Fifty men from the British frigate Narcissus attacked the cutter Surveyor in the York River. Surveyor carried six guns and a crew of fifteen under William Travis. The brief boarding fight left five Americans and nine British killed or wounded. After the capture, the victorious British lieutenant returned Travis's sword with a letter praising both the preparations for defence and the resistance on deck. The tribute recognises how fiercely a much smaller crew contested the boarding.
Notable Point · 28:12-29:11
Surveyor's defence earns the return of her commander's sword
Surveyor's fifteen-man crew resisted a much larger boarding party fiercely enough for the victorious officer to return William Travis's sword.