Identifier: boysof1812othern00sole (find matches)
Title: The boys of 1812 and other naval heroes
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Soley, James Russell, 1850-1911
Subjects: United States. Navy
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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was still under construction. In the latter part ofAugust both the Confiance and the Eagle were launched,so that by September both sides had made up their completenumbers. The two fleets had in addition a little flotilla of gun-boats, numbering ten or perhaps more upon each side. The opposing squadrons, in the number of men and in theweight of broadside, Avere as nearly matched as two navalsquadrons well could be, and what difterence there was betweenthem was in favor of the enemy. But it amounted to so littlethat it is hardly w^orth while to consider it at all. In all kindsof naval equipment the ships w^ere poorly fitted and supplied,but both sides shared equally in these deficiencies. Macdonough had been informed (jf the enemys intentions, andmade his plan to await their attack at Plattsburg, where thefleet and the army might stand or fall together. The formationof the bay at Plattsburg gave him a strong position. It lies onthe western side of Lake Champlain, and is enclosed in part
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on the stocks, and nearly finished, the fine frigate ^confiance. MACDONOUGH AND LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 285 by a long neck of land which juts out into the lake, and curvinglike a hook or a bent finger, makes some distance to the south-ward. The enemy in advancing up the lake from the northernend must pass along this promontory on the outside, and thendouble its extreme point in order to enter the bay, passing to thenorthward again along its inner side. If they came up the lakewith a leading wind, as they would doubtless do, they must beatup against the wind after they doubled the point; and thusduring their slow advance, while manoeuvring in a confinedspace, they would be exposed to the broadsides of the ships thatlay at anchor within. With this in view Macdonough decided on his order of battle.His line was formed heading directly north and well inside thebay, the leading vessel, the brig Eagle, being so near theinner curve of the bight that the enemy would not be able toturn the line by pass

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