Just then a single gun flashed from the frigate and he continued:
“No, there she is——” But he never finished the sentence, for a grape-shot crashed through his brain killing him instantly. And that was the last gun fired from the Endymion.
In turning to fly, Decatur squared away before the wind and set studding-sails just as a heavy mass of clouds obscured the moon. In doing so he turned the stern of the President directly toward the Endymion, and he was so close to her that she might have raked him terribly. The fact that she did not fire a shot then proves that she could not. For two hours Decatur ran without seeing the enemy, but when the clouds cleared away (it was then 11 o’clock at night) he found both the Pomone and the Tenedos within point-blank range. “The Pomone opened her fire on the port bow, within musket-shot, the other about two cables’ lengths astern, and the rest, with the exception of the Endymion, within gunshot. Thus situated, with about one-fifth of my crew killed and wounded, my ship crippled, and a more than fourfold force opposed to me, without a chance of escape, I deemed it my duty to surrender.” So wrote Decatur. He hauled down the flag after the first broadside of the Pomone.
The officers of the Pomone did not see that the flag was down and fired again, when Decatur shouted:
“She means to sink us. To your quarters, my lads, and renew your fire!”
But before they got their guns cast loose the Tenedos ranged up on the other side and hailed:
“What ship is that?”
Decatur replied:
“The American frigate President. We have surrendered.”
The Tenedos sent a boat and took possession, but Decatur gave his sword to Captain John Hayes, of the Majestic, that was soon alongside. Hayes, of course, returned it with the usual complimentary speech.