Naval War of 1812 — 05 Part 05

In this chase Captain Isaac Hull was matched against five British captains, two of whom, Broke and Byron, were fully equal to any in their navy; and while the latter showed great perseverance, good seamanship, and ready imitation, there can be no doubt that the palm in every way belongs to the cool old Yankee.

Every daring expedient known to the most perfect seamanship was tried, and tried with success; and no victorious fight could reflect more credit on the conqueror than this three days' chase did on Hull.

Later, on two occasions, the _Constitution_ proved herself far superior in gunnery to the average British frigate; this time her officers and men showed that they could handle the sails as well as they could the guns.

Hull out-manoeuvred Broke and Byron as cleverly as a month later he out-fought Dacres.

His successful escape and victorious fight were both performed in a way that place him above any single ship captain of war.

On Aug.

2d the _Constitution_ made sail from Boston [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Isaac Hull, Aug.

28, 1812. ] and stood to the eastward, in hopes of falling in with some of the British cruisers.

She was unsuccessful, however, and met nothing.

Then she ran down to the Bay of Fundy, steered along the coast of Nova Scotia, and thence toward Newfoundland, and finally took her station off Cape Race in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where she took and burned two brigs of little value.

On the 15th she recaptured an American brig from the British ship-sloop _Avenger_, though the latter escaped; Capt. Hull manned his prize and sent her in.

He then sailed southward, and on the night of the 18th spoke a Salem privateer which gave him news of a British frigate to the south;

thither he stood, and at 2 P. M.

on the 19th, in lat.

41° 30' N.

and 55° W. , made out a large sail bearing E. S.

E.

and to leeward, [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Isaac Hull, Aug.

30, 1812. ] which proved to be his old acquaintance, the frigate _Guerrière_, Captain Dacres.

It was a cloudy day and the wind was blowing fresh from the northwest.

The _Guerrière_ was standing by the wind on the starboard tack, under easy canvas; [Footnote: Letter of Capt. James R.

Dacres, Sept.

7, 1812. ] she hauled up her courses, took in her top-gallant sails, and at 4. 30 backed her main-top sail.

Hull then very deliberately began to shorten sail, taking in top-gallant sails, stay-sails, and flying jib, sending down the royal yards and putting another reef in the top-sails.

Soon the Englishman hoisted three ensigns, when the American also set his colors, one at each mast-head, and one at the mizzen peak.

The _Constitution_ now ran down with the wind nearly aft.

The _Guerrière_ was on the starboard tack, and at five o'clock opened with her weather-guns, [Footnote: Log of _Guerrière_.

] the shot falling short, then wore round and fired her port broadside, of which two shot struck her opponent, the rest passing over and through her rigging.

[Footnote: See in the Naval Archives (Bureau of Navigation) the _Constitution's_ Log-Book (vol. ii, from Feb.

1, 1812, to Dec.

13, 1813).

The point is of some little importance because Hull, in his letter, speaks as if both the first broadsides fell short, whereas the log distinctly says that the second went over the ship, except two shot, which came home.

The hypothesis of the _Guerrière_ having damaged powder was founded purely on this supposed falling short of the first two broadsides.

] As the British frigate again wore to open with her starboard battery, the _Constitution_ yawed a little and fired two or three of her port bow-guns.

Three or four times the _Guerrière_ repeated this manoeuvre, wearing and firing alternate broadsides, but with little or no effect, while the _Constitution_ yawed as often to avoid being raked, and occasionally fired one of her bow guns.

This continued nearly an hour, as the vessels were very far apart when the action began, hardly any loss or damage being inflicted by either party.

At 6. 00 the _Guerrière_ bore up and ran off under her top-sails and jib, with the wind almost astern, a little on her port quarter; when the _Constitution_ set her main-top gallant sail and foresail, and at 6. 05 closed within half pistol-shot distance on her adversary's port beam.

[Footnote: "Autobiography of Commodore Morris" (Annapolis, 1880), p. 164. ] Immediately a furious cannonade opened, each ship firing as the guns bore.

By the time the ships were fairly abreast, at 6. 20, the _Constitution_ shot away the _Guerrière's_ mizzen-mast, which fell over the starboard quarter, knocking a large hole in the counter, and bringing the ship round against her helm.

Hitherto she had suffered very greatly and the _Constitution_ hardly at all.

The latter, finding that she was ranging ahead, put her helm aport and then luffed short round her enemy's bows, [Footnote: Log of _Constitution_.

] delivering a heavy raking fire with the starboard guns and shooting away the _Guerrière's_ main-yard.

Then she wore and again passed her adversary's bows, raking with her port guns.

The mizzen-mast of the _Guerrière_, dragging in the water, had by this time pulled her bow round till the wind came on her starboard quarter; and so near were the two ships that the Englishman's bowsprit passed diagonally over the _Constitution's_ quarter-deck, and as the latter ship fell off it got foul of her mizzen-rigging, and the vessels then lay with the _Guerrière's_ starboard bow against the _Constitution's_ port, or lee quarter-gallery.

[Footnote: Cooper, in "Putnam's Magazine."

i.

475. ] The Englishman's bow guns played havoc with Captain Hull's cabin, setting fire to it; but the flames were soon extinguished by Lieutenant Hoffmann.

On both sides the boarders were called away; the British ran forward, but Captain Dacres relinquished the idea of attacking [Footnote: Address of Captain Dacres to the court-martial at Halifax.

] when he saw the crowds of men on the American's decks.

Meanwhile, on the _Constitution_, the boarders and marines gathered aft, but such a heavy sea was running that they could not get on the _Guerrière_.

Both sides suffered heavily from the closeness of the musketry fire; indeed, almost the entire loss on the _Constitution_ occurred at this juncture.

As Lieutenant Bush, of the marines, sprang upon the taffrail to leap on the enemy's decks, a British marine shot him dead; Mr. Morris, the first Lieutenant, and Mr. Alwyn, the master, had also both leaped on the taffrail, and both were at the same moment wounded by the musketry fire.

On the _Guerrière_ the loss was far heavier, almost all the men on the forecastle being picked off.

Captain Dacres himself was shot in the back and severely wounded by one of the American mizzen topmen, while he was standing on the starboard forecastle hammocks cheering on his crew [Footnote: James, vi, 144. ]; two of the lieutenants and the master were also shot down.

The ships gradually worked round till the wind was again on the port quarter, when they separated, and the _Guerrière's_ foremast and main-mast at once went by the board, and fell over on the starboard side, leaving her a defenseless hulk, rolling her main-deck guns into the water.

[Footnote: Brenton, v, 51. ] At 6. 30 the _Constitution_ hauled aboard her tacks, ran off a little distance to the eastward, and lay to.

Her braces and standing and running rigging were much cut up and some of the spars wounded, but a few minutes sufficed to repair damages, when Captain Hull stood under his adversary's lee, and the latter at once struck, at 7. 00 P.

M.

, [Footnote: Log of the _Constitution_.

] just two hours after she had fired the first shot.

On the part of the _Constitution_, however, the actual fighting, exclusive of six or eight guns fired during the first hour, while closing, occupied less than 30 minutes.

[Illustration: _Constitution_ vs. _Guerrière_ (1): "The Engagement" is the original title of this, the first in a series of four paintings of the action done for Captain Hull by Michele F. Corné.

(Courtesy US.

Naval Academy Museum)] [Illustration: _Constitution_ vs. _Guerrière_ (2): "In Action."

The _Guerrière's_ mizzenmast goes down.

(Courtesy U. S.

Naval Academy Museum)] [Illustration: _Constitution_ vs. _Guerrière_ (3): "Dropping Astern."

The _Guerrière's_ mainmast and foremast follow.

(Courtesy U.

S.

Naval Academy Museum)] [Illustration: _Constitution_ vs. _Guerrière_ (4): "She Fell in the Sea, A Perfect Wreck."

The puff of smoke over the _Guerrière's_ bow is from a gun being fired to leeward to signal her surrender, the customary practice when a vessel no longer had a flag to strike.

(Courtesy New Haven Historical Society)] The tonnage and metal of the combatants have already been referred to.

The _Constitution_ had, as already said, about 456 men aboard, while of the _Guerrière's_ crew, 267 prisoners were received aboard the _Constitution_; deducting 10 who were Americans and would not fight, and adding the 15 killed outright, we get 272; 28 men were absent in prizes.

COMPARATIVE FORCE

Comparative Broad- Comparative loss Tons Guns side Men Loss Force Inflicted _Constitution_ 1576 27 684 456 14 1. 00 1. 00 _Guerrière_ 1338 25 556 272 79 .

70 .

18 The loss of the _Constitution_ included Lieutenant William S. Bush, of the marines, and six seamen killed, and her first lieutenant, Charles Morris, Master, John C. Alwyn, four seamen, and one marine, wounded.

Total, seven killed and seven wounded.

Almost all this loss occurred when the ships came foul, and was due to the _Guerrière's_ musketry and the two guns in her bridle-ports.

The _Guerrière_ lost 23 killed and mortally wounded, including her second lieutenant, Henry Ready, and 56 wounded severely and slightly, including Captain Dacres himself, the first lieutenant, Bartholomew Kent, Master, Robert Scott, two master's mates, and one midshipman.

The third lieutenant of the _Constitution_, Mr. George Campbell Read, was sent on board the prize, and the _Constitution_ remained by her during the night; but at daylight it was found that she was in danger of sinking.

Captain Hull at once began removing the prisoners, and at three o'clock in the afternoon set the _Guerrière_ on fire, and in a quarter of an hour she blew up.

He then set sail for Boston, where he arrived on August 30th.

"Captain Hull and his officers," writes Captain Dacres in his official letter, "have treated us like brave and generous enemies; the greatest care has been taken that we should not lose the smallest trifle."

The British laid very great stress on the rotten and decayed condition of the _Guerrière_; mentioning in particular that the mainmast fell solely because of the weight of the falling foremast.

But it must be remembered that until the action occurred she was considered a very fine ship.

Thus, in Brighton's "Memoir of Admiral Broke," it is declared that Dacres freely expressed the opinion that she could take a ship in half the time the _Shannon_ could.

The fall of the main-mast occurred when the fight was practically over; it had no influence whatever on the conflict.

It was also asserted that her powder was bad, but on no authority; her first broadside fell short, but so, under similar circumstances, did the first broadside of the _United States_.

None of these causes account for the fact that her shot did not hit.

Her opponent was of such superior force--nearly in the proportion of 3 to 2--that success would have been very difficult in any event, and no one can doubt the gallantry and pluck with which the British ship was fought; but the execution was very greatly disproportioned to the force.

The gunnery of the _Guerrière_ was very poor, and that of the _Constitution_ excellent; during the few minutes the ships were yard-arm and yard-arm; the latter was not hulled once, while no less than 30 shot took effect on the former's engaged side, [Footnote: Captain Dacres' address to the court-martial.

] five sheets of copper beneath the bends.

The _Guerrière_, moreover, was out-manoeuvred; "in wearing several times and exchanging broadsides in such rapid and continual changes of position, her fire was much more harmless than it would have been if she had kept more steady."

[Footnote: Lord Howard Douglass, "Treatise on Naval Gunnery" (London, 1851), p. 454. ] The _Constitution_ was handled faultlessly; Captain Hull displayed the coolness and skill of a veteran in the way in which he managed, first to avoid being raked, and then to improve the advantage which the precision and rapidity of his fire had gained.

"After making every allowance claimed by the enemy, the character of this victory is not essentially altered.

Its peculiarities were a fine display of seamanship in the approach, extraordinary efficiency in the attack, and great readiness in repairing damages; all of which denote cool and capable officers, with an expert and trained crew; in a word, a disciplined man-of-war."

[Footnote: Cooper, ii.

173. ] The disparity of force, 10 to 7, is not enough to account for the disparity of execution, 10 to 2. Of course, something must be allowed for the decayed state of the Englishman's masts, although I really do not think it had any influence on the battle, for he was beaten when the main mast fell;

and it must be remembered, on the other hand, that the American crew was absolutely new, while the _Guerrière_ was manned by old hands.

So that, while admitting and admiring the gallantry, and, on the whole, the seamanship of Captain Dacres and his crew, and acknowledging that he fought at a great disadvantage, especially in being short-handed, yet all must acknowledge that the combat showed a marked superiority, particularly in gunnery, on the part of the Americans.

Had the ships not come foul, Captain Hull would probably not have lost more than three or four men; as it was, he suffered but slightly.

That the _Guerrière_ was not so weak as she was represented to be can be gathered from the fact that she mounted two more main-deck guns than the rest of her class; thus carrying on her main-deck 30 long 18-pounders in battery, to oppose to the 30 long 24's, or rather (allowing for the short weight of shot) long 22's, of the _Constitution_.

Characteristically enough, James, though he carefully reckons in the long bow-chasers in the bridle-ports of the _Argus_ and _Enterprise_, yet refuses to count the two long eighteens mounted through the bridle-ports on the _Guerrière's_ main-deck.

Now, as it turned out, these two bow guns were used very effectively, when the ships got foul, and caused more damage and loss than all of the other main-deck guns put together.

[Illustration: This diagram is taken from Commodore Morris' autobiography and the log of the _Guerrière_: the official accounts apparently consider "larboard" and "starboard" as interchangeable terms.

] Captain Dacres, very much to his credit, allowed the ten Americans on board to go below, so as not to fight against their flag; and in his address to the court-martial mentions, among the reasons for his defeat, "that he was very much weakened by permitting the Americans on board to quit their quarters."

Coupling this with the assertion made by James and most other British writers that the _Constitution_ was largely manned by Englishmen, we reach the somewhat remarkable conclusion, that the British ship was defeated because the Americans on board would _not_ fight against their country, and that the American was victorious because the British on board _would_.

However, as I have shown, in reality there were probably not a score of British on board the _Constitution_.

In this, as well as the two succeeding frigate actions, every one must admit that there was a great superiority in force on the side of the victors, and British historians have insisted that this superiority was so great as to preclude any hopes of a successful resistance.

That this was not true, and that the disparity between the combatants was not as great as had been the case in a number of encounters in which English frigates had taken French ones, can be best shown by a few accounts taken from the French historian Troude, who would certainly not exaggerate the difference.

Thus on March 1, 1799, the English 38-gun 18-pounder frigate _Sybille_, captured the French 44-gun 24-pounder frigate _Forte_, after an action of two hours and ten minutes.

[Footnote: "Batailles Navales de la France."

O.

Troude (Paris, 1868), iv, 171. ] In _actual_ weight the shot thrown by one of the main-deck guns of the defeated _Forte_ was over six pounds heavier than the shot thrown by one of the main-deck guns of the victorious _Constitution_ or _United States_.

[Footnote: See Appendix B, for actual weight of French shot.

] There are later examples than this.

But a very few years before the declaration of war by the United States, and in the same struggle that was then still raging, there had been at least two victories gained by English frigates over French foes as superior to themselves as the American 44's were to the British ships they captured.

On Aug.

10, 1805, the _Phoenix_, 36, captured the _Didon_, 40, after 3 1/2 hours' fighting, the comparative broadside force being: [Footnote: Ibid.

, lii, 425. ] _PHOENIX_ _DIDON_

13×18 14×18 2× 9 2× 8 6×32 7×36 ----------------- ----------------- 21 guns, 444 lbs.

23 guns, 522 lbs.

(nominal; about 600, real) On March 8, 1808, the _San Florenzo_, 36, captured the _Piedmontaise_, 40, the force being exactly what it was in the case of the _Phoenix_ and Didon.

[Footnote: Ibid.

, in, 499. ] Comparing the real, not the nominal weight of metal, we find that the _Didon_ and _Piedmontaise_ were proportionately of greater force compared to the _Phoenix_ and _San Florenzo_, than the _Constitution_ was compared to the _Guerrière_ or _Java_.

The French 18's threw each a shot weighing but about two pounds less than that thrown by an American 24 of 1812, while their 36-pound carronades each threw a shot over 10 pounds heavier than that thrown by one of the _Constitution's_ spar-deck 32's. That a 24-pounder can not always whip an 18-pounder frigate is shown by the action of the British frigate _Eurotas_ with the French frigate _Chlorinde_, on Feb.

25, 1814. [Footnote: James, vi, 391. ] The first with a crew of 329 men threw 625 pounds of shot at a broadside, the latter carrying 344 men and throwing 463 pounds; yet the result was indecisive.

The French lost 90 and the British 60 men.

The action showed that heavy metal was not of much use unless used well.

To appreciate rightly the exultation Hull's victory caused in the United States, and the intense annoyance it created in England, it must be remembered that during the past twenty years the Island Power had been at war with almost every state in Europe, at one time or another, and in the course of about two hundred single conflicts between ships of approximately equal force (that is, where the difference was less than one half), waged against French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Algerine, Russian, Danish, and Dutch antagonists, her ships had been beaten and captured in but five instances.

Then war broke out with America, and in eight months five single-ship actions occurred, in every one of which the British vessel was captured.

Even had the victories been due solely to superior force this would have been no mean triumph for the United States.

On October 13, 1812, the American 18-gun ship-sloop _Wasp_, Captain Jacob Jones, with 137 men aboard, sailed from the Delaware and ran off southeast to get into the track of the West India vessels; on the 16th a heavy gale began to blow, causing the loss of the jib-boom and two men who were on it.

The next day the weather moderated somewhat, and at 11. 30 P.

M.

, in latitude 37° N. , longitude 65° W.

, several sail were descried.

[Footnote: Capt. Jones' official letter, Nov.

24, 1812. ] These were part of a convoy of 14 merchant-men which had quitted the bay of Honduras on September 12th, bound for England, [Footnote: James' History, vi, 158. ] under the convoy of the British 18-gun brig-sloop _Frolic_, of 19 guns and 110 men, Captain Thomas Whinyates.

They had been dispersed by the gale of the 16th, during which the _Frolic's_ main-yard was carried away and both her top-sails torn to pieces [Footnote: Capt. Whinyates' official letter, Oct.

18, 1812. ]; next day she spent in repairing damages, and by dark six of the missing ships had joined her.

The day broke almost cloudless on the 18th (Sunday), showing the convoy, ahead and to leeward of the American ship, still some distance off, as Captain Jones had not thought it prudent to close during the night, while he was ignorant of the force of his antagonists.

The _Wasp_ now sent down to her top-gallant yards, close reefed her top-sails, and bore down under short fighting canvas; while the _Frolic_ removed her main-yard from the casks, lashed it on deck, and then hauled to the wind under her boom main-sail and close-reefed foretop-sail, hoisting Spanish colors to decoy the stranger under her guns, and permit the convoy to escape.

At 11. 32 the action began--the two ships running parallel on the starboard tack, not 60 yards apart, the _Wasp_, firing her port, and the _Frolic_ her starboard, guns.

The latter fired very rapidly, delivering three broadsides to the _Wasp's_ two, [Footnote: Cooper, 182. ] both crews cheering loudly as the ships wallowed through the water.

There was a very heavy sea running, which caused the vessels to pitch and roll heavily.

The Americans fired as the engaged side of their ship was going down, aiming at their opponent's hull [Footnote: Miles' Register, in, p. 324. ]; while the British delivered their broadsides while on the crests of the seas, the shot going high.

The water dashed in clouds of spray over both crews, and the vessels rolled so that the muzzles of the guns went under.

[Footnote: _Do_.

] But in spite of the rough weather, the firing was not only spirited but well directed.

At 11. 36 the _Wasp's_ maintop-mast was shot away and fell, with its yard, across the port fore and foretop-sail braces, rendering the head yards unmanageable; at 11. 46 the gaff and mizzentop-gallant mast came down, and by 11. 52 every brace and most of the rigging was shot away.

[Footnote: Capt. Jones' letter.

] It would now have been very difficult to brace any of the yards.

But meanwhile the _Frolic_ suffered dreadfully in her hull and lower masts, and had her gaff and head braces shot away.

[Footnote: Capt. Whinyates' letter.

] The slaughter among her crew was very great, but the survivors kept at their work with the dogged courage of their race.

At first the two vessels ran side by side, but the American gradually forged ahead, throwing in her fire from a position in which she herself received little injury; by degrees the vessels got so close that the Americans struck the _Frolic's_ side with their rammers in loading, [Footnote: Capt. Jones' letter.

] and the British brig was raked with dreadful effect.

The Frolic then fell aboard her antagonist, her jib-boom coming in between the main- and mizzen-rigging of the _Wasp_ and passing over the heads of Captain Jones and Lieutenant Biddle, who were standing near the capstan.

This forced the _Wasp_ up in the wind, and she again raked her antagonist, Captain Jones trying to restrain his men from boarding till he could put in another broadside.

But they could no longer be held back, and Jack Lang, a New Jersey seaman, leaped on the _Frolic's_ bowsprit.

Lieutenant Biddle then mounted on the hammock cloth to board, but his feet got entangled in the rigging, and one of the midshipmen seizing his coat-tails to help himself up, the lieutenant tumbled back on the deck.

At the next swell he succeeded in getting on the bowsprit, on which there were already two seamen whom he passed on the forecastle.

But there was no one to oppose him; not twenty Englishmen were left unhurt.

[Footnote: Capt. Whinyates' letter.

] The man at the wheel was still at his post, grim and undaunted, and two or three more were on deck, including Captain Whinyates and Lieutenant Wintle, both so severely wounded that they could not stand without support.

[Footnote: James, vi, 161. ] There could be no more resistance, and Lieutenant Biddle lowered the flag at 12. 15--just 43 minutes after the beginning of the fight.

[Footnote: Capt. Jones' letter.

] A minute or two afterward both the _Frolic's_ masts went by the board--the foremast about fifteen feet above the deck, the other short off.

Of her crew, as already said, not twenty men had escaped unhurt.

Every officer was wounded; two of them, the first lieutenant, Charles McKay, and master, John Stephens, soon died.

Her total loss was thus over 90 [Footnote: Capt. Whinyates' official letter thus states it, and is, of course, to be taken as authority; the Bermuda account makes it 69, and James only 62;] about 30 of whom were killed outright or died later.

The _Wasp_ suffered very severely in her rigging and aloft generally, but only two or three shots struck her hull;

five of her men were killed--two in her mizzen-top and one in her maintop-mast rigging--and five wounded, [Footnote: Capt. Jones' letter.

] chiefly while aloft.

[Illustration: _Wasp_ vs. _Frolic_: a contemporary painting by Thomas Birch, believed to have been done for the _Wasp's_ captain, James Biddle.

(Courtesy Peabody Museum of Salem)] The two vessels were practically of equal force.

The loss of the _Frolic's_ main-yard had merely converted her into a brigantine, and, as the roughness of the sea made it necessary to fight under very short canvas, her inferiority in men was fully compensated for by her superiority in metal.

She had been desperately defended; no men could have fought more bravely than Captain Whinyates and his crew.

On the other hand, the Americans had done their work with a coolness and skill that could not be surpassed; the contest had been mainly one of gunnery, and had been decided by the greatly superior judgment and accuracy with which they fired.

Both officers and crew had behaved well; Captain Jones particularly mentions Lieutenant Claxton, who, though too ill to be of any service, persisted in remaining on deck throughout the engagement.

The _Wasp_ was armed with 2 long 12's and 16 32-pound carronades;

the _Frolic_ with 2 long 6's, 16 32-pound carronades, and 1 shifting 12-pound carronade.

COMPARATIVE FORCE.

Tons.

No. Guns.

Weight Metal.

Crews.

Loss.

_Wasp_ 450 9 250 135 10 _Frolic_ 467 10 274 110 90 Vice-Admiral Jurien de la Gravière comments on this action as follows [Footnote: "Guerres Maritimes," ii, 287 (Septième Édition, Paris, 1881).

]: DIAGRAM [Footnote: It is difficult to reconcile the accounts of the manoeuvres in this action.

James says "larboard" where Cooper says "starboard"; one says the _Wasp_ wore, the other says that she could not do so, etc. ] [Illustration: Shows the paths of the _Wasp_ and the _Frolic_ during their battle and the positions of the ships at various times during the battle from 11. 32 to 12. 15] "The American fire showed itself to be as accurate as it was rapid.

On occasions when the roughness of the sea would seem to render all aim excessively uncertain, the effects of their artillery were not less murderous than under more advantageous conditions.

The corvette _Wasp_ fought the brig _Frolic_ in an enormous sea, under very short canvas, and yet, forty minutes after the beginning of the action, when the two vessels came together, the Americans who leaped aboard the brig found on the deck, covered with dead and dying, but one brave man, who had not left the wheel, and three officers, all wounded, who threw down their swords at the feet of the victors."

Admiral de la Gravière's criticisms are especially valuable, because they are those of an expert, who only refers to the war of 1812 in order to apply to the French navy the lessons which it teaches, and who is perfectly unprejudiced.

He cares for the lesson taught, not the teacher, and is quite as willing to learn from the defeat of the _Chesapeake_ as from the victories of the _Constitution_--while most American critics only pay heed to the latter.

The characteristics of the action are the practical equality of the contestants in point of force and the enormous disparity in the damage each suffered; numerically, the _Wasp_ was superior by 5 per cent.

, and inflicted a ninefold greater loss.

Captain Jones was not destined to bring his prize into port, for a few hours afterward the _Poictiers_, a British 74, Captain John Poer Beresford, hove in sight.

Now appeared the value of the _Frolic's_ desperate defence; if she could not prevent herself from being captured, she had at least ensured her own recapture, and also the capture of the foe.

When the _Wasp_ shook out her sails they were found to be cut into ribbons aloft, and she could not make off with sufficient speed.

As the _Poictiers_ passed the _Frolic_, rolling like a log in the water, she threw a shot over her, and soon overtook the _Wasp_.

Both vessels were carried into Bermuda.

Captain Whinyates was again put in command of the _Frolic_.

Captain Jones and his men were soon exchanged; 25,000 dollars prize-money was voted them by Congress, and Captain and Lieutenant Biddle were both promoted, the former receiving the captured ship _Macedonian_.

Unluckily the blockade was too close for him to succeed in getting out during the remainder of the war.

On Oct.

8th Commodore Rodgers left Boston on his second cruise, with the _President_, _United States_, _Congress_, and _Argus_, [Footnote: Letter of Commodore Rodgers.

Jan.

1. 1813. ] leaving the _Hornet_ in port.

Four days out, the _United States_ and _Argus_ separated, while the remaining two frigates continued their cruise together.

The _Argus_, [Footnote: Letter of Capt. Arthur Sinclair, Jan.

4, 1813. ] Captain Sinclair, cruised to the eastward, making prizes of 6 valuable merchant-men, and returned to port on January 3d.

During the cruise she was chased for three days and three nights (the latter being moonlight) by a British squadron, and was obliged to cut away her boats and anchors and start some of her water.

But she saved her guns, and was so cleverly handled that during the chase she actually succeeded in taking and manning a prize, though the enemy got near enough to open fire as the vessels separated.

Before relating what befell the _United States_, we shall bring Commodore Rodgers' cruise to an end.

On Oct.

10th the Commodore chased, but failed to overtake, the British frigate _Nymphe_, 38, Captain Epworth.

On the 18th, off the great Bank of Newfoundland, he captured the Jamaica packet _Swallow_, homeward bound, with 200,000 dollars in specie aboard.

On the 31st, at 9 A. M.

, lat.

33° N.

, long.

32° W.

, his two frigates fell in with the British frigate _Galatea_, 36, Captain Woodley Losack, convoying two South Sea ships, to windward.

The _Galatea_ ran down to reconnoitre, and at 10 A. M.

, recognizing her foes, hauled up on the starboard tack to escape.

The American frigates made all sail in chase, and continued beating to windward, tacking several times, for about three hours.

Seeing that she was being overhauled, the _Galatea_ now edged away to get on her best point of sailing; at the same moment one of her convoy, the _Argo_, bore up to cross the hawse of her foes, but was intercepted by the _Congress_, who lay to to secure her.

Meanwhile the _President_ kept after the _Galatea_; she set her top-mast, top-gallant mast and lower studding-sails, and when it was dusk had gained greatly upon her.

But the night was very dark, the _President_ lost sight of the chase, and, toward midnight, hauled to the wind to rejoin her consort.

The two frigates cruised to the east as far as 22° W. , and then ran down to 17° N. ; but during the month of November they did not see a sail.

They had but slightly better luck on their return toward home.

Passing 120 miles north of Bermuda, and cruising a little while toward the Virginia capes, they reentered Boston on Dec.

31st, having made 9 prizes, most of them of little value.

When four days out, on Oct.

12th, Commodore Decatur had separated from the rest of Rodgers' squadron and cruised east; on the 25th, in lat.

29° N.

, and long.

29° 30' W.

while going close-hauled on the port tack, with the wind fresh from the S. S.

E.

, a sail was descried on the weather beam, about 12 miles distant.

[Footnote: Official letter of Commodore Decatur, Oct.

30. 1812. ] This was the British 38-gun frigate _Macedonian_, Captain John Surnam Carden.

She was not, like the _Guerrière_, an old ship captured from the French, but newly built of oak and larger than any American 18-pounder frigate; she was reputed (very wrongfully) to be a "crack ship."

According to Lieut.

David Hope, "the state of discipline on board was excellent; in no British ship was more attention paid to gunnery.

Before this cruise, the ship had been engaged almost every day with the enemy; and in time of peace the crew were constantly exercised at the great guns."

[Footnote: Marshall's "Naval Biography," vol. iv, p. 1018. ] How they could have practised so much and learned so little is certainly marvellous.

The Macedonian set her foretop-mast and top-gallant studdings sails and bore away in chase, [Footnote: Capt. Carden to Mr. Croker, Oct.

28, 1812. ] edging down with the wind a little aft the starboard beam.

Her first lieutenant wished to continue on this course and pass down ahead of the _United States_, [Footnote: James, vi.

165. ] but Capt. Carden's over-anxiety to keep the weather-gage lost him this opportunity of closing.

[Footnote: Sentence of Court-martial held on the _San Domingo_, 74. at the Bermudas.

May 27, 1812. ] Accordingly he hauled by the wind and passed way to windward of the American.

As Commodore Decatur got within range, he eased off and fired a broadside, most of which fell short [Footnote: Marshall, iv, 1080. ]; he then kept his luff, and, the next time he fired, his long 24's told heavily, while he received very little injury himself.

[Footnote: Cooper, 11, 178. ] The fire from his main-deck (for he did not use his carronades at all for the first half hour) [Footnote: Letter of Commodore Decatur.

] was so very rapid that it seemed as if the ship was on fire; his broadsides were delivered with almost twice the rapidity of those of the Englishman.

[Footnote: James, vi, 169. ] The latter soon found he could not play at long bowls with any chance of success; and, having already erred either from timidity or bad judgment, Captain Carden decided to add rashness to the catalogue of his virtues.

Accordingly he bore up, and came down end on toward his adversary, with the wind on his port quarter.

The _States_ now (10. 15) laid her main-topsail aback and made heavy play with her long guns, and, as her adversary came nearer, with her carronades also.

[Illustration: Shows the paths of the _United States_ and the _Macedonian_ during their battle and the positions of the ships at various times during the battle from 09. 45 to 11. 15] The British ship would reply with her starboard guns, hauling up to do so; as she came down, the American would ease off, run a little way and again come to, keeping up a terrific fire.

As the _Macedonian_ bore down to close, the chocks of all her forecastle guns (which were mounted on the outside) were cut away [Footnote: Letter of Captain Carden.

]; her fire caused some damage to the American's rigging, but hardly touched her hull, while she herself suffered so heavily both alow and aloft that she gradually dropped to leeward, while the American fore-reached on her.

Finding herself ahead and to windward, the _States_ tacked and ranged up under her adversary's lee, when the latter struck her colors at 11. 15, just an hour and a half after the beginning of the action.

[Footnote: Letter of Commodore Decatur.

] [Illustration: Captain Stephen Decatur: a charcoal drawing done in 1809 by Charles B. J.

F.

St. -Memin.

(Courtesy Library of Congress)] The _United States_ had suffered surprisingly little; what damage had been done was aloft.

Her mizzen top-gallant mast was cut away, some of the spars were wounded, and the rigging a good deal cut;

the hull was only struck two or three times.

The ships were never close enough to be within fair range of grape and musketry, [Footnote: Letter of Commodore Decatur.

] and the wounds were mostly inflicted by round shot and were thus apt to be fatal.

Hence the loss of the Americans amounted to Lieutenant John Messer Funk (5th of the ship) and six seamen killed or mortally wounded, and only five severely and slightly wounded.

The _Macedonian_, on the other hand, had received over a hundred shot in her hull, several between wind and water; her mizzen-mast had gone by the board; her fore--and maintop-masts had been shot away by the caps, and her main-yard in the slings; almost all her rigging was cut away (only the fore-sail being left); on the engaged side all of her carronades but two, and two of her main-deck guns, were dismounted.

Of her crew 43 were killed and mortally wounded, and 61 (including her first and third lieutenants) severely and slightly wounded.

[Footnote: Letter of Captain Carden.

] Among her crew were eight Americans (as shown by her muster-roll); these asked permission to go below before the battle, but it was refused by Captain Carden, and three were killed during the action.

James says that they _were_ allowed to go below, but this is untrue; for if they had, the three would not have been slain.

The others testified that they had been forced to fight, and they afterward entered the American service--the only ones of the _Macedonian's_ crew who did, or who were asked to.

The _Macedonian_ had her full complement of 301 men; the _States_ had, by her muster-roll of October 20th, 428 officers, petty officers, seamen, and boys, and 50 officers and privates of marines, a total of 478 (instead of 509 as Marshall in his "Naval Biography" makes it).

COMPARATIVE FORCE.

Broadside Weight Size.

Guns.

Metal.

Men.

Loss.

_United States_ 1576 27 786 478 12 _Macedonian_ 1325 25 547 301 104 Comparative Comparative Loss Force.

Inflicted.

_States_ 100 100 _Macedonian_ 66 11 That is, the relative force being about as three is to two, [Footnote: I have considered the _United States_ as mounting her full allowance of 54 guns; but it is possible that she had no more than 49. In Decatur's letter of challenge of Jan.

17, 1814 (which challenge, by the way, was a most blustering affair, reflecting credit neither on Decatur, nor his opponent, Captain Hope, nor on any one else, excepting Captain Stackpole of H. M. S.

_Statira_), she is said to have had that number; her broadside would then be 15 long 24's below, 1 long 24, 1 12-pound, and 8 42-pound carronades above.

Her _real_ broadside weight of metal would thus be about 680 lbs.

, and she would be superior to the _Macedonian_ in the proportion of 5 to 4. But it is possible that Decatur had landed some of his guns in 1813, as James asserts; and though I am not at all sure of this, I have thought it best to be on the safe side in describing his force.

] the damage done was as nine to one!

Of course, it would have been almost impossible for the _Macedonian_ to conquer with one third less force; but the disparity was by no means sufficient to account for the ninefold greater loss suffered, and the ease and impunity with which the victory was won.