Having come on board a vessel which had suffered comparatively small loss during the two hours of conflict, and, as has been said, was the best manned in the fleet, there was little Alec and I could do save to jump here or there, wherever a spare hand was needed, and set our shoulders to whatsoever portion of the wheel needed uplifting.
Therefore it was we had more of an opportunity to observe the battle. We could see, when the clouds of smoke were not too dense, each particular vessel, and knew, almost as well as did the commodore himself, what was taking place on the bosom of that lake whose waters, it seemed to me, should by this time have been stained crimson by the blood of brave men.
If I have made it appear that, up to this time, we two lads had seen the most desperate portion of the conflict, my purpose has been overrun, for once on board the Niagara the action became so fierce and deadly as to make it seem that until now we had been outside the range of the deadliest fire.
With the new flag-ship in the lead, and the signals for every craft to use both sails and oars so that they close in more quickly, we went straight forward toward the enemy, passing within half a pistol-shot distance of the Lady Prevost and the Chippewa on the larboard hand, and the Detroit, Queen Charlotte, and Hunter on the starboard.
We broke directly through the enemy’s line, and not until we were come within such short range that I could have tossed my hat aboard either vessel, did we open fire.
Then it was that both broadsides were discharged; the Niagara rolled to and fro under the shock of the heavy guns, until it seemed as if every timber would be riven asunder; and from either side poured in upon us a cross firing, until a perfect network of whistling shot and bullets was formed above our heads, but fortunately so high that we suffered comparatively little loss of life.
Here and there men fell, pierced by a musket-shot, or literally cut asunder by the heavy cannon-balls; but it was not as we had known it on the deck of the Lawrence, when nearly four-fifths of our people were disabled.
The din was fearful. One ceased to think of the loss of life, because in that terrific uproar it seemed only natural men must die.
The hue of blood which stained the white planking and the black bulwarks was no longer an ominous color, because that was needed to make the picture of war more perfect; and I believe every person on board the Niagara, save the commodore himself, lost, as I did, all thought of self in that pandemonium of destruction.
Right and left came broadsides from double-shotted guns; here, there, and everywhere poured in musket-balls from sharpshooters, who, in their excitement, had ceased to take aim.