Memoirs of William Miller - Sylvester Bliss

the others pulled off. While Macdonough’s galleys
were in the act of obeying the signal to follow
them, all the vessels were reported to him to be in a
sinking state; it then became necessary to
countermand the signal to the galleys, and order
their men to the pumps.
“At this time, not a mast was standing, in either
squadron, in a condition to hold up a sail; the lower
rigging, being nearly all shot away, hung down
along the mast.
“The action lasted, without intermission, two
hours and twenty minutes.
“An attack made by the British army, under the
Governor-general of the Canadas, Sir George
Provost, on General Macomb, commanding at
Plattsburgh, owed its defeat to the bravery of
Commodore Macdonough on the lake, and the
undaunted valor of Macomb, commanding on
shore.
“Sir George, having collected all the disposable
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