Captain John Crane, 1800-1815

by Thomas Wallace Knox

The Marguerite ranged alongside the stranger, and not more than two hundred yards away. Just as we were fairly abreast of her, and I was putting the trumpet to my lips to order her captain to send a boat on board, there was a transformation which would have done credit to a well-managed theater!

Seven holes opened in the side of the strange craft, seven ports dropped, and seven guns were run out. The instant they had been run out they were aimed and fired, so that the whole operation was performed in less time than it takes me to tell it. The shot came crashing into the schooner; and they were so well aimed that I believe every one of them hulled her. We returned fire very promptly, as every man had been standing to his post, and all was in readiness; but, of course, the stranger had the advantage of first fire, and at short range too.

We had but three guns in our broadside to oppose to seven; and, furthermore, the guns of the stranger were much heavier than ours. Instantly I saw that to lie where we were would be certain destruction, and my best course was to try to carry the enemy by boarding, or else run away, if running were possible.

I gave the order to lay the ship aboard; but when we tried the maneuver it was found that the schooner would not answer the helm, her rudder having been shot away close to the head. A few minutes later the carpenter reported that the schooner was badly hit below the water-line, and was leaking fast.

At the third broadside our foremast was shot through about twenty feet above the deck. It was not cut short off, but so weakened that as soon as a strain was put upon it, it broke and fell. In its fall it killed one man and injured another, and it buried one of the guns beneath the folds of the foresail.

Not many minutes after announcing the leak caused by the enemy's shot, the carpenter reported eight inches of water in the hold, and the opening of additional leaks by the guns of our antagonist. With rudder and foremast gone, the Marguerite was totally unmanageable. She was leaking so badly that she would sink in a few hours; and though we had inflicted considerable damage upon the enemy, he was far less disabled than we were.

My list of killed and wounded was not small; and though my men were ready to keep up the struggle as long as any of them were able to stand, I saw that further fighting was useless. It was with a heavy heart that I gave the order to cease firing and haul down the flag.

The crew was wild with excitement, and I never saw them make so near an approach to mutiny as at that time. Had they received any encouragement from the mates, I am quite confident they would have refused to lower the ensign when I gave the order to do so, but would have fought on till the deck settled beneath them into the waters of the Atlantic, or the last man dropped from wounds or exhaustion.

Instantly the enemy ceased firing. I got out the only boat that had not been smashed by the enemy's shot. While the men were getting it into the water I hailed our captor, and announced that we were sinking. Soon as I could get there I went on board the victor to make formal surrender of the Marguerite; and while on the way we were met by two boats that had come to remove our men ere the schooner went down.

I carried with me all my official and private papers, together with such other things as I could hastily gather, since there was considerable doubt about my being able to return to save anything from the fast sinking vessel. Haines said he would lookout for the rest of my effects, or as much of them as he would be able to save; and I told him to tell the crew to get their dunnage bags ready for immediate transfer to the vessel that had made prize of us.