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.