1812	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	108

men whom the crew of the Guerrière considered as their countrymen, so many who felt, as well they might feel, some degree of compunction at their fallen state, that Captain Hull was afraid the two bodies united would overpower him and his Americans, and carry the Constitution to Halifax. He very naturally, and very properly, we think, " kept his prisoners manacled and chained to the deck during the night, and the greater part of the day. " * One reason for doing this, might be to render more alluring the offer of liberty made to those who would turn traitors. Being perfectly aware, that all the British whom they could persuade to enter, would fight in the most desperate manner rather than be taken and turned over to their certain and merited fate, Captain Hull and his officers, as well while the Constitution was steering for Boston, as after she had arrived there, used every art to inveigle the late Guerrière's crew to enlist in the American service. Eight Englishmen, however, were all that remained in the United States; and only two of those entered on board the Constitution.

On the 2d of the succeeding October, a court-martial assembled on board the Africa 64, Halifax harbour, to try the captain, officers, and late crew of the Guerrière ; when, as may be anticipated from the details already given, the following sentence of acquittal was pronounced: " Having attended to the whole of the evidence, and also to the defence of Captain Dacres, the court agreed, that the surrender of the Guerrière was proper, in order to preserve the lives of her valuable remaining crew ; and that her being in that lamentable situation was from the accident of her masts going, which was occasioned more by their defective state than from the fire of the enemy, though so greatly superior in guns and men. The court do, therefore, unanimously and honourably acquit the said Captain Dacres, the officers and crew, of his majesty's late ship the Guerrière, and they are hereby honourably acquitted according. The court, at the same time, feel themselves called upon to express the high sense they entertain of the conduct of the ship's company in general, when prisoners, but more particularly of those who withstood the attempts made to shake their loyalty, by offering them high bribes to enter into the land and sea service of the enemy ; and they will represent their merit to the commander-in-chief. "

In his official letter, dated at Boston, September 7, Captain Dacres compliments Captain Hull and his officers, for their treatment of his men, " the greatest care being taken to prevent them losing the smallest trifle. " But, considering perhaps that, in an enemy's country, it would be unwise to commit complaints to the chance of leading to further oppression, Captain Dacres remained silent about the attempts to inveigle his crew, until he addressed the members of his court-martial at Halifax. The

* Brenton, vol. v., p. 54.

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