456 men.  The Cyane was properly a frigate, and she being at the rear, Stewart opened fire from the long guns of his port battery.  The response from the starboard guns of the enemy was prompt, and for a time the cannonade was deafening.  The Constitution gave most of her attention to the rear ship.  The smoke around the American becoming so dense as to cloud the vision, Stewart slipped forward and quickly delivered a double-shotted broadside.  Before it could be repeated the other ship attempted to gain a raking position across the stern of the Constitution.  By a splendid manoeuvre, Stewart defeated the purpose, and, placing himself abreast the rear ship, delivered another destructive broadside before the more sluggish enemy comprehended their danger.  He maintained his tremendous fire for a time, when he observed the other ship luffing across his course to secure a raking position, whereupon, with the same unsurpassable seamanship that he had shown from the first, he crossed the wake of the foremost ship and obtained a raking position himself.  Before the vessel could extricate itself Stewart raked her twice.  Then the second ship repeated the attempt of its consort, but Stewart not only defeated her, but again laid the Constitution so as to rake her.

In the manoeuvring the two ships drew up side by side, and, the enemy opening with the port battery, Stewart replied with his starboard guns.  The fire of the American was so amazingly accurate and effective that in a short time the enemy hoisted a light and fired a gun in token of surrender.  The battle occurred in the early hours of evening.

Upon sending an officer to take possession, it was found that the captured vessel was the English 32-gun frigate Cyane.  It took an hour to transfer and secure the prisoners, when the Constitution started after the other ship, which was some distance away, engaged in repairing her rigging.  Seeing the American approaching, and not knowing what fate had befallen her consort, the Englishman gallantly bore down to meet his formidable enemy.  The two vessels passed each other and exchanged broadsides, but with another display of masterly seamanship Stewart, before the other was aware of her danger, crossed her wake and raked her.

This startling experience convinced the Englishman that he had met his master and he crowded on all sail in the desperate effort to escape.  The Constitution was immediately after her, and by ten o’clock secured a position from which to deliver another of her terrible broadsides, seeing which the enemy surrendered.  She proved to be the British sloop of war Levant, of 21 guns.