Thousands Gathered on the Hill-tops Overlooking the Scene--The British Chose to Make a Long-range Fight--Influence of the First British Broadside on a Sporting Rooster--Macdonough’s First Shot--A Reeling Blow from the Enemy’s Flagship--Fighting against Tremendous Odds--Too Hot for One Yankee Ship--The _Saratoga’s_ Guns Dismounted--The Swarming British Gun-boats--“Winding Ship” when Defeat Impended--The British Failure when Imitating the Movement--The Stubborn Bravery of a British Captain--When the Firing Ceased and the Smoke Drifted down the Gale--A Measure of the Relative Efficiency of the two Forces--Two Yankee Squadron Victories Compared--A Stirring Tale of Macdonough’s Youth--Reward for the Victors--Results of the Victory. CHAPTER VIII. SAMUEL C. REID OF THE _GENERAL ARMSTRONG_ 186 Story of the Desperate Defence of America’s Most Famous Privateer--She was Lying in Neutral Water when Four Hundred Picked British Seamen in Boats that were Armed with Cannon came to Take her by Night--Although she had but Ninety Men, and there was Time to Fire but One Round from her Guns, the Attack was Repelled with Frightful Slaughter--Scuttled when a British Ship came to Attack her--The Cunning Omissions and Deliberate Misstatements of the British Historians Examined in Detail--The Honorable Career of Captain Reid in After Life--A Picked Crew of British Seamen After the _Neufchâtel_--A Three-to-one Fight where the Yankees Won--Other Brave Militiamen of the Sea. CHAPTER IX. A YANKEE FRIGATE TAKEN BY THE ENEMY 209 They Completely Mobbed “The Waggon” and so Got her at Last--The First Naval Contest After the Treaty of Peace was Signed--The _President_, when Running the Blockade at New York, Grounded on the Bar, and, although she Pounded Over, she Fell in with the Squadron--A British Frigate Thoroughly Whipped, but Two more Overtook her--A Point on Naval Architecture--A Treaty that Humiliates the Patriot. CHAPTER X. THE NAVY AT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 229 The British Grab at the Valley of the Mississippi--Stopped at Lake Borgne by the Yankee Gun-boats under Lieutenant Thomas Ap Catesby Jones--The British Came Five to One in Numbers and Almost Four to One in Weight of Metal--Defending the _Seahorse_ with Fourteen Men against One Hundred and Seventy-five--The Full British Force Driven upon Two Gun-boats--A Most Heroic Defence that Lasted, in Spite of Overwhelming Odds, more than One Hour--Indomitable Sailing-master George Ulrich--A Fight, the Memory of which still Helps to Preserve the Peace--Work of the _Caroline_ and the _Louisiana_. CHAPTER XI. ONCE MORE THE _CONSTITUTION_ 241