Challenges between captains appeared during the War of 1812, but most were declined and only Shannon's contest with Chesapeake became a mutually accepted duel. Hillyar likewise refused rules that would separate Phoebe from Cherub and discard an advantage he already possessed. His orders were to defeat or contain Essex, so leaving Porter trapped was an acceptable outcome. Meanwhile Dixon responded to rumors of American heavy-frigate support by dispatching more British frigates and considering a ship of the line. Accurate news of those reinforcements may have been deliberately allowed to reach Porter, using a real threat to force him into action before it arrived.
Chapter · 2:05:03-2:12:44
Hillyar refuses Porter's duel and controls the escape game
Hillyar rejected Porter's challenge to a single-ship duel, while Dixon reinforced the blockade before formal permission caught up with the station's decisions.