1815	Captain Lockyer and American gun-boats	357

directly in front of the fort. Every means were now used to get the ship afloat, but without effect. All the boats were destroyed except one ; and, with that one, Captain Percy removed to the Sophie the whole of his surviving crew, and then set the ship on fire. The Hermes and Sophie alone sustained any loss. The first had 25 men killed and 24 wounded ; the other six killed and 16 wounded ; total, with one marine killed on shore, 32 killed and 40 wounded. The Americans acknowledged a loss of only four killed and four wounded.

On the 8th of December Vice-admiral Cochrane, in the Tonnant, with several other ships, arrived and anchored off the Chandeleur islands. On the same day two American gunboats fired at the 38-gun frigate Armide, Captain Edward Thomas Troubridge, as, accompanied by the Seahorse frigate and Sophie brig, she was passing down, within the chain of small islands, that run parallel to the shore from Mobile towards Lake Borgne. Three other gun-boats were presently discovered cruising in the lake. On the 10th, 11th, and 12th, the remainder of the men of war and troop-ships arrived ; the 74s anchoring off Chandeleur islands, and the frigates and smaller vessels between Cat island and the main, not far from the entrance to Lake Borgne. The bayou Catalan, or Bienvenu, at the bead of Lake Borgne, being the contemplated point of disembarkation, the distance from the anchorage at Cat island to the bayou 62 miles, and the principal means of transport open boats, it became impossible that any movement of the troops could take place until these gun-boats were destroyed. It was also an object to get possession of them in a serviceable state, that they might assist, as well in transporting the troops, as in the attack of any of the enemy's forts in the route. Accordingly on the night of the 12th, 42 launches, armed with 24, 18, and 12 pounder carronades, and three unarmed gigs, carrying, altogether, about 980 seamen and marines, under the orders of Captain Lockyer, assisted by Captains Henry Montresor and Samuel Roberts, of the brig-sloop Manly and bomb-vessel Meteor, in three divisions, each commanded by a captain in the order named, pushed off from the Armide.

The American gun-boats, which were the object of attack, consisted of No. 156, mounting one long 24-pounder on a traversing carriage, four 12-pounder carronades, and four swivels, with 41 men on board, commanded by Lieutenant-commandant Thomas Ap Catesby Jones ; No. 23, mounting one long 32-pounder on a traversing carriage, six long 6-pounders, two 5-inch howitzers and four swivels, with 39 men on board, commanded by Lieutenant Isaac M'Keene ; No. 162, one long 24-pounder, four 6-pounders and four swivels, with 35 men, commanded by Lieutenant Robert Spedden ; Nos. 5 and 163, each armed with the same carriage-guns No. 23, the first with 36 men, commanded by sailing-master John D. Ferris, the other with 31 men, commanded

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