midnight
The enemy 's fire got hotter as the afternoon wore on and the fight proceeded , until everyone felt the task the admiral had attempted , with his comparatively weak force , in attacking such formidable defences , was doomed to failure ; although not a single man thought of abandoning the struggle or confessing , as was the case , that we were `` licked ! '' But , it could not be much further prolonged ; for , at six o'clock , the _ Kestrel _ had been sunk , fighting her guns to the last , the _ Lee _ obliged to run on the mud to prevent her meeting a like fate ; while the _ Plover _ and _ Opossum _ , which were still in the van , had been pretty well knocked out of shape . The _ Cormorant _ was ahead of us all , with the sorely wounded admiral lying bleeding in his cot on her deck , our gallant chief persisting in watching the battle to its bitter end , in spite of being compelled from absolute exhaustion to give up the immediate command of the squadron to his senior officer , Captain Shadwell ; though it was as much as the gunboat could do to keep her prominent position , in face of the terrible fire on her front and flanks . To retreat , however , was impossible then , as there was not water enough in the river for the vessels that still floated to recross the bar before midnight ; besides which , if they attempted to move off while daylight lasted , they would be exposed to the risk of greater loss from the terrible fire from the batteries which was certain to be hailed on them . Under the desperate circumstances of the case , therefore , it was determined by the senior officer , who acted in concert with the other captains present , that a bold stroke should be attempted to save the honour of the day , which was to try and carry the forts by assault -- a `` forlorn hope '' in every sense of the word ! No sooner was this desperate expedient resolved on than it was gallantly set about , the boats filled with the marines and small-arms men , who yet remained below the barrier at the river mouth being brought to the front -- an operation in which we were generously aided by Commodore Tatnall , of the United States steam frigate the _ Toeywan _ , which had been lying off the Peiho for some time , out of the line of fire . `` Great Scott ! ''