jones, Spedden, McKeever and Parker. The British loss was much more severe. Thirteen British ships of war were represented in the ghastly heap of killed and wounded that were strewn udou the decks of the gunboats after this severe action. Of these, three midshipmen, thirteen seamen, and one marine were reported dead; and one captain, four lieutenants. one lieutenant of marines, three master-mates, seven midshipmen, fifty seamen and eleven marines were wounded. Many of the wounded died before they got to the squardon, and not a few were killed and wounded who did not figure in the returns. (The official British loss was reported to be 94 and among them were 22 officers.)
?It would not be extravagant to estimate the number of those in the British flotilla, placed hors de combat in this action, as fully equal to the whole number of Americans engaged. Of the officers, Captain Lockyer was very badly "?ounded in several places not, as has been frequently stated, in a hand-to-hand fight on the deck of Jones? flag-boat, but in attempting to bring his barge alongside. Lieutenant George Pratt, second of the frigate Sea-horse, who " as in the same boat with Lockyer, was shot down by his *ide several times, in attempting to board the gun-boat. lieutenant Tatnall, of the Tonnant, had his boat sunk, and lescuing himself and his men, succeeded in getting into