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and send the troop* in small boawS to land aV-whe Bayone Catalan (or 5 c des Pecheurs) at the head of Lak^ Borgne,"it became impossible," he ^	*■'
said, "that any movement of the troop8 could take place till this	^
formidable flotilla was either captured or destroyed." Rear-admiral'M&l* colm came up,with the fleet ,©n the 11th, and anchored between Cat and ^ Ship islands,and Jones retired to pass Mariana,and next day,off Bay Jv c St. Louie,obeying orders to avoid being cut off from the Rigolets. ‘	”
SI
Cochrane,on the l2th,put the launches,barges and pinnaces of the # »c squadron,under the command of Capttain Lockyer,of the Sophie,aided y i by Captains Montressor and Roberts,against Jones,who then'deterained \ 4 to take station near the Ufalheureux islands. 'About	2 P.M. on	the	^ £
13th,the British boats were at Pass Christian. The	water was	so low
because of westerly wind,that tbree of the gunboats	could not	be got	V V
afloat,even by throwing overboard all that could be	spared ,until	^ €
flood tide at 5:30. Three of the British boats entered bay St. Louis, xu to cut off the schooner Seahorse,that 'wJones had sent in to remove the -■ stores deposited there,’ > A few shots drove the barges out of range .but Q-o
•	. t hey were re-inforced by four others,and the attack renewed. Sailing- ,r master Johnson,of the Seahorse,was supported in the fight by a shore battery of two 6-pounders,and after a sharp action of 30 minutes,the,
•	enemy drew off ,with ore boat damaged and severr.l men-killed or wounded^ But it was7 necessary,at 7:30,to blow up the schooner;and-burn~fhe public storehouse. Early in the morning:*of the 14th Jones was compelled by a „ .failure' of wind to drop anchor in the west end of the Malheureux island passage. At daylifht the calm continued,and the British rowboats anchorec about nine miles distant,prepared to advance. Jones ealled his subordinates on board his flagphip,gunboat No. 156,and gave orders. The
.. boats took position in’ .a'close line across the channel,anchored by the stern with, springs on the cable ^against the strong: current of ebb tide. "Thus we remained,"he wrote in his report, "anxiously awaiting an attack from the advancing foe, who so force I now clearly distinguished to be 42 heavy launches and gun-barges,with'three light gigs,n manned with upward of one thousand .men and officers." He had,aB stated, five gunboats with 23 guns and 182 men under the command of Lieutenants John D.' Perris,Isaac McKe ever, Thomas A.C.Jones,Robert Spedden and George Ulriok. The sloop Alligator,!^ gun and 8 men,under teaster R. S. Shepperd,wa3 two miles away to the southwest, he Id by the calm. This boat was first captured by a detachment of Lockyer's boats,after which 'the attacking force was united, "At 10:30," says Jones, "the enemy weigt < forming a line abreast in open order,and steering direct for our line,
. which was unfortunately in some degree broken by the force of the current,driving Nos. 156 and 163 about 100 yards in advance. Ac soon as the enemy ceme within reach of our shot,a deliberate fire from our long guns was opened upon him,but without much effect,tho objects being ‘ of sc snail a size. At 10 minutes before 11,the enemy opened a fire fror the whole of hie line,when the action became general and <io3tructive on both sides. About* ll,:49 the advance-boats of the enemy,three in number, attempted to board No. 156,but were repulsed with the loss of nearly L avery officer killed and wounded,and two boats sunk. A second attempt to Tr.oard was then made by four other'boats,which shared almost a similar fate. At this moment I received a severe would in my left shoulder, which compelled me to quit tlie deck,leaving it in charge of lfr. George , Parker,master's mate,who gallantly defended the vessel until he was severely wounded,when the enemy by his superior numbers succeeded in gaining possession of the deck about 10 minutes past 12 o'clock. The enemy immediately turned the jruns of his prize on the other gunboats and fired several shot previous to striking the American colors. The action continued with unabated severity until 40 minutes past 12 o'clocl* when it terminated with the surrender of No.23,all the other vessels having previously fallen into the hands of the enemy." Lieutenants Spedden and McKeever were also wounded,Spedden losing an arm,and a considerable number of'men. were killed ard wounded. -The British reports show 45 boats,with 43 cannon, engage a. Capt. Lockyer1 reported that on his barge,that fought Jones' boat,he was severely wounded,and most of his officers and crew were either killed'or wounded. He succeeded only by the aid. of the Tonnant's boats,under Lisut . Tat nail. The total British loss was 17 killed and 77 wounded,including the captain and 15 officers. For his victory Lockyer wa3 promoted to command of tho captured flotilla,and Montressor,in temporary command,at once made use of it to secure possession of Lake Borgne. (See Latour’s Historical Memoir and appendix,) The advance guard of the infantry was landed on Isle aux Pois,a small swampy spot at the mouth of the Pearl river,on c	December	16.and was joined there by Maj'.-Gen. Keane and Admirals
Cochrane ana Codrinfljton on the neijct day.
During the remainder of the campaign Ship Island harbor was the atation °*‘ "the British fleet,under Vice Admiral Cochrane,whose flagship
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