Although the advantage of size and armament was with the _Pelican_, it was to be expected that the _Argus_ would prove more than a match for her. The American commander, Captain Allen, had played a distinguished part in several of the most famous episodes of the navy. As third lieutenant of the _Chesapeake_, in 1807, he had picked up a live coal in the cook's galley, held it in his fingers, and so fired the only gun discharged against the _Leopard_ in that inglorious surprise and surrender. As first officer of the frigate _United States_ he received credit for the splendid gunnery which had overwhelmed the _Macedonian_, and he enjoyed the glory of bringing the prize to port. It was as a reward of merit that he was given command of the _Argus_. Alas, in this fight off the coast of Wales he lost both his ship and his life, and England had scored again. There was no ill-luck this time--nothing to plead in excuse. The American brig threw away a chance of victory because her shooting was amazingly bad, and instead of defending the deck with pistol, pike, and musket, when the boarders came over the bow the crew lowered the flag. It was an early morning fight, on August 14, 1813, in which Captain Allen had his leg shot off within five minutes after the two brigs had engaged. He refused to be taken below, but loss of blood soon made him incapable of command, and presently his first lieutenant was stunned by a grapeshot which grazed his scalp. The ship was well sailed, however, and gained a position for raking the _Pelican_ in deadly fashion, but the shot went wild and scarcely any harm was done. The British captain chose his own range and methodically made a wreck of the _Argus_ in twenty minutes of smashing fire, working around her at will while not a gun returned his broadsides. Then he sheered close and was prepared to finish it on the deck of the _Argus_ when she surrendered with twenty-three of her crew out of action. The _Pelican_ was so little punished that only two men were killed. The officer left in command of the _Argus_ laid this unhappy conclusion to "the superior size and metal of our opponent, and the fatigue which the crew underwent from a very rapid succession of prizes." There were those on board who blamed it to the casks of Oporto wine which had been taken out of the latest prize and which the sailors had secretly tapped. Honesty is the best policy, even in dealing with an enemy. The affair of the _Argus_ and the _Pelican_ was not calculated to inflate Yankee pride.