The _Lawrence_ dropped out of the fight, and Perry transferred his flag to the _Niagara_, which pulled ahead to a position for engaging the _Detroit_. When the enemy saw the flag come down, they supposed they had gained a victory, stopped firing, and cheered. But the decisive struggle was yet to come. Captain Elliott, of the _Niagara_, passed down {133}the line in a small boat, delivering to the commander of each vessel Perry's order to close up and attack the enemy at half pistol-shot with grape and canister. He then remained with and commanded one of the last vessels in the line, leaving the _Niagara_ to Perry. At this time the wind freshened, Perry showed the signal for close action, an answering cheer passed along his line, and once more the whole squadron bore down upon the enemy. Barclay attempted to manoeuvre his vessels so as to bring his uninjured broadsides to bear; but his line got into confusion, and two of the vessels fouled. Perry took prompt advantage of this. The _Niagara_ sailed right through the confused British line, having two of their vessels on one side, and three on the other--all within short range--and delivered her deadly broadsides in both directions as she passed. Then she luffed across their bows, and raked them, and the cries that came from the _Detroit_ told that this merciless operation had had its usual deadly effect. At the same time, the other American vessels came into close action, and their guns were served with great rapidity. This destructive work had lasted about twenty minutes when an officer of the _Queen Charlotte_ displayed a white handkerchief on the point of a pike, and four of the {134}British vessels struck their colors. The other two attempted to escape, but were overtaken in about an hour and compelled to surrender. In this battle, the entire loss of the Americans was twenty-seven killed and ninety-six wounded. Twelve of these were quarterdeck officers. As more than a hundred out of four hundred on board had previously been rendered unfit for duty by dysentery and cholera, the proportion of casualties to effective men was more than one in three. The British lost forty-one killed and ninety-four wounded, including twelve officers. Captain Barclay, who had lost his left arm in a previous engagement, in this one lost the use of his right. The masts of the _Detroit_ and _Queen Charlotte_ were so injured that they snapped off two days later, from the rolling of the vessels in the bay, while riding at anchor during a gale.