1815	Third chase and escape of the Constitution	381

It is true, Kerr can do wonders, but not impossibilities ; and I believe I must go round, as, when the ship that tacked first hears the Acasta engaged, she will naturally come to her consort's assistance." Captain M'Dougall here says " it was impossible to ascertain " whether or not a low flush ship, of 464 tons, sailing for more than an hour, at the distance certainly not of more than five miles, upon the weather beam of the Leander, and consequently with her whole broadside exposed to view, and every port, one might suppose, as easy to be counted, as the ports of the Leander herself were by the British and American officers on board the Levant, was a " frigate ;" and such a frigate as, with another like her, it would be " impossible" for the Acasta to cope with. Lieutenant Henry Richmond, who was a midshipman on board the Leander, appears to have sanctioned Mr. Thomas Collier in saying, that " all on board " the Leander fully believed that the Constitution, Cyane, and Levant were three American frigates. The only answer we shall give to this will be to subjoin the names of the five lieutenants, who belonged to the Leander at the time. 1st. John M'Dougall, 2d. William Edward Fiott, 3d. Robert Graham Dunlop, 4th. George William St.-John Mildmay, and 5th. Richard Weld. We believe it is not yet admitted by Captains Kerr and Lord George Stuart, that the Acasta was the first ship that tacked, or that the weather, at the time the Constitution was left to go her ways, was not sufficiently clear for the water-lines of all the ships to be seen.

Mention has been made of an optional flag. The following extract from the work of a contemporary will afford the requisite information on the subject: " Sir George Collier, confiding in the zeal and judgment of the captains under his orders, had previously informed them that, whenever a certain flag was hoisted with any signal addressed to either of them, they were at liberty to disregard the signal, if they considered that, by following the order conveyed thereby, the object in view was not so likely to be attained, as by acting in contrariety thereto. The flag alluded to was entered pro tempore in the signal books under the designation of the ' optional flag . ' On its being hoisted with the Newcastle's pendants as above stated, that ship made answer by signal, ' The flags are not distinguishable. ' " † We shall not stay to discuss this point, beyond suggesting the probability, either that the wrong flag was hoisted on board the Leander, or that it had got foul and was omitted to be cleared. If neither was the case, the Newcastle must have been nearer to the Constitution than she was to the Leander; for we observe by her log, that the Newcastle could distinguish the signal made by the Constitution to the Cyane, as being one not in the British naval code, also that the signal afterwards made by the Constitution

* Marshall, vol. ii., p. 538. † Ibid., p. 537, note ‡

^ back to top ^