DECATUR AND BAINBRIDGE.
Just before the "Wasp" had set out on her short but eventful cruise,
Commodore Rodgers had put to sea again with his squadron. Soon after
leaving New York, the "United States," still under Capt. Stephen
Decatur, separated from the other ships, and steering to the southeast,
proceeded alone across the Atlantic. The "United States" was now in the
highest condition of efficiency: the captain had taken great pains to
train the crew in all that was needed to make them good fighting men;
and his efforts had been seconded most worthily by his first lieutenant,
William Henry Allen, the same who had proved his gallantry in the affair
of the Chesapeake.
About two weeks after leaving port, on the 25th of October, when in the
neighborhood of Madeira, the "United States" sighted a strange vessel to
the southward, which turned out to be the British frigate "Macedonian."
She was considered at this time to be the finest frigate in His
Majesty's Navy, and was, commanded by Capt. John Carden. It seems that
when Decatur had been cruising off our coast in his frigate before the
war, he had met the "Macedonian," and he and Carden had become good
friends,--at least as far as could be in those troublesome times,--and
had often exchanged good offices and hospitality. Thus they had talked
from time to time about the strength of the two frigates, and of the
probable result in case they should one day meet in battle. In these
friendly conversations Captain Carden would dwell upon the disadvantage,
as he thought it, of the American batteries; seeing that they carried
24-pounders where the English carried eighteens, which last, so he
thought, were handled more easily and quickly, and were as heavy as a
frigate ought to carry.
"Besides, Decatur," he added, "though your ships may be good enough, and
you are a clever set of fellows, what practice have you had in war?
There is the rub. We now meet as friends, and God grant we may never
meet as enemies; but we are subject to the orders of our Governments,
and must obey them. Should we meet as enemies, what do you suppose will
be the result?"
"I heartily reciprocate your sentiment," replied Decatur,--"that you and
I may never meet except as we now do; but if as enemies, and with equal
forces, the conflict will undoubtedly be a severe one, for the flag of
my country will never be struck while there is a hull for it to wave
from."
These two good friends and gallant companions were now to meet in the
trial of arms over whose issue they had talked and speculated. The
"Macedonian" came on before the wind, with studding-sails set, rapidly
approaching the American. The "United States" then wore, to delay the
fight, and perhaps to complete her preparations; but having cleared ship
for action, she wore again so that she might close with the enemy. At
this point, had Captain Carden held on his course, having much the
faster ship, he might have run across the bow of his antagonist and
raked her. But he wished to keep the weather-gage, and so hauled by the
wind; and at nine o'clock the two ships passed each other in opposite
directions, and exchanged their first broadsides at long range.
On board the "United States," everything was now ready for action, and
the men were waiting eagerly until the real battle should begin, for
they were confident of making a good fight. At this point a boy, Jack
Creamer by name, who had been allowed to make the cruise in the ship,
although too young to be regularly enrolled, came to Captain Decatur as
he stood upon the quarter-deck watching the enemy, and touching his
forelock, said,--
"Please, Commodore, will you have my name put on the muster-roll?"
"Why, my lad?" asked the captain, amused and interested at the boy's
eagerness.
"Because, sir," answered Jack, "then I shall be able to draw my prize
money."
So the order, was given, and Jack went back contented to his station.
The firing at long range was doing no good, and the ships having passed
each other, the "Macedonian," after going a little way, wore round, and
followed the "United States," overhauling her rapidly, as her superior
speed enabled her to do with ease. But as she approached nearly bows on,
Captain Decatur was able to oppose the guns on his quarter to those on
the enemy's bow in a running fight, and every now and then, by shifting
his helm a little, to bring his whole broadside to bear, raking her
with his diagonal fire. In a short time her mizzen-topmast was seen to
totter and fall, and as this made the sailing of the two ships equal,
Decatur backed his maintopsail and allowed her to come up.
As soon as the two ships were abreast there began that tremendous
disabling fire which was the secret of the Americans' success. The
"United States" fired two broadsides to the enemy's one, and seemed to
be in sheets of flame; so much so that the English thought her on fire
and gave three cheers in their delight. But they were mistaken, and they
soon found that the American fire was as accurate as it was rapid. It
was now the turn of the Americans to cheer, as the "Macedonian's"
mizzen-mast went by the board.
"Ay, ay, Jack," called out one of the gun-captains, "we have made a brig
of her!"
"Take good aim at the mainmast, my lad," said the captain, overhearing
him, "and she will soon be a sloop;" and in a little while, when her two
remaining topmasts came down with a crash, he added: "Aim now at the
yellow streak; her masts and rigging are going fast enough. She must
have more hulling."
And indeed it was a hulling that the "Macedonian" got that day, for one
hundred shot had entered her sides, her upper battery was disabled, and
all her boats were cut to pieces. Her people still held on with stubborn
courage, though one third of their number were by this time killed or
wounded, and tried to board, but the ship would not answer the helm. At
last, finding the contest hopeless, the gallant Carden struck his colors
and surrendered.
His ship was like a slaughter-house. Out of his crew of three hundred
men more than one hundred were killed or wounded. "Fragments of the
dead," said the lieutenant whom Decatur sent on board, "were distributed
in every direction, the decks covered with blood, one continued
agonizing yell of the unhappy wounded; a scene so horrible, of my
fellow-creatures, I assure you, deprived me very much of the pleasure of
victory." On board the "United States" there were hardly to be seen the
signs of battle. Some little damage had been done aloft, but nothing
that was not easily repaired. Two or three round shot were in her hull;
but her crew were almost unhurt, for out of four hundred and seventy-six
men she had but seven killed and five wounded. The difference in force,
both in guns and men, was greatly in her favor; but the difference in
the injuries that she inflicted and received went far beyond it.
As Captain Carden came on board the "United States," Decatur advanced to
meet him, and the two friends recognized each other. The vanquished
captain, filled with the bitterness and mortification of defeat, offered
his sword in silence.
"Sir," said his young conqueror, with the gentle courtesy that so became
him, "I cannot receive the sword of a man who has defended his ship so
bravely."
So the sword was returned, and all that lay in Decatur's power was done
to soothe the feelings of his enemy. The captured frigate was fitted out
with jury-masts, and together the two ships made for the United States,
where they arrived in safety early in December. The despatches
containing a report of the victory were carried to Washington by
Midshipman Hamilton, of the "United States," the son of the Secretary
of the Navy; and as he travelled post-haste from New London to New York,
and on through Jersey and Pennsylvania and Maryland, everywhere the news
of "another victory over the British frigates" was borne onward and
spread from lip to lip and from house to house, until the whole country
from New England to Georgia was filled with joyous and triumphant
acclamations.
* * * * *
On the very day of the battle between the "United States" and the
"Macedonian," the "Constitution," now commanded by Captain Bainbridge,
was making her final preparations at Boston to set sail on a cruise. On
the next day, the 26th of October, all was ready; and the frigate, whose
name was already endeared to Americans by the victory over the
"Guerrière," started forth to win for herself fresh renown. The sloop
"Hornet," under Capt. James Lawrence, sailed in company with the
"Constitution," and the two ships shaped their course for the coast of
Brazil, where the "Essex," under Captain Porter, was to meet them. From
this point, if no mishap occurred, they were to sail as a flying
squadron for a cruise in the Pacific. As it turned out, the junction was
never made, and the proposed plan was not carried out; but perhaps it
was just as well in the end, for even if they had been together it would
have been hard for them to accomplish more than they did separately, as
we shall see by following the adventures that befell them.
[Illustration: "THE SHIPS WERE STEERING TO THE EASTWARD ON PARALLEL
COURSES."]
Soon after reaching their first cruising-ground the "Constitution" and
"Hornet" put into San Salvador, where they found the sloop-of-war "Bonne
Citoyenne" lying in the harbor. The English sloop could not be induced
to come out and fight, although Bainbridge promised not to interfere; so
leaving the "Hornet" to blockade her, the "Constitution" sailed away on
a cruise. She had been out only three days, when, on the 29th of
December, being then about ten leagues from the coast of Brazil, at nine
in the morning she sighted two vessels to the northeast. These were the
British 38-gun frigate "Java," under Capt. Henry Lambert, and an
American merchantman, a prize of the "Java." The "Constitution" stood
for the strangers; but at eleven she tacked to the southward and
eastward to draw the "Java" away from the coast, and also to separate
her from the prize, which in the distance Captain Bainbridge mistook for
a ship-of-war. This course was kept up for some time, the "Java," which
had now hoisted English colors, gradually lessening her distance; when
at about half-past one Captain Bainbridge hauled up his courses and took
in his royals, tacked ship, and stood for the enemy. Half an hour later
the battle began with a broadside from the "Constitution."
The ships were now half a mile apart, steering to the eastward on
parallel courses. The "Constitution" had the advantage in guns, and she
carried fifty more men than the "Java;" but they were so nearly a match
that the difference could not have affected the result, whichever way it
turned out. The "Java" was a faster ship, and she had therefore greatly
the advantage in manoeuvring. She was constantly trying to get in
position to rake, and the "Constitution" was constantly on the watch to
baffle her. The wheel of the American frigate was shot away early in the
action; but this injury was quickly remedied, and never was a vessel
handled with greater skill.
Soon after the attack began, Captain Bainbridge was wounded by a
musket-ball in the hip, but he refused to leave his post. A few minutes
later a piece of langrage entered his thigh, causing intense pain; but
still he stayed on deck directing the movement of his ship as calmly as
if his men were at drill instead of in battle. The firing had now lasted
forty minutes, and no great damage had been done, owing to the distance
between the ships; Bainbridge became impatient, and determined to close
with the "Java" in spite of her raking. So he set his foresail and
mainsail, and luffed up close to her, pouring in that furious fire for
which the American frigates were to acquire their greatest fame.
In a few minutes the head of the "Java's" bowsprit was shot away.
Bainbridge now wore ship, and the "Java," as the quickest way to get
about, tacked; but unfortunately for her, her headsails were gone, and
after coming up in the wind she paid off slowly. The American captain,
ever on the watch, saw his opportunity, and luffing up astern of her, as
she was in the midst of her manoeuvre, raked her deck; then wearing
again, he resumed his course and the "Java" was once more alongside. But
she had better be anywhere else; for the American gunners, cool and
steady, were now firing with fatal precision. She seemed to have become
a mere target floating alongside. Captain Lambert bore up toward the
"Constitution," trying to get on board; but at this instant his foremast
fell and his design was frustrated. A few minutes more, and the "Java's"
maintopmast tottered and came down; next the gaff and spanker boom were
shattered; and finally down came the mizzen-mast, leaving her nothing
but the ragged stump of the main-mast above the deck. On all sides the
men were falling at the guns, under the withering fire of grape-shot
from the "Constitution." Captain Lambert was mortally wounded, and the
command fell to Lieutenant Chads, the first lieutenant, who refused to
believe himself beaten. But he could do nothing; his fire ceased, and as
the clouds of smoke rolled away they disclosed on the one hand a
dismasted wreck, and on the other a frigate sound and whole, except for
some slight damage to her spars and rigging. So there was nothing left
for him but surrender.
In this gallant action--gallant on the enemy's side as well as on our
own--the "Constitution" had thirty-four killed and wounded, and the
"Java" one hundred and fifty. Captain Lambert died soon after of his
wounds. Among the prisoners was General Hislop, the Governor of Bombay,
who was on his way to assume his post. The General and all the other
prisoners, whom Captain Bainbridge treated with the utmost courtesy and
kindness, were paroled, and landed at San Salvador. The ship could not
be taken into port, and two days after the action, on New Year's eve,
she was set on fire and blown up. The "Constitution" now gave up her
cruise in the Pacific and returned to the United States.
With this battle ended the year 1812, the most memorable that ever
occurred in the history of our navy. For though gallant things had been
done before this time, during the Revolution and the war with Tripoli,
and though in the later wars, as well as in the later years of this same
war, the record of naval achievements showed no falling off in
brilliancy, there was a splendor so full, so dazzling, and so
unexpected about this uninterrupted succession of triumphs on the ocean,
that it would be hard to describe in words the depths to which it
stirred the nation. That despised and belittled navy,--despised alike at
home and abroad,--which the Government had proposed at the outbreak of
war to lay up, that it might be kept out of harm's way as a plaything
and an ornament fit only for peaceful use, had shown itself a most
terrible engine of offensive war. Those much-abused frigates, of which
we had but half a dozen for the nation's defence, had met the frigates
of Great Britain in battle, and had conquered,--conquered the victors of
Camperdown and Cape St. Vincent, of Aboukir and Trafalgar; beaten them
on their own ground in honest hard fighting, beaten them thrice over,
and beaten them as they had never been beaten before. The bitter strife
of political parties, the truckling to this or that foreign State, which
had vexed the councils of the nation for twenty years, and lowered the
self-respect of Americans, was cast aside in united rejoicings at the
success with which Hull, Decatur, and Bainbridge had asserted and
maintained American independence and the rights of American citizens;
and the country at last began to look upon the navy as its best
protection, and as the stanchest supporter of the national honor.
The frigate actions of 1812 had produced results almost as marked in
England as in America. For twenty years English ships had been
accustomed to victory over every enemy, even in the face of heavy odds.
The nation looked upon them as invincible. About the Americans it knew
so little and cared so little that it had hardly felt any general
interest or concern in the war. The loss of the "Guerrière" came upon it
like a clap of thunder in a clear sky. Of course some reason must be
discovered for so extraordinary an event, and it was said that the
frigate was old and rotten, and her powder, was bad. But as capture
followed capture, as the "Frolic," the "Macedonian," and the "Java" were
surrendered in quick succession, the first murmurs of discontent swelled
to an angry outcry. The naval administration was bitterly assailed, and
called upon to take more energetic measures. It was necessary to devise
something to serve as an excuse for defeat. Then arose that foolish
clamor that the frigates of the Americans were not frigates at all, but
ships-of-the-line in disguise, and that the naval authorities of Great
Britain had been hoodwinked by a Yankee trick into sending frigates to
fight them. As if they had not had scores of opportunities--in the
Mediterranean, on the American coast, and even in their own ports of
Southampton and Gibraltar--to find out what the "Constitution" and her
sister ships were like; and as if anything but their own folly and
arrogance had prevented them from seeing long before that our
constructors had built for us superior frigates!