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? 57 ?
ish that they were getting into shallow w'ater and the line-of-battle ships came to anchor. They were now, however, safe within American waters, almost in Lake Borgne, and preparations were actively commenced to relieve the ships of the impatient and restless mass of belligerent mortality with which they were crowded. The troops were therefore embarked on the transports and smaller vessels. Before, however, the landing could be attempted, it was necessary to clear the lake of the agile and well-managed little American gunboats, which hovered in their front and appeared ready to pounce down on any smaller craft that might trust themselves too far from the shelter of the batteries of the ships of the line.
?Vice-Admiral Cochrane, who directed all the movements relating to the landing of the troops, proceeded to organize an expedition of barges to attack and destroy the gun-boats. The command of this enterprise was confided to Captain Lockyer, the same naval officer who endeavored to persuade Jean Lafitte to come over to the English, who was presumed to be better acquainted with the coast than any other officer. Captain Lockyer had also commanded one of the sloops in the attack of Fort Bowyer and, no doubt, longed for an opportunity of wiping from the escutcheon of the British Navy the disgrace of that defeat. All the launches, barges and pinnaces of the fleet were collected together. 1 he barges had been made expressly for this expedition, and were nearly as large as Jones? gunboats, each carrying eighty men. To these were added the gigs of the Tonnant and Sea-horse. There were forty launches, mounting each one carronade 12, 18 or 24 calibre; one launch, with one long brass pounder; another writh a brass nine-pounder; and three gigs, with small arms. There were, therefoie, in all, forty-five boats and forty-two can-11011, manned by a thousand sailors and marines picked from the crews of the ships.
?Captain Lockyer was ably seconded in the organization and direction of this formidable fleet by his subordinates, Montressor of the Manly, and Roberts of the Meteor, both veteran and experienced officers.
?On the evening of the 12th the flotilla moved in beautiful order from the anchorage of the squadron near Ship Island, in the direction of Pass Christian. It consisted of three divisions under the three officers named. Gallantly, and in perfect line, these divisions advanced along the white shores of what is now the coast of the State of Mississippi J?>r a distance of thirty-six miles, the boats being rowed by the hardy sailors, without resting.