About four o'clock in the afternoon
The men were permitted to lie around decks and rest , smoke , and discuss the fight , which they did with exceeding interest . When dinner was piped at noon , the shrill call of the boatswain 's whistle was welcome music . A sea battle is a good appetizer . About four o'clock in the afternoon the fleet was treated to a spectacle both novel and humorous . The little `` Dolphin , '' a gunboat of not fifteen hundred tons displacement , which was keeping guard close in shore , began to use her guns . A battery near the channel returned the fire , but the plucky little craft maintained her position , and from the series of rapid reports coming from her four-inch breechloaders and six-pounders , it was evident she had something important on hand . The `` Yankee '' was signalled to run in to her assistance , but before we could reach a position , the `` Dolphin '' had accomplished her task .