Whenever we
noticed the shore, a stand of grape was added.
I know nothing of the damage done the enemy. We had the best of it, so far
as I could see; and I think, if the weather had not compelled us to haul
off, something serious might have been done. As it was, we beat out with
flying colours, and anchored a few miles from the light.
These were the first shot I ever saw fired in anger. Our brig had one man
killed and three wounded, and she was somewhat injured aloft. One shot
came in not far from my gun, and scattered lots of cat-tails, breaking in
the hammock-cloths. This was the nearest chance I ran, that day; and, on
the whole, I think we escaped pretty well. On our return to the harbour,
the ten Scourges who had volunteered for the cruise, returned to their own
schooner. None of us were hurt, though all of us were half frozen, the
water freezing as fast as it fell.
Shortly after both sides went into winter quarters, and both sides
commenced building. We launched a ship called the Madison, about this
time, and we laid the keel of another, that was named the Pike. What John
Bull was about is more than I can say, though the next season showed he
had not been idle. The navigation did not absolutely close,
notwithstanding, until December.
Our vessels were moored about the harbour, and we were all frozen in, as a
matter of course. Around each craft, however, a space was kept cut, to
form a sort of ditch, in order to prevent being boarded.
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