The men, catching the play upon words, shout, "Hull her! Yes, we'll hull her!"
"Old Ironsides" now lets fly a terrible broadside at close range. The Guerrière's mizzenmast goes overboard.
"My lads, you have made a brig of that craft!" cries Hull.
"Wait a moment, sir, and we'll make her a sloop!" shout back the sailors.
Sure enough, the Guerrière swings round and gets a raking fire, which cuts away the foremast and much of the rigging, and leaves her a helpless hulk in the trough of the sea. The flag goes down with the rigging, and there is nothing to do but to surrender.
In just thirty minutes, the British frigate is a wreck.
During the hottest part of the battle, a sailor, at least so runs the story, saw a cannon ball strike the side of the vessel and fall back into the sea.
"Hurrah, boys! hurrah for 'Old Ironsides'!" he shouted to his mates; "her sides are made of iron."
Some say that from this incident the nickname of "Old Ironsides" took its origin.