Lieutenant Jones saw the barge squadron approaching, and recognized that its force was overwhelming, but he was in no way dismayed. He might have run his gun-boats ashore and burned them without discredit, but he chose to fight instead. Sending one of his little tenders, called the _Seahorse_, that carried one six-pounder and fourteen men, to destroy some stores at Bay St. Louis, he tried to carry his five gun-boats to Les Petites Coquilles, where they would have the support of a small fort. He failed to do this because the wind was baffling and the current strong. So he anchored his boats in line across Malheureux Island Passage and there awaited the enemy. In the meantime the British had seen the _Seahorse_ moored under the bank at Bay St. Louis, and they sent seven launches to take her: She carried, as told, one six-pounder and a crew of fourteen, commanded by Sailing-master William Johnson. There were two six-pounders on shore to help her. On came the British with their seven launches, armed with guns of which the least was a twelve-pounder, and manned by at least one hundred and seventy-five men. They came on with a dash until Johnson opened fire and then they stopped and tried the virtues of their seven cannon. But “it appears that after sustaining a very destructive fire for nearly half an hour, the boats were repulsed.” So says James. [Illustration: MAP SHOWING MOUTHS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.] The Americans, with three six-pounders, had beaten off nearly two hundred picked British seamen armed with seven guns, of which the least was a twelve-pounder! However, the British did not give it up altogether. They got reinforcements--the exact number of boats is not given--and returned, when Johnson destroyed his boat and the stores on shore and made a good retreat. Allen does not even mention this attack on the _Seahorse_. At about the same time the _Alligator_, the other tender to the main fleet, while trying to reach the gun-boats, was surrounded by the British fleet. Sailing-master Sheppard commanded her, and she carried one gun and a crew of eight men, all told. Mr. Sheppard surrendered. As ill-luck would have it, after Lieutenant Jones had anchored his fleet of gun-boats in line, the strong current in the channel caused two of them--Number 156, which Jones himself commanded, and Number 163, commanded by Sailing-master George Ulrich--to drag their anchors until they were about one hundred yards below the rest of the fleet. This happened at 3 o’clock on the morning of December 14, 1814. It was a most serious misfortune, because the two were thus deprived of the efficient support of the other three. And before the two could regain their positions in line the full force of the British fleet came upon them.