The General Armstrong hailed from New York, and her captain was
named Reid. She had a crew of ninety men, and was armed with one
heavy 32 pounder and six lighter guns. In December, 1814, she was
lying in Fayal, a neutral port, when four British war-vessels, a
ship of the line, a frigate and two brigs, hove into sight, and
anchored off the mouth of the harbor. The port was neutral, but
Portugal was friendly to England, and Reid knew well that the
British would pay no respect to the neutrality laws if they
thought that at the cost of their violation they could destroy
the privateer. He immediately made every preparation to resist an
attack, The privateer was anchored close to the shore. The
boarding-nettings were got ready, and were stretched to booms
thrust outward from the brig's side, so as to check the boarders
as they tried to climb over the bulwarks. The guns were loaded
and cast loose, and the men went to quarters armed with muskets,
boarding-pikes, and cutlases.

On their side the British made ready to carry the privateer by
boarding. The shoals rendered it impossible for the heavy ships
to approach, and the lack of wind and the baffling currents also
interfered for the moment with the movements of the
sloops-of-war. Accordingly recourse was had to a cutting-out
party, always a favorite device with the British seamen of that
age, who were accustomed to carry French frigates by boarding,
and to capture in their boats the heavy privateers and armed
merchantmen, as well as the lighter war-vessels of France and
Spain.

The British first attempted to get possession of the brig by
surprise, sending out but four boats. These worked down near to