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The Naval War of 1812

T >> Theodore Roosevelt >> The Naval War of 1812




COMPARATIVE FORCE.

Tons. No. Broadside Guns. Weight Metal. Crew. Loss.
_Peacock_ 509 11 315 166 2
_Epervier_ 477 9 274 128 23

That is, the relative force being as 12 is to 10, the relative
execution done was as 12 is to 1, and the _Epervier_ surrendered
before she had lost a fifth of her crew. The case of the _Epervier_
closely resembles that of the _Argus_. In both cases the officers
behaved finely; in both cases, too, the victorious foe was heavier,
in about the same proportion, while neither the crew of the _Argus_,
nor the crew of the _Epervier_ fought with the determined bravery
displayed by the combatants in almost every other struggle of the
war. But it must be added that the _Epervier_ did worse than the
_Argus_, and the _Peacock_ (American) better than the _Pelican_.
The gunnery of the _Epervier_ was extraordinarily poor; "the most
disgraceful part of the affair was that our ship was cut to pieces
and the enemy hardly scratched." [Footnote: "Memoirs of Admiral
Codrington," i, 322.] James states that after the first two or three
broadsides several carronades became unshipped, and that the others
were dismounted by the fire of the _Peacock_; that the men had not
been exercised at the guns; and, most important of all, that the
crew (which contained "several foreigners," but was chiefly British;
as the _Argus_ was chiefly American) was disgracefully bad. The
_Peacock_, on the contrary, showed skilful seamanship as well as
excellent gunnery. In 45 minutes after the fight was over the fore-yard
had been sent down and fished, the fore-sail set up, and every thing
in complete order again; [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Warrington, April
29, 1814.] the prize was got in sailing order by dark, though great
exertions had to be made to prevent her sinking. Mr. Nicholson, first
of the _Peacock_, was put in charge as prize-master. The next day
the two vessels were abreast of Amelia Island, when two frigates were
discovered in the north, to leeward. Capt. Warrington at once directed
the prize to proceed to St. Mary's, while he separated and made sail
on a wind to the south, intending to draw the frigates after him,
as he was confident that the _Peacock_, a very fast vessel, could
outsail them. [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Warrington, May 4, 1814.]
The plan succeeded perfectly, the brig reaching Savannah on the first
of May, and the ship three days afterward. The _Epervier_ was purchased
for the U.S. navy, under the same name and rate. The _Peacock_ sailed
again on June 4th, [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Warrington, Oct. 30, 1814.]
going first northward to the Grand Banks, then to the Azores; then
she stationed herself in the mouth of the Irish Channel, and afterward
cruised off Cork, the mouth of the _Shannon_, and the north of Ireland,
capturing several very valuable prizes and creating great consternation.
She then changed her station, to elude the numerous vessels that
had been sent after her, and sailed southward, off Cape Ortegal,
Cape Finisterre, and finally among the Barbadoes, reaching New York,
Oct. 29th. During this cruise she encountered no war vessel smaller
than a frigate; but captured 14 sail of merchant-men, some containing
valuable cargoes, and manned by 148 men.

On April 29th, H.M.S. schooner _Ballahou_, 6, Lieut. King, while
cruising off the American coast was captured by the _Perry_, privateer,
a much heavier vessel, after an action of 10 minutes' duration.

The general peace prevailing in Europe allowed the British to turn
their energies altogether to America; and in no place was this
increased vigor so much felt as in Chesapeake Bay where a great
number of line-of-battle ships, frigates, sloops, and transports
had assembled, in preparation for the assault on Washington and
Baltimore. The defence of these waters was confided to Capt. Joshua
Barney, [Footnote: He was born at Baltimore, July 7, 1759; James,
with habitual accuracy, calls him an Irishman. He makes Decatur,
by the way, commit the geographical solecism of being born in
"Maryland, Virginia."] with a flotilla of gun-boats. These consisted
of three or four sloops and schooners, but mainly of barges, which
were often smaller than the ship's boats that were sent against them.
These gun-boats were manned by from 20 to 40 men each, and each
carried, according to its size, one or two long 24-, 18-, or 12-pounders.
They were bad craft at best; and, in addition, it is difficult to
believe that they were handled to the fullest advantage.

On June 1st Commodore Barney, with the block sloop _Scorpion_ and
14 smaller "gun-boats," chiefly row gallies, passed the mouth of
the Patuxent, and chased the British schooner _St. Lawrence_ and
seven boats, under Captain Barrie, until they took refuge with the
_Dragon_, 74, which in turn chased Barney's flotilla into the Patuxent,
where she blockaded it in company with the _Albion_, 74. They were
afterward joined by the _Loire_, 38, _Narcissus_, 32, and _Lasseur_,
18, and Commodore Barney moved two miles up St. Leonard's Creek,
while the frigates and sloop blockaded its mouth. A deadlock now
ensued; the gunboats were afraid to attack the ships, and the ships'
boats were just as afraid of the gun-boats. On the 8th, 9th, and
11th skirmishes occurred; on each occasion the British boats came
up till they caught sight of Barney's flotilla, and were promptly
chased off by the latter, which, however, took good care not to
meddle with the larger vessels. Finally, Colonel Wadsworth, of the
artillery, with two long 18-pounders, assisted by the marines, under
Captain Miller, and a few regulars, offered to cooperate from the
shore while Barney assailed the two frigates with the flotilla. On
the 26th the joint attack took place most successfully; the _Loire_
and _Narcissus_ were driven off, although not much damaged, and the
flotilla rowed out in triumph, with a loss of but 4 killed and 7
wounded. But in spite of this small success, which was mainly due
to Colonel Wadsworth, Commodore Barney made no more attempts with
his gun-boats. The bravery and skill which the flotilla men showed
at Bladensburg prove conclusively that their ill success on the water
was due to the craft they were in, and not to any failing of the men.
At the same period the French gun-boats were even more unsuccessful,
but the Danes certainly did very well with theirs.

Barney's flotilla in the Patuxent remained quiet until August 22d,
and then was burned when the British advanced on Washington. The
history of this advance, as well as of the unsuccessful one on
Baltimore, concerns less the American than the British navy, and
will be but briefly alluded to here. On August 20th Major-General
Ross and Rear-Admiral Cockburn, with about 5,000 soldiers and marines,
moved on Washington by land; while a squadron, composed of the
_Seahorse_, 38, _Euryalus_, 36, bombs _Devastation_, _Aetna_, and
_Meteor_, and rocket-ship _Erebus_, under Captain James Alexander
Gordon, moved up the Potomac to attack Fort Washington, near
Alexandria; and Sir Peter Parker, in the _Menelaus_, 38, was sent
"to create a diversion" above Baltimore. Sir Peter's "diversion"
turned out most unfortunately for him: for, having landed to attack
120 Maryland militia, under Colonel Reade, he lost his own life,
while fifty of his followers were placed _hors de combat_ and the
remainder chased back to the ship by the victors, who had but three
wounded.

The American army, which was to oppose Ross and Cockburn, consisted
of some seven thousand militia, who fled so quickly that only about
1,500 British had time to become engaged. The fight was really between
these 1,500 British regulars and the American flotilla men. These
consisted of 78 marines, under Captain Miller, and 370 sailors, some
of whom served under Captain Barney, who had a battery of two 18's
and three 12's, while the others were armed with muskets and pikes,
and acted with the marines. Both sailors and marines did nobly,
inflicting most of the loss the British suffered, which amounted
to 256 men, and in return lost over a hundred of their own men,
including the two captains, who were wounded and captured, with
the guns. [Footnote: The optimistic Cooper thinks that two regular
regiments would have given the Americans this battle--which is open
to doubt.] Ross took Washington and burned the public buildings;
and the panic-struck Americans foolishly burned the _Columbia_, 44,
and _Argus_, 18, which were nearly ready for service.

Captain Gordon's attack on Fort Washington was conducted with great
skill and success. Fort Washington was abandoned as soon as fired
upon, and the city of Alexandria surrendered upon most humiliating
conditions. Captain Gordon was now joined by the _Fairy_, 18, Captain
Baker, who brought him orders to return from Vice-Admiral Cochrane;
and the squadron began to work down the river, which was very difficult
to navigate. Commodore Rodgers, with some of the crew of the two
44's, _Guerrière_ and _Java_, tried to bar their progress, but had
not sufficient means. On September 1st an attempt was made to destroy
the _Devastation_ by fire-ships, but it failed; on the 4th the attempt
was repeated by Commodore Rodgers, with a party of some forty men,
but they were driven off and attacked by the British boats, under
Captain Baker, who in turn was repulsed with the loss of his second
lieutenant killed, and some twenty-five men killed or wounded. The
squadron also had to pass and silence a battery of light field-pieces
on the 5th, where they suffered enough to raise their total loss to
seven killed and thirty-five wounded. Gordon's inland expedition was
thus concluded most successfully, at a very trivial cost; it was
a most venturesome feat, reflecting great honor on the captains and
crews engaged in it.

Baltimore was threatened actively by sea and land early in September.
On the 13th an indecisive conflict took place between the British
regulars and American militia, in which the former came off with
the honor, and the latter with the profit. The regulars held the
field, losing 350 men, including General Ross; the militia retreated
in fair order with a loss of but 200. The water attack was also
unsuccessful. At 5 A.M. on the 13th the bomb vessels _Meteor_,
_Aetna_, _Terror_, _Volcano_, and _Devastation_, the rocket-ship
_Erebus_, and the frigates _Severn_, _Euryalus_, _Havannah_, and
_Hebrus_ opened on Fort McHenry, some of the other fortifications
being occasionally fired at. A furious but harmless cannonade was
kept up between the forts and ships until 7 A.M. on the 14th, when
the British fleet and army retired.

I have related these events out of their natural order because they
really had very little to do with our navy, and yet it is necessary
to mention them in order to give an idea of the course of events.
The British and American accounts of the various gun-boat attacks
differ widely; but it is very certain that the gun-boats accomplished
little or nothing of importance. On the other hand, their loss amounted
to nothing, for many of those that were sunk were afterward raised,
and the total tonnage of those destroyed would not much exceed that
of the British barges captured by them from time to time or destroyed
by the land batteries.

The purchased brig _Rattlesnake_, 16, had been cruising in the
Atlantic with a good deal of success; but in lat. 40° N., long. 33° W.,
was chased by a frigate from which Lieutenant Renshaw, the brig's
commander, managed to escape only by throwing overboard all his
guns except two long nines; and on June 22d he was captured by
the _Leander_, 50, Captain Sir George Ralph Collier, K. C. B.

The third of the new sloops to get to sea was the _Wasp_, 22, Captain
Johnston Blakely, which left Portsmouth on May 1st, with a very fine
crew of 173 men, almost exclusively New Englanders; there was said
not to have been a single foreign seaman on board. It is, at all
events, certain that during the whole war no vessel was ever better
manned and commanded than this daring and resolute cruiser. The _Wasp_
slipped unperceived through the blockading frigates, and ran into
the mouth of the English Channel, right in the thick of the English
cruisers; here she remained several weeks, burning and scuttling
many ships. Finally, on June 28th, at 4 A.M., in lat. 48° 36' N.,
long. 11° 15' W., [Footnote: Letter of Captain Blakely, July 8,
1814.] while in chase of two merchant-men, a sail was made on the
weather-beam. This was the British brig-sloop _Reindeer_, 18,
Captain William Manners, [Footnote: James, vi, 429.] with a crew
of 118, as brave men as ever sailed or fought on the narrow seas.
Like the _Peacock_ (British) the _Reindeer_ was only armed with
24-pounders, and Captain Manners must have known well that he was
to do battle with a foe heavier than himself; but there was no more
gallant seaman in the whole British navy, fertile as it was in men
who cared but little for odds of size or strength. As the day broke,
the _Reindeer_ made sail for the _Wasp_, then lying in the west-southwest.

The sky was overcast with clouds, and the smoothness of the sea was
hardly disturbed by the light breeze that blew out of the northeast.
Captain Blakely hauled up and stood for his antagonist, as the latter
came slowly down with the wind nearly aft, and so light was the weather
that the vessels kept almost on even keels. It was not till quarter
past one that the _Wasp's_ drum rolled out its loud challenge as
it beat to quarters, and a few minutes afterward the ship put about
and stood for the foe, thinking to weather him; but at 1.50 the brig
also tacked and stood away, each of the cool and skilful captains
being bent on keeping the weather-gage. At half past two the _Reindeer_
again tacked, and, taking in her stay-sails, stood for the _Wasp_,
who furled her royals; and, seeing that she would be weathered, at
2.50, put about in her turn and ran off, with the wind a little forward
the port beam, brailing up the mizzen, while the _Reindeer_ hoisted
her flying-jib, to close, and gradually came up on the _Wasp's_
weather-quarter. At 17 minutes past three, when the vessels were
not sixty yards apart, the British opened the conflict, firing the
shifting 12-pound carronade, loaded with round and grape. To this
the Americans could make no return, and it was again loaded and fired,
with the utmost deliberation; this was repeated five times, and would
have been a trying ordeal to a crew less perfectly disciplined than
the _Wasp's_. At 3.26 Captain Blakely, finding his enemy did not
get on his beam, put his helm a-lee and luffed up, firing his guns
from aft forward as they bore. For ten minutes the ship and the brig
lay abreast, not twenty yards apart, while the cannonade was terribly
destructive. The concussion of the explosions almost deadened what
little way the vessels had on, and the smoke hung over them like a
pall. The men worked at the guns with desperate energy, but the odds
in weight of metal (3 to 2) were too great against the _Reindeer_,
where both sides played their parts so manfully. Captain Manners
stood at his post, as resolute as ever, though wounded again and
again. A grape-shot passed through both his thighs, bringing him
to the deck; but, maimed and bleeding to death, he sprang to his
feet, cheering on the seamen. The vessels were now almost touching,
and putting his helm aweather, he ran the _Wasp_ aboard on her port
[Footnote: Letter of Captain Blakely, July 8, 1814. Cooper starboard:
it is a point of little importance; all accounts agree as to the
_relative_ positions of the craft.] quarter, while the boarders
gathered forward, to try it with the steel. But the Carolina captain
had prepared for this with cool confidence; the marines came aft;
close under the bulwarks crouched the boarders, grasping in their
hands the naked cutlasses, while behind them were drawn up the pikemen.
As the vessels came grinding together the men hacked and thrust at
one another through the open port-holes, while the black smoke curled
up from between the hulls. Then through the smoke appeared the grim
faces of the British sea-dogs, and the fighting was bloody enough;
for the stubborn English stood well in the hard hand play. But those
who escaped the deadly fire of the topmen, escaped only to be riddled
through by the long Yankee pikes; so, avenged by their own hands,
the foremost of the assailants died, and the others gave back. The
attack was foiled, though the _Reindeer's_ marines kept answering
well the American fire. Then the English captain, already mortally
wounded, but with the indomitable courage that nothing but death
could conquer, cheering and rallying his men, himself sprang, sword
in hand, into the rigging, to lead them on; and they followed him
with a will. At that instant a ball from the _Wasp's_ main-top
crashed through his skull, and, still clenching in his right hand
the sword he had shown he could wear so worthily, with his face to
the foe, he fell back on his own deck dead, while above him yet
floated the flag for which he had given his life. No Norse Viking,
slain over shield, ever died better. As the British leader fell and
his men recoiled, Captain Blakely passed the word to board; with
wild hurrahs the boarders swarmed over the hammock nettings, there
was a moment's furious struggle, the surviving British were slain
or driven below, and the captain's clerk, _the highest officer left_,
surrendered the brig, at 3.44, just 27 minutes after the _Reindeer_
had fired the first gun, and just 18 after the _Wasp_ had responded.

[Illustration showing the action between the _WASP_ and the _REINDEER_
from 3.17 to 3.45.]

Both ships had suffered severely in the short struggle; but, as with
the __Shannon_ and _Chesapeake_, the injuries were much less severe
aloft than in the hulls. All the spars were in their places. The
_Wasp's_ hull had received 6 round, and many grape; a 24-pound shot
had passed through the foremast; and of her crew of 173, 11 were
killed or mortally wounded, and 15 wounded severely or slightly.
The _Reindeer_ was completely cut to pieces in a line with her ports;
her upper works, boats, and spare spars being one entire wreck. Of
her crew of 118 men, 33 were killed outright or died later, and 34
were wounded, nearly all severely.

COMPARATIVE FORCE.

Broadside Weight No.
Tons. Guns. Metal. Men. Loss
_Wasp,_ 509 11 315 173 26
_Reindeer,_ 477 10 210 118 67


It is thus seen that the _Reindeer_ fought at a greater disadvantage
than any other of the various British sloops that were captured in
single action during the war; and yet she made a better fight than
any of them (though the _Frolic_, and the _Frolic_ only, was defended
with the same desperate courage); a pretty sure proof that heavy
metal is not the only factor to be considered in accounting for the
American victories. "It is difficult to say which vessel behaved the
best in this short but gallant combat." [Footnote: Cooper, ii, 287.]
I doubt if the war produced two better single-ship commanders than
Captain Blakely and Captain Manners; and an equal meed of praise
attaches to both crews. The British could rightly say that they
yielded purely to heavy odds in men and metal; and the Americans,
that the difference in execution was fully proportioned to the
difference in force. It is difficult to know which to admire most,
the wary skill with which each captain manoeuvred before the fight,
the perfect training and discipline that their crews showed, the
decision and promptitude with which Captain Manners tried to retrieve
the day by boarding, and the desperate bravery with which the attempt
was made; or the readiness with which Captain Blakely made his
preparations, and the cool courage with which the assault was foiled.
All people of the English stock, no matter on which side of the
Atlantic they live, if they have any pride in the many feats of
fierce prowess done by the men of their blood and race, should never
forget this fight; although we cannot but feel grieved to find that
such men--men of one race and one speech; brothers in blood, as well
as in bravery--should ever have had to turn their weapons against
one another.

The day after the conflict the prize's foremast went by the board,
and, as she was much damaged by shot, Captain Blakely burned her,
put a portion of his wounded prisoners on board a neutral, and with
the remainder proceeded to France, reaching l'Orient on the 8th day
of July.

On July 4th Sailing-master Percival and 30 volunteers of the New York
flotilla [Footnote: Letter of Com. J. Lewis, July 6, 1814.] concealed
themselves on board a fishing-smack, and carried by surprise the
_Eagle_ tender, which contained a 32-pound howitzer and 14 men, 4
of whom were wounded.

On July 12th, while off the west coast of South Africa, the American
brig _Syren_ was captured after a chase of 11 hours by the _Medway_,
74, Capt. Brine. The chase was to windward during the whole time,
and made every effort to escape, throwing overboard all her boats,
anchors, cables, and spare spars. [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Brine
to Vice-Admiral Tyler, July 12. 1814.] Her commander, Captain Parker,
had died, and she was in charge of Lieut. N. J. Nicholson. By a curious
coincidence, on the same day, July 12th, H. M. cutter _Landrail_, 4,
[Footnote: James, vi, 436: his statement is wrong as regards the
privateer.] of 20 men, Lieut. Lancaster, was captured by the American
privateer _Syren_, a schooner mounting 1 long heavy gun, with a crew
of 70 men; the _Landrail_ had 7, and the _Syren_ 3 men wounded.

On July 14th Gun-boat No. 88, Sailing-master George Clement, captured
after a short skirmish the tender of the _Tenedos_ frigate, with
her second lieutenant, 2 midshipmen, and 10 seamen. [Footnote: Letter
of Capt. Isaac Hull, July 15. 1814.]

The _Wasp_ stayed in l'Orient till she was thoroughly refitted, and
had filled, in part, the gaps in her crew, from the American privateers
in port. On Aug. 27th, Captain Blakely sailed again, making two prizes
during the next three days. On Sept. 1st she came up to a convoy of
10 sail under the protection of the _Armada_, 74, all bound for
Gibraltar; the swift cruiser hovered round the merchant-men like
a hawk, and though chased off again and again by the line-of-battle
ship, always returned the instant the pursuit stopped, and finally
actually succeeded in cutting off and capturing one ship, laden with
iron and brass cannon, muskets, and other military stores of great
value. At half past six on the evening of the same day, in lat. 47°
30' N., long. 11° W., while running almost free, four sail, two on
the starboard bow, and two on the port, rather more to leeward, were
made out. [Footnote: Official letter of Capt. Blakely. Sept. 8, 1814.]
Capt. Blakely at once made sail for the most weatherly of the four
ships in sight, though well aware that more than one of them might
prove to be hostile cruisers, and they were all of unknown force.
But the determined Carolinian was not one to be troubled by such
considerations. He probably had several men less under his command
than in the former action, but had profited by his experience with
the _Reindeer_ in one point, having taken aboard her 12-pounder
boat carronade, of whose efficacy he had had very practical proof.

The chase, the British brig-sloop _Avon_, 18, Captain the Honorable
James Arbuthnot, [Footnote: James, vi, 432] was steering almost
southwest; the wind, which was blowing fresh from the southeast,
being a little abaft the port beam. At 7.00 the _Avon_ began making
night signals with the lanterns, but the _Wasp_, disregarding these,
came steadily on; at 8.38 the _Avon_ fired a shot from her stern-chaser,
[Footnote: James, vi, 432.] and shortly afterward another from one
of her lee or starboard guns. At 20 minutes past 9, the _Wasp_ was
on the port or weather-quarter of the _Avon_, and the vessels interchanged
several hails; one of the American officers then came forward on
the forecastle and ordered the brig to heave to, which the latter
declined doing, and set her port foretop-mast studding sail. The
_Wasp_ then, at 9.29, fired the 12-pound carronade into her, to which
the _Avon_ responded with her stern-chaser and the aftermost port
guns. Capt. Blakely then put his helm up, for fear his adversary
would try to escape, and ran to leeward of her, and then ranged up
alongside, having poured a broadside into her quarter. A close and
furious engagement began, at such short range that the only one of
the _Wasp's_ crew who was wounded, was hit by a wad; four round shot
struck her hull, killing two men, and she suffered a good deal in
her rigging. The men on board did not know the name of their antagonist;
but they could see through the smoke and the gloom of the night,
as her black hull surged through the water, that she was a large
brig; and aloft, against the sky, the sailors could be discerned,
clustering in the tops. [Footnote: Captain Blakely's letter.] In
spite of the darkness the _Wasp's_ fire was directed with deadly
precision; the _Avon's_ gaff was shot away at almost the first
broadside, and most of her main-rigging and spars followed suit.
She was hulled again and again, often below water-line; some of her
carronades were dismounted, and finally the main-mast went by the
board. At 10.00, after 31 minutes of combat, her fire had been
completely silenced and Captain Blakely hailed to know if she had
struck. No answer being received, and the brig firing a few random
shot, the action recommended; but at 10.12 the _Avon_ was again
hailed, and this time answered that she had struck. While lowering
away a boat to take possession, another sail (H. B. M. brig-sloop
_Castilian_, 18, Captain Braimer) was seen astern. The men were again
called to quarters, and every thing put in readiness as rapidly as
possible; but at 10.36 two more sail were seen (one of which was
H. B. M. _Tartarus_, 20 [Footnote: "Niles' Register," vi. 216.]).
The braces being cut away, the _Wasp_ was put before the wind until
new ones could be rove. The _Castilian_ pursued till she came up
close, when she fired her lee guns into, or rather over, the
weather-quarter of the _Wasp_, cutting her rigging slightly. Repeated
signals of distress having now been made by the _Avon_ (which had
lost 10 men killed and 32 wounded), the _Castilian_ tacked and stood
for her, and on closing found out she was sinking. Hardly had her
crew been taken out when she went down.

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