She seemed to stand across the _Guerriere's_ bows and Captain Dacres wore ship to avoid a raking fire. No sooner had this manoeuvre been executed than the _Guerriere_ ran up her colours and fired several shots at her opponent, but they fell short. The stranger soon followed the example set to him, and, hoisting American colours, fired in return. Captain Dacres now fully aware of the size, armament and sailing powers of his opponent, wore repeatedly, broadsides being as repeatedly exchanged. While both ships were keeping up a heavy fire, and steering free, the _Constitution_, at five o'clock, closed on the _Guerriere's_ starboard beam, when the battle raged furiously. Twenty minutes had hardly elapsed when the mizen mast of the _Guerriere_ was shot away, bringing the ship up into the wind, and the carnage on board became terrific. The _Constitution_, during the confusion, caused by the loss of the _Guerriere's_ mast, was laid across the British frigate's bow, and while one or two of the bow guns of the _Guerriere_ could only be brought to bear upon the _Constitution_, that vessel scoured the decks of the British ship, with a stream of metal. "At five minutes before six o'clock, says Captain Hull, when within half pistol shot, we commenced a heavy fire from all our guns, double shotted with round and grape." On board the _Guerriere_, Mr. Grant, who commanded the forecastle, was carried below, the master was shot through the knee; and I, says Captain Dacres, was shot in the back. At twenty minutes past six the fore and mainmasts of the _Guerriere_ went over the side, leaving her an unmanageable wreck. The _Constitution_ ceased firing and shot a-head, her cabin having taken fire from the _Guerriere's_ guns. The _Guerriere_ would have renewed the action, but the wreck of the masts had no sooner been cleared than the spritsail yard went, and the _Constitution_ having no new braces, wore round within pistol shot again to rake her opponent. The crippled ship lay in the trough of the sea, rolling her main deck guns under water. Thirty shots had taken effect in her hull, about five sheets of copper down; the mizen mast, after it fell, had knocked a large hole under her starboard quarter, and she was so completely shattered as to be in a sinking state. The decks were swimming with blood. Fifteen men had been killed and sixty-three had been severely wounded, when Captain Dacres called his officers together and consulted them. Farther waste of life was useless, and the British colours were dropped in submission to those of America. But the result of the contest, though it could not fail to cause great exultation in the United States, reflected no dishonor upon the flag of Britain. A more unequal contest had never before been maintained with such spirit, zeal, skill, or bravery. The battle had lasted for nearly three hours and a half, and the result was the sure effect of size, as all things being otherwise equal, the heavier must overcome the lighter body.