“As, amid light and rather baffling winds, the American squadron approached the enemy” [says Roosevelt], “Perry’s straggling line formed an angle of about fifteen degrees with the more compact one of his foes. At 11.45, the _Detroit_ opened the action by a shot from her long 24, which fell short; at 11.50, she fired a second which went crashing through the _Lawrence_, and was replied to by the _Scorpion’s_ long 32. At 11.55, the _Lawrence_, having shifted her port bow-chaser, opened with both the long 12’s, and at meridian began with her carronades, but the shot from the latter all fell short. At the same time, the action became general on both sides, though the rearmost American vessels were almost beyond the range of their own guns, and quite out of range of the guns of their antagonists. Meanwhile, the _Lawrence_ was already suffering considerably as she bore down on the enemy. It was twenty minutes before she succeeded in getting within good carronade range, and during that time the action at the head of the line was between the long guns of the _Chippeway_ and _Detroit_, throwing 123 pounds, and those of the _Scorpion_, _Ariel_, and _Lawrence_, throwing 104 pounds. As the enemy’s fire was directed almost exclusively at the _Lawrence_ she suffered a great deal. The _Caledonia_, _Niagara,_ and _Somers_ were meanwhile engaging, at long range, the _Hunter_ and _Queen Charlotte_, ... while from a distance the three other American gun-vessels engaged the _Prevost_ and _Little Belt_. By 12.20 the _Lawrence_ had worked down to close quarters, and at 12.30 the action was going on with great fury between her and her antagonists, within canister range. The raw and inexperienced American crews committed the same fault the British so often fell into on the ocean and overloaded their carronades. In consequence, that of the _Scorpion_ upset down the hatchway in the middle of the action, and the sides of the _Detroit_ were dotted with marks from shot that did not penetrate. One of the _Ariel’s_ long 12’s also burst. Barclay fought the _Detroit_ exceedingly well, her guns being most excellently aimed, though they actually had to be discharged by flashing pistols at the touchholes, so deficient was the ship’s equipment. Meanwhile, the _Caledonia_ came down too, but the _Niagara_ was wretchedly handled, Elliott keeping at a distance which prevented the use either of his carronades or of those of the _Queen Charlotte_, his antagonist; the latter, however, suffered greatly from the long guns of the opposing schooners, and lost her gallant commander, Captain Finnis, and first lieutenant, Mr. Stokes, who were killed early in the action; her next in command, Provincial Lieutenant Irvine, perceiving that he could do no good, passed the _Hunter_ and joined in the attack on the