about noon
That she was an enemy , there was no doubt ; so Captain Pownoll at once did his best to close her . The wind was about north-east , and the stranger , standing to the nor ` ard on the starboard tack , was enabled to cross our bows . Soon afterwards she tacked to the eastward , and we also hove about until , she being on our weather quarter , we again tacked , as did also the stranger . We exchanged broadsides with her in passing , when we once more tacked and brought her to close action about noon . It was the hottest fight I had ever then been engaged in . We tossed our guns in and out , determined to win . It was sharp work ; numbers of our men were falling , several killed and many wounded .