1812	Macedonian and United States	119

having been originally intended for a larger class ship; and her masts were precisely of the same dimensions as those of our then second-class 74s. " * Into this subject we have already fully entered ; but we believe the nickname of Wagon was given to the United-States on account of her being in comparison with her two class-mates, a slow sailer ; and we well remember asking an American the reason of her being so named, and receiving for a reply, " Because she was built by an Englishman." In further proof that the United-States was built of larger scantling than the President, Commodore Chauncey, as we stated more than nine years ago, in a conversation respecting the capture of the President, held with some British naval officers since the peace, declared, that he would much rather fight a battle in the frigate United-States, because her sides were stouter than those of the President, and she would, he thought, stand a longer battering.

A greater disparity in broadside weight of metal, than even in the Guerrière's case: what then must have been the disparity when the Macedonian's carronades had become disabled ? There was, however, in this case, no deteriorated powder to weaken the effect of the remaining guns ; and yet the shot from them made very little impression upon the hull or masts of the United-States. This state of impunity, as well as much of the opposite effect produced on board the British frigate, was attributable, after the first opportunity of closing had been missed by the Macedonian, to the Parthian or retreating mode of fighting adopted by her antagonist. Had the United-States brought to in a bold, and, considering her great superiority of force, becoming manner, the action would have been sooner decided, and the disparity between the two ships, in point of execution, not have been so great. No imputation rests upon the Macedonian's crew, for, to the very last, they behaved well ; nor could the gallantry of the first lieutenant, David Hope, be well exceeded, he was severely wounded in the leg at the commencement, and more severely still in the head towards the close, of the battle, and then taken below, but was soon again on deck, filling his post as became a brave officer.

The crew of the United-States were the finest set of men ever seen collected on ship-board. Had Captain Decatur and his five lieutenants been below in the hold, there were officers enough among the ship's company to have brought the action to the same successful issue. As it was, however, the American

* Marshall, vol. ii., p. 1013.

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