However the ship was already under command of Leon Smith, an army volunteer and steamboat captain, who had played a role in capturing the ship, having been placed in command of the ship by Major General John B. Magruder and in control of additional ships improvised as a "cottonclad fleet".
haʊˈɛvɚ ðə ʃˈɪp wʌz ɔːlɹˌɛdi ˌʌndɚ kəmˈænd ʌv lˈiːɑːn smˈɪθ, ɐn ˈɑːɹmi vˌɑːləntˈɪɹ ænd stˈiːmboʊt kˈæptɪn, hˌuː hæd plˈeɪd ɐ ɹˈoʊl ɪn kˈæptʃɚɹɪŋ ðə ʃˈɪp, hˌævɪŋ bˌɪn plˈeɪst ɪn kəmˈænd ʌvðə ʃˈɪp baɪ mˈeɪdʒɚ dʒˈɛnɚɹəl dʒˈɑːn bˈiː. mˈæɡɹuːdɚɹ ænd ɪn kəntɹˈoʊl ʌv ɐdˈɪʃənəl ʃˈɪps ˈɪmpɹəvˌaɪzd æz ˈeɪ "kˈɑːʔn̩klˌæd flˈiːt".