high acting rank, was promoted at once to a captaincy, the date of his
commission bearing the date of his victory. He was given the command of
the frigate _Java_, a new 44-gun ship then fitting out at Baltimore.
Gold medals were awarded to him and to Elliot by Congress, and
silver medals to each of the commissioned officers. A silver medal
also was given to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Brooks of
the marines, and swords to the nearest male relatives of Midshipmen
Laub, Claxton, and Clark. Three months’ extra pay was voted to all the
officers, seamen, and marines, and, in addition, Congress gave $225,000
in prize-money, to be divided among the American forces engaged in
the action. This sum was distributed in the following proportions:
Commodore Chauncey, who was in command on the lakes, $12,750; Perry and
Elliot, $7140 each--besides which Congress voted Perry an additional
$5000; the commanders of gunboats, lieutenants, sailing-masters, and
lieutenants of marines received $2295 each; midshipmen, $811; petty
officers, $447 per capita; and marines and sailors, $209 apiece.
No money, however, could repay the brave men for the service they had
rendered the country. Today the dwellers along the shores of Lake Erie
preserve the anniversary of the battle as an occasion for rejoicing.
While the naval actions at sea reflected honor and glory to their
commanders and credit to the service, the winning of the battle of Lake
Erie averted a national catastrophe.
XI
THE DEFENCE OF THE “GENERAL ARMSTRONG” [September 26th, 1814]
Samuel Chester Reid was born at Norwich, Connecticut, in August, 1783.
Like the majority of the commanders who gained renown during the war
of 1812, his seafaring life began at a very early age. At eleven years
he made his first voyage, and shortly afterwards he was captured
by a French privateer, and for some time confined in the prison at
Basseterre. He was released after six months’ imprisonment, and,
turning towards the regular navy, he served as acting midshipman on
the U.S.S. _Baltimore_, and saw a good bit of active service with the
squadron under Commodore Truxton in the West Indies.
As he held no regular commission in the service, he saw the great
chance and opportunity presented for privateering enterprise, and
took command of the _General Armstrong_, privateer. Her cruises were
uniformly successful, and had it not been that circumstances forced her
into national prominence she would probably have been forgotten like a
hundred others of her class that had a vogue at the time. They enjoyed
the popularity of the successful actor, but their names have gone out
of people’s memories after their short careers of glory.
But there has probably been as much writing done about the wonderful
defence of the _General Armstrong_, under Captain Samuel Reid, as
there has been about any action in which ships of our regular navy
participated. Captain Reid died in 1861, but even after his death the
“_Armstrong_ affair” was long kept before the public mind, owing to the
claims of the heirs of the owners of the American vessel for damages
against the Portuguese government.
The _General Armstrong_ was a fast-sailing, cleverly handled little
vessel, and she sailed from the port of New York, her crew having
been recruited there. It was a motley gathering, as a great many of
the crews of these vessels were, being composed of the pick of the
merchant service, a few down-east fishermen, and, not strange to
relate, adventurers of every sort and description, who, however, proved
themselves to be great fighters when under competent leadership. Her
full complement was about ninety men. The brig’s armament was rather
a peculiar one; she carried no carronades, but had three long nines
on either side, and a long 24-pounder amidships. She could fight at
a greater distance than many of the vessels belonging to the regular
service.
Farragut in his journal mentions that when he was a midshipman of the
_Essex_, sailing from New York, a sail was sighted off the weather
beam. To the surprise of the officers she was carrying more canvas
than might have been considered prudent considering the weather,
but she stood up under it and legged it so fast that she soon came
within hailing distance of the _Essex_. The latter vessel, not knowing
her character, had her men at quarters. All the officers admired the
way the little brig was handled. Upon speaking her she proved to be
the _General Armstrong_, bound upon her second cruise into British
waters--her first had been most successful.
But to the event which has handed her name down to history. On
September 26th, 1814, the _General Armstrong_ came to anchor in the
Portuguese harbor of Fayal. At about sunset of the same day three large
ships, flying the British flag, were seen to enter the roads.
As the privateer lay some distance out and it was dead calm within the
harbor, Captain Reid deemed it wise to trust entirely to the neutrality
of the port, and to claim the protection that should be given to any
vessel by a neutral power.
As darkness fell he saw some suspicious actions on the part of the
British ships--the _Carnation_ coming as close as pistol-shot range,
and the others approaching to a distance of less than two miles;
through the glass Reid could see that boats were being lowered. He
trusted, however, for some time in the good faith and justice of
the British captains, but these preparations suggested no peaceful
intentions, and he began to warp his brig closer in to shore, anchoring
at last, stem and stern, under the very guns of the castle that
commanded the harbor.
Calling his men on deck, he told them that he thought that the British
intended, if possible, to cut him out. At once the temper of the crew
was evident. A boatswain’s mate approached him, and, saluting, said:
“You can trust in us, sir. What you _say_ we _do_.”
It was growing dusk. At about eight o’clock Captain Reid plainly saw
four boats filled with armed men row down towards him. As soon as they
were within hailing distance he stepped upon the bulwarks, and, making
a trumpet of his hands, he shouted: “Boats there! Approach no nearer;
for your safety I warn you.”
The rowing ceased, and there was evidently a consultation among
the officers in command. Captain Reid’s men were standing at their
quarters. Two of the guns were heavily loaded with grape. After talking
a few minutes it was evident that the English decided to risk the
venture, for the oars caught the water at once, and they came dashing
on towards the American vessel. All dissembling was laid aside, and
Reid ordered his men to fire. Two of the boats mounted swivels forward
and returned shots in answer. A discharge of small-arms also began,
but the torrent of grape that had raked one of the cutters had killed
a first lieutenant and several of his men, and most of the others
were wounded. The boats swung back, and made for the sanctuary of the
vessels in the harbor.
The moon had now risen, and it was very light. Large crowds had
gathered on the shore, but the castle displayed no intention of taking
any part in the affair.
The commanders of His Britannic Majesty’s ships _Plantagenet_, _Rota_,
and _Carnation_ held a consultation. It resulted in a “most outrageous
violation of the neutrality of a friendly port, and utter contempt of
the laws of civilized nations,” to quote from the report of John G.
Dabney, American consul at Fayal.
Angered at the result of their first attempt, the English threw all
caution aside. They crowded as many men as possible into all the boats
they had, armed them with carronades, swivels, and small-arms, and once
more rowed down in two divisions; but Reid was waiting for them. The
guns were double-shotted, and he moved two of the long nines from the
other side across the deck and cut ports for them in the bulwarks. A
tremendous action now began, which lasted about forty minutes. Never
in any of the hostile meetings between the frigates or the fleets of
the United States and England has such destruction and carnage been
recorded, in proportion to the number engaged, as is shown by the loss
of the British on this occasion. The fire from the brig cut away whole
boats’ crews and almost destroyed the boats. It is estimated that about
400 men were divided among the flotilla of the attacking party. They
fought bravely, but there is merit in being well prepared for defence.
More than half of the British were either killed or wounded, “Long
Tom,” the 25-pounder, doing terrible execution.
The outmost boats showed signs of giving up the contest. Those nearer
the _General Armstrong_ continued to fight desperately, but none had
approached near enough to cut their way through the boarding nettings
which Reid had strung along the sides.
Seeing that there was an intention to retire, if possible, on the
part of the British, he slackened his fire. Two boats were drifting,
however, beneath the quarter of the privateer. They were loaded with
their own dead. From these two boats only seventeen men reached shore
alive, and, with the exception of three, all of these were wounded.
The following day, from dawn until sunset, the British were occupied in
burying their dead, among them being two lieutenants, one midshipman of
the _Rota_, and the first lieutenant of the _Plantagenet_, who died of
his wounds. The British endeavored to conceal the extent of the loss,
but even they admit that they lost in killed and those who died of
their wounds afterwards upward of one hundred and twenty-five officers
and men.
The captain of the _Rota_, in his report, stated that he lost seventy
men from his own ship.
It was claimed by the English that the first expedition of four boats,
which was sent out early in the evening of the 26th, was merely a
reconnoitring party, and had no hostile intentions; but it seemed a
strange thing to reconnoitre at night an enemy’s vessel in a friendly
port with one hundred and twenty armed men, a third as many again
as were on board the American brig. There is no question, viewing
the proceedings dispassionately, that they had hoped to take Reid by
surprise.
To quote from Dabney’s report once more: “In vain can he [the
British commander] expect by such subterfuge to shield himself from
the indignation of the world and the merited resentment of his own
government and nation for thus trampling on the sovereignty of their
most ancient and faithful ally, and for the wanton sacrifice of British
lives.”
The comparison of the loss sustained by the American and by the British
sides is almost ridiculous--on the _Armstrong_ two were killed and
seven wounded. One of the former was Alexander O. Williams, of New
York, the second lieutenant, an officer of bravery and merit. The first
and third lieutenants, Messrs. Worth and Johnson, were wounded, and
thus, strange to say, Captain Reid was deprived of the services of all
of his junior officers, and was forced to conduct the defence alone.
The next morning one of the British ships took advantage of the wind
which sprang up, and, sailing in, commenced a heavy cannonade upon
the privateer. Captain Reid replied for a few moments, but finding
of course that the result of final capture was inevitable, owing to
the fact that the other vessels displayed intentions of joining in,
he decided to abandon the _General Armstrong_. He hove his guns and
powder overboard, and, manning his boats, brought his crew ashore.
As soon as the _Armstrong_ was abandoned the British took possession of
her, but, finding that she had been partially destroyed, out of revenge
immediately set fire to her.
Dabney, in his letter to the Secretary of State, remarks as follows:
“At nine o’clock in the evening (soon after the first attack) I called
on the Governor, requesting his Excellency to protect the privateer,
either by force or by such remonstrance to the commander of the
squadron as would cause him to desist from any further attempt. The
Governor, indignant at what had passed, but feeling himself totally
unable, with the slender means he possessed, to resist such a force,
took the part of remonstrating, which he did in forcible but respectful
terms. His letter to Captain Lloyd had no other effect than to produce
a menacing reply, insulting in the highest degree. Nothing can exceed
the indignation of the public authorities, as well as of all ranks and
descriptions of persons here, at this unprovoked enormity. Such was
the rage of the British to destroy this vessel that no regard was paid
to the safety of the town. Some of the inhabitants were wounded, and a
number of houses were much damaged. The strongest representations on
this subject are prepared by the Governor for his court.”
Now followed one of the strangest incidents that occurred during
our last war with England. The senior commander, Captain Lloyd,
threatened to send on shore an armed force to arrest the crew of
the privateer, claiming that Englishmen were among them; but the
_General Armstrong’s_ people fled to the mountains, and some of them
took possession of an old church, preparing to defend themselves.
Lloyd was fearful of losing more men if he tried to force this point;
so, resorting to stratagem, he addressed an official letter to the
Governor, stating that in the American crew were two men deserters from
his own squadron, and who were thus guilty of high-treason. Under this
claim a force was sent into the country by the Portuguese. The American
seamen were arrested and brought to town, but the pretended deserters
could not be found. All the seamen, however, had to pass under the
humiliating examination of the British officers.
It was a fortunate thing that the erroneous statement of Captain Lloyd
resulted in nothing more serious than this.
Reid protested against the actions of the commanders of the British
squadron, and also against the government of Portugal for not
protecting him, and it was on this protest that the wearisome waiting
and lawsuits arose which became known as the “Armstrong claims,”
and which were decided unfortunately against the Americans by Louis
Napoleon, who was chosen arbiter. The “Long Tom” was presented to
America by the Portuguese three years ago, and was exhibited at the
World’s Fair in Chicago.
XII
THE LOSS OF THE “ESSEX”
[March 28th, 1814]
Late in the fall of 1813 a little American brig made her way up the
coast with a cargo that had once been consigned to some British
merchants in the West Indies.
The little brig had also, a few months previously, flown the British
flag, but now she came drifting into the harbor of New York under a
prize-master and his crew, for she had been taken in the Gulf of Mexico
by one of the privateers that had outfitted from New York.
She brought the news that only a short time before her capture three
smart English vessels had stopped at the port in which she had lain at
anchor. Two of these three vessels were sent from England on a special
mission; it was intended that they should round the Horn and cruise in
company in the Pacific Ocean in search of the frigate _Essex_, that had
spread terror from China to South America, and had chased the British
shipping off the western ocean.
On the 27th of October, 1812, the _Essex_, under the command of David
Porter, a fearless and persistent fighter, had set sail from the
United States on a cruise to the southward, his orders being to join
Bainbridge, his superior in the _Constitution_. The coast of Brazil
was then the cruising-ground for a large force of English ships of war.
Porter, hearing that Bainbridge, after his action with the _Java_, had
been forced to return to the United States, determined to make his way
around the continent into the blue waters of the Pacific. He had made
one important capture a few days before arriving at this last decision,
having taken the _Nocton_, one of King George’s packets. On board of
her were found eleven thousand pounds in specie.
After suffering severe hardships and meeting with many adverse winds
and tides in rounding the Horn, Porter at last made his way along the
harborless western coast, and arrived at Valparaiso on the 14th of
March, 1813.
The _Essex’s_ crew had been on short allowance of water and small
rations, but not a murmur of dissatisfaction had been raised throughout
the voyage.
Having rested and victualled his ship, in a short time Porter hoisted
his anchors, spread his sails, and sailed out to sea again.
He had been out but a few days when he came across a Peruvian
corsair. Ordering her to heave to, he boarded her, and found, to his
astonishment, that she had on board twenty-four American sailors, the
crews of two whaling ships which she had taken on the coast of Chili.
When asked to explain his conduct, the Peruvian captain answered that,
in view of the fact that his country was an ally of Great Britain, and
that war was soon to be declared between Spain and America, he had
taken matters into his own hand. Porter, much incensed, released the
American sailors, and having thrown all the ammunition and guns of the
rather previous pirate overboard, he was let go, with a letter to the
Viceroy, complaining of his conduct.
Just before the _Essex_ entered the harbor of Lima she overhauled one
of the corsair’s prizes, replaced her crew on board of her, and sent
them on their way to New Bedford rejoicing.
For a year the _Essex_ cruised up and down the coast of South America,
extending her voyages far to the westward, to the various islands,
which were visited then infrequently by traders and whaling vessels.
During this cruise she frightened British commerce entirely from these
waters, and the strange spectacle of seeing one ship in control of a
vast territory was presented to the eyes of the world. The British
Admiralty were vexed and astounded beyond measure. Here one day and
there the next, Porter appeared to be in command of a fleet instead of
a single frigate.
He had fitted one of the captured British whalers as a tender, and
named her the _Essex Junior_, placing her under the command of
Lieutenant Downes, giving her an armament of ten 18-pound carronades
and ten short sixes, with a complement of sixty men.
At last, tiring of capturing merchantmen and glutted with the spoils
of easy victories, Porter decided to look for larger game; for the
news had been brought to him that the vessels which the little brig had
reported at New York so long before were on their way, sailing under
orders to find him at all hazards.
His ship required repairing, and therefore he sailed, accompanied
by his convoy of prizes, to the island of Nookaheeva, one of the
Washington group, that had been discovered by Captain Ingraham, of
Boston. Porter took possession in the name of the United States,
renaming it “Madison Island.”
Here he cached many of his stores, and anchored three of the prizes
well inshore. Erecting a small battery in a good position to command
the small harbor, Lieutenant Gamble, of the marines, and twenty-one men
were left with orders to proceed to Valparaiso after a certain period.
Two of the captures were given up to the prisoners and sent to England.
Three had been sent to America, and some were already anchored in the
neutral port of Valparaiso. It was December 12th when Porter set sail
from Madison Island for the coast of Chili. The _Essex Junior_ followed
in his wake.
He arrived safely in the harbor, and had been there but a short time,
overhauling his spars and running-gear, when two sail came in from the
westward; they were the _Phoebe_, under the command of Captain Hillyar,
and the _Cherub_, sloop of war--both strongly armed and manned with
picked crews--the very ships that had been sent out to look for the
_Essex_.
No sooner had they come into sight of the long headland than they found
the frigate they were so eager to meet, within a short distance of
them. Then it was plain that they were not going to allow her to escape.
The British vessels, as they came down the harbor upon their first
entrance, sailed quite close to the American--so close, indeed, that,
in endeavoring to come about, the _Phoebe_ missed stays and fell afoul
of the _Essex_, presenting herself in position to be raked fore and
aft; but Porter respected the neutrality of the port and restrained his
fire.
Had he known what was going to happen within the next few weeks, there
probably would have been a different termination to the _Essex’s_
glorious cruise.
The divisions were all at quarters, matches burning, and it was with
difficulty that the feverish seamen could be held in check.
So close were the ships that the men standing at the guns on the
British vessels could be easily seen, even taunts were exchanged and
grimaces were made over the bulwarks and through the open ports.
Sailing across to the other side of the harbor, and tacking again, the
British vessels anchored near the entrance.
Now for some time ensued a remarkable condition of affairs. The
commanders met on shore and exchanged gravely the courtesies which
navy men extended to one another in those days, belligerents though
they were. The shore parties of both forces meeting in town, under
strict orders, for a wonder, managed to keep from fighting, but they
were itching to be at it.
Porter had long flown a flag of his own with the motto, “Free Trade and
Sailors’ Rights.”
But, as if not to be outdone, the British commander threw to the air
his strips of bunting with a motto of his own: “God and Country.
British Sailors’ Best Rights. Traitors Offend Both.” (It was a fallacy
of the British that our ships were manned by deserters from the royal
service.)
The sail-maker and his assistant were soon at work on board the
American, and from the mizzen-mast of the _Essex_ appeared the next
morning:
“God, Our Country, and Liberty. Tyrants Offend Them.”
Many times had Porter tried to get a challenge from Captain Hillyar (as
the _Essex_ was the weaker vessel, he was not in a position to offer
the challenge himself), and he let it be well understood that he would
meet the _Phoebe_, in open combat, and would agree that the _Essex
Junior_ should take no hand, on the condition that the _Cherub_ also
should remain inactive.
The prudence of Captain Hillyar cannot but be commended. He was under
strict orders not to run any risks; he knew his enemy was at his
mercy; but the _Essex_ had been put down, as most of our cruisers were
in those days, as “a dangerous nondescript,” to quote from the British
press of the time. In fact, many British frigates in the Atlantic
waters, where the _Constitution_ had gained her laurels, kept near to
the great towering battle-ships--guard-ships, they were called.
It was all arranged that if the _Essex_ should show a tendency to
make her way to sea, the _Phoebe_ and _Cherub_ would attack her
simultaneously. That was their idea in sailing in each other’s company.
Fearing that Porter might take advantage of a favorable wind to slip
past them if they remained at anchor, Captain Hillyar left the harbor,
and with the _Phoebe_ proceeded to sea, where both ships patrolled up
and down like sentries at a prison gate.
The united force of the English vessels amounted to eighty-one guns and
five hundred men, in addition to which they had taken on board for the
nonce the crew of an English letter-of-marque that was then lying in
port.
The force of the _Essex_ consisted of 46 guns, all of which, except six
long twelves, were 32-pound carronades, and useless except in close
fighting. Her crew, much reduced by the manning of her many prizes,
consisted of but two hundred and fifty men. The armament of the _Essex
Junior_ we have named before.
It was evident that as long as the British vessels remained where they
were, the _Essex_ was as good as captured. Something must be done,
and with such a commander as Porter the boldest plan was the most
attractive.
Many incidents had occurred to break the monotony of the blockade. Many
times had he left his anchorage, spread his sails, and made a feint of
leaving the harbor, and in all these trials he had found that his ship
could give the others points and beat them, so far as sailing went.