by John Marshall

“ At 6-10, finding that we made no visible impression on the fort, having lost a considerable number of men, and being able only occasionally to fire a few guns on the larboard side, in consequence of the little effect the light wind had on the ship, I cut the cables and springs, and attempted to drop clear of the fort with the strong tide then running; every sail having been rendered unmanageable, and all the rigging being shot away ”

“ Captain Percy’s trial by court-martial, for the loss of his ship, took place on board the Cydnus frigate, off Cat island, Gulf of Mexico, Jan. 18, 1815. Among the witnesses examined were Captains Nicholas Lockyer and the Hon. R. C. Spencer, both of whom deposed that they considered the attack justifiable under the circumstances mentioned in the foregoing letter: Captain Spencer also declared that he would “most certainly have done the same” as Captain Percy, had he commanded the squadron. ”

“ During the night, the ships partly repaired the damages in their rigging; and at day-light I took them out over the bar, having previously communicated with the commanding officer of the detachment, and desired that he would fall back upon Bon Secour. ”

“ In this very gallant, but unfortunate attack, the Hermes had 17, including Messrs. Richard C. Pyne (master) , B. Hewlett (master’s-mate) , and G. Thompson (boatswain) , slain ; 5 mortally, 2 dangerously, 15, including Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Nicolls, severely, and 3 slightly wounded: the Sophie 6 killed and 16 wounded. Fort Bowyer, when taken by the British, in Feb. 1815, up to which date no additional guns appear to have been sent to it, mounted three long 32-pounders, 8 twenty-fours, 6 twelves, 5 nines, one brass 4-pounder, 1 mortar, and 1 howitzer ”

“ Part II. pp. 478–481. ↑ Lafitte, the commandant of the Baratarian freebooters, received with seeming acquiescence, all the British officers’ communications, and then forwarded them to the Governor of Louisiana, to whom he offered the services of himself and his hardy band, in defending the important point of the state of which they had taken possession. ”