circumstances of almost unprecedented severity exercised toward them whilst on board the _Constitution_,” it placed on its records a falsehood. The charge was false on its face, for the lowest count of the crew of the _Constitution_, after the battle, as printed in any American work, gives her four hundred and forty-four men, of whom ten, at most, were wounded more or less. After manning her prizes she still had an ample crew to work the ship and man another prize or two. Because the Yankee sailors were treated like men, were well-fed and well-paid, the Yankee frigates in this war, with the exception of the black-listed _Chesapeake_, were fully manned. There was no occasion for recruiting among the British prisoners. Moreover, when this falsehood was first published, the officers of the _Constitution_ denied under oath the charge, and said further, that, instead of trying to seduce the British crews, many of the British seamen volunteered to ship on board the _Constitution_ but were in no case permitted to do so, because “the loss of the _Chesapeake_ had taught us the danger of having renegades aboard.” [Illustration: Medal Awarded to Charles Stewart after the Battle of the _Constitution_ with the _Cyane_ and _Levant_.] The _Constitution_ lost six killed and nine more or less wounded. The donkey frigate _Cyane_ lost twelve killed and twenty-six wounded out of her crew of one hundred and eighty; the _Levant_ lost seven killed and sixteen wounded out of one hundred and forty. The British gunners did about as poorly as usual in their Navy of that day. The Yankee gunners did rather worse than usual. They were at close range long enough to sink both of the enemy’s ships had they done as well as the _Hornet’s_ crew did with the British _Peacock_, or the _Wasp_ with the British _Avon_. The battle was, and is, famous not for its gunnery, but for the magnificent manner in which Captain Stewart handled his ship. Other captains--Hull and Bainbridge, for instance--had handled her when a single enemy turned and twisted and fore-reached, but Stewart backed and filled and reached and wore to meet the manœuvres of two ships that, commanded by the ablest of British seamen, strove to cross and rake him. And not only did he meet their movements--not only did he avoid a raking himself, but he raked each of them repeatedly. No better seamanship was ever displayed.