“Some of the men were so dreadfully mangled with splinters that the surgeon pronounced their cases hopeless, and they were taken on deck and thrown into the sea, where their groans, prayers, or imprecations were quickly hushed by the surging waters.”
Over on the United States, matters were in no wise gloomy. One of the boys, the son of a sailor, who had died in the ship, who was so young that his name had not been put on the register of the crew, went to Captain Decatur before the battle began and asked that it be added to the list, regardless of his age. When asked why he was so urgent, he said:
“So as I can draw my share of the prize-money, sir,” he said. The captain laughed at the lad’s confidence in the ship, and ordered it done. His name was John Kreamer, and he eventually reached the rank of lieutenant.
As the battle raged, Captain Decatur walked about the gun-deck to see for himself how everyone was working. It is recorded that he stopped at one gun, and said:
“Aim at that yellow streak along her side. Her spars and rigging are going fast enough. She must have a little more hulling.”
Battle Between the United States and the Macedonian.
From an engraving by Duthie of the drawing by Chappel.
A little further on he heard a gunner say to a crew-mate after the Macedonian’s mizzen-topmast fell:
“Hey, Bill. We have made a brig of her.”