it seemed the only saving grace in such a desperate situation was that the corvette was so close under the shore battery that the gunners couldnt depress their pieces sufficiently to bear down on them and the fusillades of grape and canister shot which had done so much damage on the approach was now passing harmlessly overhead.. running back aft , jim saw john brown , boatswain of the beaulieu , crouched at the barricaded door of the quarter gallery and squinting through the cracks he saw that the cabin beyond was filled with troops arming themselves with pikes and pistols .