NAVAL VESSELS ORDERED TO SEA. 457 CHAPTER XX. 1812-1814. NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE HIGH SEAS. Chase of the Belvidera by the President - Capture of the Nautilus Escape of the Constitution - Defeat of the Guerrière by the Constitution-Victory of the Esser over the Alert-Action between the Wasp and the FrolicDefeat of the Macedonian by the United States Sinking of the Java by the Constitution The Hornet's fight with the Peacock - Anger of the British over the American victories Action between the Chesapeake and Shannon Death of Lawrence and Ludlow - - Cruise of the Argus in European waters Her defeat by the Pelican Capture of the Boxer by the Enterprise - Other actions - Loss of the Adams - Defeat of the Epervier by the Peacock-Victories of the Wasp over the Reindeer and the Avon-Loss of the Wasp - Cruise of the Essex Her defeat by the Phabe and the Cherub at Valparaiso Porter's arrival at New York. While the army was thus sustaining disaster after disaster on land, the despised and neglected navy was covering itself with glory.* When war was declared but five vessels were ready for sea, the others undergoing repairs in various navy yards. The President, 44 (Commodore Rodgers), the Essex, 32 (Captain David Porter), and the Hornet, 18 (Captain Lawrence) were at anchor in New York harbor, and on June 21, 1812, were * A list of all the engagements occurring during the war, together with armaments, results of actions, etc., is in Robert W. Neeser, Statistical and Chronological History of the United States Navy, 1775-1907, vol. ii., pp. 38-60 (1909). Neeser (pp. 294–308) gives also a list of all captures by United States vessels. The same statistics will be found in George F. Emmons, Statistical History of the Navy of the United States, 1775-1853, pp. 56-74, 170-201. The Essex, however, having some repairs to make, was not yet ready for sea. The Wasp, 18, was returning from France, the Constellation, 38, was lying in the Chesapeake, unable to receive a crew for several months to come; the Chesapeake, 38, was at Boston, in a similar condition; joined by the United States, 44 (Commander Decatur), the Congress, 38 (Captain John Smith) and the Argus, 16 (Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Sinclair), the whole fleet being in command of Commodore John Rodgers.* On June 21 Rodgers received word from Secretary Hamilton that, as one or more British cruisers (among them the Belvidera, 36, Captain Richard Byron, which had been an intolerable annoyance to New York commerce) were in the vicinity of Sandy Hook, he should strike them and immediately return into port, it being left to his discretion whether to capture or destroy them. On receiving these orders, therefore, Rodgers with his squadron of five vessels set the Adams, 28, was at Washington being changed from a frigate to a corvette; the Constitution, 44, was at Annapolis, without all her stores; the Nautilus, 14, was cruising off the Jersey coast. (Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 72). *Paullin, Life of Rodgers, pp. 249-250; Mahan, War of 1812, vol. i., pp. 320-322. 458 THE PRESIDENT AND BELVIDERA; CAPTURE OF NAUTILUS. out in pursuit of the West India fleet, also keeping a sharp watch for the Belvidera. At six o'clock on the morning of June 23 he hove in sight of that vessel and pursued her. The President, being the best sailer, soon outdistanced the other vessels and, coming up with the Belvidera late in the afternoon, fired three shots into her stern, killing and wounding nine men, besides doing considerable damage to the ship. The President was about to send a fourth shot when one of the guns on her main deck burst, killing or wounding 16 men, among whom was Rodgers, whose leg was broken.* The crew became confused and demoralized, the shots went wild, the sailing became bad, and the Belvidera finally escaped. In this chase the President lost 3 men killed and 19 wounded and the Belvidera 2 killed and 22 wounded. The fleet again started in pursuit of the Jamaicamen and maintained the chase until within 20 hours' sail of the English Channel. Not daring to go farther, it returned homeward, arriving at Boston on August 31, after a very unfortunate cruise, having captured but seven * Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 74-75; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 435. † Paullin, Life of Rodgers, pp. 251-256; Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., pp. 44-45; Spears, History of Our Navy, vol. ii., pp. 28-32. Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 322325; James, Naval History, vol. v., p. 360. || Lossing, War of 1812, p. 436; McMaster, vol. iv., pp. 70-71; Adams, United States, vol. vi., pp. 363-366. prizes and recaptured one American vessel.* About this time the British ViceAdmiral, Sawyer, dispatched Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke with a squadron consisting of the Shannon, 38 (Captain Broke), the Belvidera, 36 (Captain Richard Byron), the Africa, 64 (Captain John Bastard) and the Aeolus, 32 (Captain Lord James Townshend) to prevent the American navy from doing just what Secretary Hamilton had ordered it to do. On July 9 this squadron was joined by the Guerrière, 38 (Captain James Richard Dacres) off Nantucket.† Sweeping down the coast, the squadron seized everything in sight and on July 16 made the first capture of a naval vessel by either side. This was the 14-gun brig Nautilus (Lieutenant William M. Crane), which had just left New York for the purpose of cruising in the track of the English Indiamen. She fell in with Broke's squadron and was chased, and though Crane did everything he could to escape, she was compelled to strike to the Shannon without a conflict. Her officers and crew, 106 in all, were taken aboard the Africa. She was afterward fitted with 16 24-pound carronades and commissioned as a cruiser. § * Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 78; Mahan, War of 1812, vol. i., pp. 323-324, 326. Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 82. Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 46; McMaster, vol. iv., p. 71; Adams, United States, vol. vi., p. 369. Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., p. 334. § Lossing, War of 1812, p. 436. CHASE OF THE CONSTITUTION. The next day Broke's squadron came upon a richer prize. Captain Isaac Hull, in command of the Constitution, had been detained at Annapolis shipping a new crew until July 5, the same day that Broke's squadron left Halifax. On that day the Constitution began the voyage to New York and at 2 o'clock in the afternoon sighted what was at first supposed to be the fleet under Rodgers, but was finally ascertained to be Broke's squadron. The British set out in pursuit the next morning, and the ensuing chase was one of the most exciting ever recorded in naval annals. During the night the Englishmen had closed in about the Constitution, and when daylight came and the mist lifted the Shannon was about five miles astern, two others were to leeward, and the rest of the fleet, about ten miles astern, all making chase. There was no wind and the ocean was calm. Hull put out his boats to tow the Constitution, whereupon Broke summoned all the boats of his squadron to tow the Shannon.* Broke, having furled all sail, was steadily gaining on the Constitution when a little breeze swept over the water and sent her a few hundred yards ahead before the Shannon could unfurl her sails and catch the breeze. The wind soon * Some say that the British began towing first and Hull imitated, but this is not the case, since Hull hoisted out the first cutter at 5.15 A. M. and not until 5.45 did Captain Byron of the Belvidera detect the movement. See Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 336-337. † Autobiography of Charles Morris, pp. 160-161. 459 died out and the Shannon, creeping up, got near enough to fire, but her shot fell short and she ceased.* Fearing that the rigging would be destroyed and the vessel become a prize to the fleet, Lieutenant Charles Morris suggested kedging,† and immediately Hull ordered all the spare rope to be paid out in the cutters, which were sent a half mile ahead, where a kedge was let go. As soon as the anchor touched bottom the crew warped the ship along. While this was being done a second kedge was carried forward and dropped, so that when the ship was up to the first the second was ready to be hauled on. ‡ Broke quickly imitated this device and slowly gained on the chase. The Guerrière crept near Hull's lee and opened fire, but her shot fell short.|| All that day and night the British and American crews towed and kedged, and about 2 o'clock of the next day the Belvidera unsuccessfully attempted to reach the Constitution with her bow guns. Hull expected capture, but the Belvidera could not approach nearer without bringing her boats under the Constitution's stern guns.§ Thus the wearied crews toiled on until another morning came. During the night a light breeze sprang up * Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 47; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 84; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 438. Autobiography of Charles Morris, p. 161. Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., p. 338. || Lossing, War of 1812, p. 438; Cooper, p. 48; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 85. § Roosevelt, p. 85; Cooper, p. 49. |