116     LIGHT SQUADRONS AND SINGLE SHIPS     1812

lee of her opponent, and the British frigate, as a last resource, had put her helm a-weather, with the intention of laying the American frigate on board, " every man was on deck, " says Lieutenant (now Captain) Hope, " several who had lost an arm, and the universal cheer was, ' Let us conquer or die. ' " * Fortunately, considering the unnecessary carnage that must have ensued, the fore brace was at that moment shot away, and the yard, swinging round, threw the ship up in the wind. The United-States then stood athwart the bows of the Macedonian, without firing a shot ; having, it appears, expended all her cartridges. This circumstance, being unknown on board the Macedonian, led to a very erroneous impression ; and the crew continued to cheer after an enemy, who, until the United-States hove to out of gun-shot, they supposed was making off. As soon as she had refilled her cartridges and refitted her rigging, the United-States tacked, and at about noon stationed herself in a raking position across the stern of her defenceless antagonist ; who, having no means of making a further resistance, struck her colours.

The following diagram is intended to represent the movements of the two ships, from the time that the Macedonian hauled up

* Marshall. vol. ii., p.1018

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