“Our men kept cheering with all their might,” said Samuel Leech (quoted by Maclay) who was one of the _Macedonian’s_ crew. “I cheered with them, though I confess I scarcely knew what for. Grape-shot and canister were pouring through our port-holes like leaden hail; the large shot came against the ship’s side, shaking her to the very keel, and passing through her timbers and scattering terrific splinters, which did more appalling work than the shot itself. “The slaughter among the boys of the _Macedonian_ was one of the most painful incidents of the battle. One of the lads supplying the sixth and seventh guns had his leg taken off by a cannon-shot, while the other was struck in the ankle by a grape-shot, and had to have the leg amputated. A Portuguese boy who was supplying the quarter-deck guns had nearly all the flesh on his face burned off by an accidental explosion of the cartridge (bag of powder) he was carrying, and as the agonized lad lifted both hands, as if imploring relief, a cannon shot cut him in two. “A man named Aldrich had his hand taken off by a shot, and the next instant another tore open his bowels in a horrible manner. Two or three of his ship-mates caught him as he fell, and threw him overboard while he was yet alive. “Some of the men were so dreadfully mangled with splinters that the surgeon pronounced their cases hopeless, and they were taken on deck and thrown into the sea, where their groans, prayers, or imprecations were quickly hushed by the surging waters.” Over on the _United States_, matters were in no wise gloomy. One of the boys, the son of a sailor, who had died in the ship, who was so young that his name had not been put on the register of the crew, went to Captain Decatur before the battle began and asked that it be added to the list, regardless of his age. When asked why he was so urgent, he said: “So as I can draw my share of the prize-money, sir,” he said. The captain laughed at the lad’s confidence in the ship, and ordered it done. His name was John Kreamer, and he eventually reached the rank of lieutenant. As the battle raged, Captain Decatur walked about the gun-deck to see for himself how everyone was working. It is recorded that he stopped at one gun, and said: “Aim at that yellow streak along her side. Her spars and rigging are going fast enough. She must have a little more hulling.” [Illustration: Battle Between the _United States_ and the _Macedonian_. _From an engraving by Duthie of the drawing by Chappel._] A little further on he heard a gunner say to a crew-mate after the _Macedonian’s_ mizzen-topmast fell: “Hey, Bill. We have made a brig of her.” “Take good aim, my lad, and she will be a sloop,” said Captain Decatur. And a sloop she became very soon after, for her main-topmast followed the mizzen.