W

HILE the sloops and frigates

of the American navy were acquiring imperishable renown on every sea, the flag was still more widely displayed and as bravely and ably defended by a class of vessels whose exploits were equally noteworthy, but to whom little credit has been given. When hostilities broke out no American privateer was in existence, but the Embargo and Non-intercourse acts, and the final declaration of war threw out of employment hundreds of sailors who were anxious for work. Moreover, the ship-owners were eager to find employment for their ships and, even though the risk was great, privateering was better than having the ships lie idle and unremunerative. Now that war had come and these fast sailing clipper-built ships were idle, they were turned into privateers; every available merchant craft, coasting-vessel, and fishing smack was overhauled, mounted with a few guns, and sent out with a commission to

burn, sink, and destroy. These vessels mounted a longtom on a swivel in the middle of the ship and perhaps half a dozen lighter guns on broadside,* and as a rule were intended for short cruises. The privateers were about 120 feet long on the spar-deck, 31 feet in extreme breadth, rigged as ships or brigs, with long slender masts and spars carrying a cloud of canvas, armed with from six to eighteen guns, and manned by crews of from 100 to 150 seamen. They were built for speed and were intended to fight only as a last resort, their particular object being to dart in, strike a sudden blow, and escape.t The private armed vessel was built rather to fly than to fight and its chief value lay more in its ability to escape than in its capacity to attack. Numbers of these ships were owned by stockholders, many by firms, and some by single individuals,

*Lossing, War of 1812, p. 993.

† McMaster, vol. iv., pp. 112-113; Adams, United States, vol. vii., p. 314 et seq.

2

who neither preserved nor made public the captains' reports. The number of privateers at sea in 1813 was not recorded, though according to one list there were about 500.* Nearly 250 of these privateers fell into British hands. The total number of prizes captured from the British in 1813 exceeded 400, more than 300 of which were captured by privateers, while National cruisers took only 79.† But privateering was not profitable to the large majority of those who owned these ships. Of the 500 privateers recorded, 300 were said never to have made a prize, and of the remainder but few made their expenses. In these pages only the most prominent privateers can be mentioned.||

Two distinguished privateersmen who went to sea early in the war were David Maffitt and Nathaniel Shaler, the former being in command of the Atlas, which sailed from the Delaware early in July of 1812 and fell in with two British ships on the morning of August 5. Maffitt placed his ship between the two British vessels and opened with a broadside from each battery, followed by volleys of

* Emmons, Navy of the United States, pp. 170197.

† Adams, United States, vol. vii., p. 331.

Babcock, Rise of American Nationality, p. 115. For the complete history see Maclay, History of American Privateers; George Coggeshall, History of the American Privateers and Letters of Marque during our War with England in the Years 1812-1814. The various histories of the navy mentioned in previous pages record some of the more important engagements.

musketry. So terrific was the fire from the privateer that the smaller ship struck her colors within an hour. Maffitt then devoted his attention to the larger ship, but scarcely had he turned from the smaller ship when, to the surprise of the Americans, the latter opened fire again. Maffitt reopened on this vessel, however, and in a few minutes drove every man below deck.* All the while Maffitt had maintained a heavy fire from the opposite battery on the larger ship, with the result that she shortly surrendered. She proved to be the Pursuit of 16 guns and 35 men; the other ship was the Planter of 280 tons, 12 12-pounders, and a crew of 15 men.† Prize crews were put aboard the Pursuit and Planter and for nearly a month the three vessels continued on their journey northward without molestation, but at 4.30 on the morning of September 2, 1812, a frigate was discovered in pursuit. Believing her to be an Englishman, Maffitt ordered the Pursuit to make for port and the Planter to sail northward while he himself engaged the frigate. The Pursuit was soon out of sight, but, instead of making for the Atlas, as was expected, the frigate started for the Planter and soon captured her. Realizing that he would have small chance against the heavier frigate, Maffitt sailed westward and shortly afterward gained port. Subsequently

* Lossing, War of 1812, p. 997.

Coggeshall, American Privateers, pp. 79-80.

he learned that the frigate was the Essex under Captain David Porter.*

About this time Captain Shaler set sail in the 14-gun schooner Governor Tompkins and on December 25, 1812, chased three sails, which on near approach were made out to be two ships and a brig. The largest of the strangers proved to be a first-class frigate which, when within range, fired on the American vessel. Shaler then ran up the American flag and, with an impudence which warranted punishment, began an animated fire from his puny battery of 9 or 12pounders. The broadside from the British ship killed three and wounded six of the Americans, but did no other harm. At this moment the privateer was a little abaft the frigate's beam and could not attack without exposing herself to a raking fire. Shaler therefore determined to receive the frigate's fire on the tack on which he had been standing preferring to take the chance of outsailing the enemy and passing beyond her bow, where he would not be exposed to her dreaded broadside. The Englishman also kept on the same tack, and the two vessels ran along side by side for a half hour, giving and receiving a spirited fire. The British frigate proved to be a remarkably fast sailer, so that she managed to play her broadside guns with full effect on the privateer much longer than had been anticipated. Soon, however, the Gov

* Maclay, American Privateers, pp. 251-254.

3

One of the most famous of the fighting privateers was the Comet, which, under Captain Thomas Boyle, captured many vessels after stubborn fights. Her first cruise began in July of 1812, when she fell in with the Hopewell of 14 guns. After a desperate conflict, the Hopewell was captured and her cargo subsequently sold for $150,000. The Comet then took the Henry, with a cargo valued at more than $100,000, and the John, with a cargo valued at about $150,000. She returned from this cruise in November of 1812, and was immediately refitted for sea. At this time Chesapeake Bay was blockaded by the British and it was not until a dark and stormy night late in December that Boyle succeeded in running the blockade. On January 14, 1813, Boyle

* Coggeshall, American Privateers, pp. 140-143; Maclay, American Privateers, pp. 254-258; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 998. See also Niles' Weekly Register, vol. v., p. 429. The Governor Tompkins brought her men and owners much money. After this fight she captured a large number of prizes, several of which were worth more than $200,000 apiece and three of which were valued at $500,000. Lossing, War of 1812, p. 997.