The number of killed on the Hornet by the enemy was one man, and but two were wounded. However, two men were hurt by the accidental explosion of a cartridge of whom one died. The Peacock lost eight killed and thirty wounded—that is to say as a result of the Yankee’s fire the British lost thirteen times as many as the Yankees lost from theirs. The most significant fact of this battle was this, that but one of the British shot struck the Hornet’s hull, and that one glanced off the bow, merely indenting the plank, while the Peacock was, as told, shot under the water in fourteen minutes. The English historians lay stress on the fact that the Hornet had thirty-twos to the Peacock’s twenty-fours, just as they laid stress on the twenty-fours of the United States and the Constitution as against the eighteens carried by the British frigates they whipped. But the candid student of history will observe that the Hornet’s hull was scratched only by a single shot. The United States received but three shot in her hull during the fight with the Macedonian. The hull of the Constitution was scarcely touched in the fight with the Guerrière, and so runs the whole record. Suppose the Peacock had had sixty-four pounders instead of twenty-fours. Of what avail would they have been when her gunners could not hit the broadside of a ship “within half pistol-shot” range?

The conventional comparison of the ships shows that the Hornet measured 480 tons, carried ten guns, throwing 270 pounds of metal in a broadside, and had a crew of 135, of whom three were killed and wounded. The Peacock measured 477 tons, carried ten guns, throwing 210 pounds of metal at a broadside, and was worked by 122 men, of whom thirty-eight were killed and wounded.

Captain Peake was exceedingly proud of his ship. James says that “the Peacock had long been the admiration of her numerous visitors for the tasteful arrangement of her deck, and had obtained in consequence the name of ‘the yacht.’ The breechings of the carronades were covered with white canvas ... and nothing could exceed in brilliancy the polish upon the traversing bars and elevating screws.”

In polish the Hornet was not to be compared with her.

Having sunk the Peacock, and cared for her crew, Captain Lawrence set to work to fit his ship for another fight. The Espiègle was in plain view during the action, being but six miles away, and it was natural to look for her. By 9 o’clock the Hornet was ready for her, but she did not come. The Hornet’s crew had for some time been on a short allowance of water. With the prisoners from the Peacock (112), the prize crew of the American ship Hunter which the Peacock had captured (11), the crew of the British brig Resolution (16), and the Hornet’s own crew (138 including eight sick in bed), there were 277 men on the Hornet. These figures are worth quoting for the reason that the British historians, including Allen (revised edition printed in 1890) say that the Hornet had a crew of 163.

Medal Awarded to James Lawrence, after the Capture of the Peacock by the Hornet.

On the morning of February 25, 1813, Captain Lawrence put all hands on a half-ration of water and squared away for home. He reached Martha’s Vineyard on March 19th, and sailed thence to New York, through the Sound. He was received with the enthusiasm that had been accorded to Hull, Decatur, and Bainbridge, and later a gold medal was voted by the Congress to his nearest male relative, and silver medals to the officers who had fought under him. Meantime, he was promoted to the command of the Chesapeake, a most unfortunate promotion, for it cost him his life.

CHAPTER X
LOSS OF LAWRENCE AND THE CHESAPEAKE

THE YANKEES HAD WON SO OFTEN THAT THEY WERE UNDERESTIMATING THE ENEMY AND WERE OVERCONFIDENT IN THEMSELVES—A MIXED CREW, NEWLY SHIPPED, UNTRAINED AND MUTINOUS, TEN PER CENT OF THEM BEING BRITISH—THE RESULT WAS NATURAL AND INEVITABLE—CHIVALRY A PLENTY; COMMON-SENSE WANTING—THE “SHANNONS” WERE TRAINED LIKE YANKEES—A FIERCE CONFLICT—SIGNIFICANCE OF THE JOY OF THE BRITISH OVER THE SHANNON’S VICTORY.