The Battle of Lake Erie
Lieutenant George Inglis, RN, to Captain Barclay

His Majesty's late Ship DETROIT, 10 September 1813

I have the honor to transmit to you an account of the termination of the late unfortunate action, with the enemy's squadron.

On coming on the quarter deck, after your being wounded, the enemy's second brig, at that time on our weather beam, shortly afterwards took a position on our weather bow, to rake us, to prevent which in attempting to wear, to get our starboard broadside to bear upon her, a number of the guns of the larboard broadside being at this time disabled, fell on board the QUEEN CHARLOTTE, at this time running up to leeward of us, in this situation the two ships remained for some time, as soon as we got clear of her, I ordered the QUEEN CHARLOTTE to shoot a head of us if possible, and attempted to back our fore topsail to get astern, but the ship laying completely unmanageable, every brace cut away, the mizen topmast, and gaff down, all the other masts badly wounded, not a stay left forward, hull shattered very much, a number of the guns disabled, and the enemy's squadron raking both ships, a head and astern, none of our own in a situation to support us, I was under the painful necessity of answering the enemy to say we had struck, the QUEEN CHARLOTTE having previously done so.

Wood, William. Select British Documents of the Canadian War of 1812. (1923), II:278.