Cause of the War of 1812--Discreditable Work of the Land
Forces--Brilliant Record of the Navy--The _Constitution_--Captain Isaac
Hull--Battle Between the _Constitution_ and _Guerriere_--Winning a
Wager.
Probably no hostilities in which the United States was ever engaged so
abound with stirring, romantic and remarkable exploits as those upon the
ocean in the War of 1812.
Now, as to the cause of the war between England and our country: Great
Britain was engaged in a tremendous conflict with France, at the head of
which was the greatest military leader of the world, Napoleon Bonaparte.
England needed every soldier and sailor she could get. Some of them
deserted to our ships, so her officers began the practice of stopping
such vessels on the ocean, searching them for deserters, and if found
they were taken away. Sometimes she took Americans, because she knew
they were good seamen, and, to excuse her action, she declared they were
deserters from the British navy.
[Illustration: IMPRESSING AMERICAN SAILORS.]
This action was against the law of nations. She had no more right to
molest an American vessel than she had to land a force on our coast,
march inland and search the house of a private family. We protested, but
she paid no attention. It happened more than once that when our vessels
refused to be searched the English fired into them and killed and
wounded some of the American crews. If any nation acted that way toward
England to-day she would declare war at once, and so would any other
nation.
Finding there was no peaceable way of stopping the unbearable conduct of
Great Britain, our country, in the month of June, 1812, declared war
against her, and it lasted until the early part of 1815.
There was one feature of that war which it is not pleasant for Americans
to recall. It opened with a cowardly surrender by General William Hull
of Detroit to the English army, and for two years our land forces did
very little to their credit. They set out to invade Canada several
times, but in every instance were beaten. The leading generals were
"poor sticks," quarreled among themselves, and for a time failed to gain
any advantage. The trouble was not with the soldiers. They were among
the best in the world, but their leaders were of no account. By and by,
however, the poor officers were weeded out and good ones took their
places. Then something was accomplished in which we all could feel
pride.
It was just the other way on the ocean. From the very start our naval
vessels and privateers won the most brilliant of victories. This was the
more remarkable when several facts are kept in mind. Great Britain had
been at war so long that she had the most powerful navy by far in the
world. It numbered one thousand and thirty-six vessels, of which two
hundred and fifty-four were ships-of-the-line, not one of which carried
less than seventy guns of large calibre. This prodigious navy was manned
by one hundred and forty-four thousand sailors, and eighty-five of her
war vessels were on the American coast, equipped and ready for action.
In amazing contrast to all this, we had only twenty large war vessels
and a number of gunboats that were of little account. The disparity was
so great that our Government, after looking at the situation and
discussing the matter, decided that it would be folly to fight England
on the ocean, and it was decided not to do so. When Captains Stewart and
Bainbridge learned of this decision, they went to President Madison and
his advisers and insisted that the American navy, weak as it was, should
be given a chance of showing what it could do. Consent was finally
given, and then opened the wonderful career of our cruisers and
privateers.
Among the frigates that had been built during our war with France was
the _Constitution_, which carried 44 guns. She earned the name of being
one of the luckiest ships in the navy, and because of her astonishing
record was named "Old Ironsides." The old hulk of this historical ship
is still carefully preserved in remembrance of her brilliant record,
which in some respects has never been equalled.
Sailors are superstitious, and the good name which the _Constitution_
gained made it easy to get all the seamen needed. When you come to look
into the matter you will find that the _Constitution_ was a lucky ship,
because it was always officered by the best men we had, and they were
wise enough to choose the finest crews.
The captain of the _Constitution_, when the war broke out, was Isaac
Hull, a nephew of General William Hull, who made the cowardly surrender
of Detroit. He was born in Connecticut in 1773, and died in 1843. He was
one of the brilliant young officers who received his commission in 1798,
and was commander of the _Argus_ during the war with Tripoli. He was
made a captain in 1806, and the following year was given command of the
_Constitution_.
Upon learning that the war had broken out, Captain Hull left the
Chesapeake, with orders to join the squadron under the command of
Captain Rodgers at New York. When off Barnegat, New Jersey, he was
sighted by the blockading squadron of Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke,
which gave chase. The ingenuity and skill displayed by Captain Hull in
escaping from the enemy, when all escape seemed hopeless, is still
referred to as one of the most remarkable exploits in the history of the
American navy. The chase lasted for more than two days and three nights,
and it is safe to say that very few commanders placed in the situation
of Captain Hull would have been able to save themselves from capture.
Captain Hull sailed on a cruise from Boston on August 21, just in time
to dodge an order from Washington to remain in port until further
orders. On the afternoon of August 19, when several hundred miles to the
eastward of Halifax, he sighted the British frigate _Guerriere_. Her
commander, Captain James E. Dacres, was an old acquaintance of Hull, and
the two had made a wager of a hat during peace that if they ever met in
battle the other would run.
The British officer was as anxious as Hull for a fight, and they drew
near each other, both confident of winning the wager made half in jest
a brief time before.
Great interest attaches to this naval battle, for it was the first of
its kind and a fair test of the respective prowess of ships of and crews
of that nature. The _Constitution_ was somewhat the superior, carrying
55 guns and four hundred and sixty-eight men, while the _Guerriere_ had
49 guns and two hundred and sixty-three men, but all of the latter were
under fine discipline, while most of the Americans were green hands.
Captain Dacres was confident of his superiority, and had no doubt that
when the two frigates met the _Constitution_ would be compelled speedily
to strike her colors. He waited for the American to come up, each having
cleared for action.
A little after four o'clock the two exchanged broadsides, but they were
so far apart that no damage was done. Dacres manoeuvred for a raking
position, but Hull would not permit it, nor could he obtain one for
himself. There was much wearing and manoeuvring, which prevented the
firing on either side from being effective. Each was wary of the other
and took the utmost pains to prevent his securing any advantage.
When it became certain that the battle was to be one at close range,
Hull ordered the firing to cease, in order that the fullest preparation
could be made for the next broadside. He knew the skill of his men in
marksmanship, and determined to hold his fire until the most
advantageous position was reached. As he drew near his enemy, the latter
continued firing, and some of her shots were so effective that the crews
cheered. The Americans, most of them barefooted and stripped to the
waist, were standing beside their guns eager and impatient for the order
to fire, but Hull, when appealed to, shook his head. It was a proof of
the fine discipline of the American crew that when they saw two of their
comrades killed by the fire of the enemy, they silently waited without
murmur for the order whose delay they could not comprehend.
Not until about a hundred feet distant and in the exact position desired
did Captain Hull give the order to fire as the guns bore. To quote
Maclay: "In an instant the frigate belched forth a storm of iron hail
that carried death and destruction into the opposing ship. The effect of
this carefully aimed broadside at short range was terrific. The
splinters were seen to fly over the British frigate like a cloud, some
of them reaching as high as the mizzen top, while the cheers of her men
abruptly ceased and the shrieks and groans of the wounded were heard.
The Americans had struck their first earnest blow, and it was a
staggering one. The Englishman felt its full weight, and perhaps for the
first time realized that this was no child's play."
The Americans displayed remarkable skill in their gunnery, as it may be
said they have always done. The main yard of the enemy was shot away in
the slings, and hull, rigging and sails were badly mangled. A shot
passing through the mizzenmast close to the deck, added to the stress
from the sails, caused it to break in two and fall over the quarter. One
curious effect of this dragging in the water was to make the wreckage
act like a rudder, bringing her up to the wind in spite of the
opposition of the helm. While the damage on the _Constitution_ was less,
it clogged her action, but she secured a position from which she
delivered two raking broadsides. Then as the vessel see-sawed, the
jibboom of the _Guerriere_ crossed the _Constitution's_ quarter deck.
Both crews made ready to board, but each found the other so fully
prepared that neither attempted it. Meanwhile the riflemen in the
rigging were working with destructive energy. In each of the
_Constitution's_ tops were seven marines, six loading for the seventh,
who was the best marksman. A good many officers were wounded and killed
on both sides.
[Illustration: THE "CONSTITUTION" AND THE "GUERRIERE."]
Although the vessels had been lashed together, their lurching broke
them apart, and the Englishman gained a chance to use his broadsides. A
fire broke out on the _Constitution_, but it was quickly extinguished,
and the shot of the American soon made a complete wreck of the enemy.
When it became clear that the _Guerriere_ could make no further
resistance, Captain Hull drew off to repair the damages to his own ship.
Another English frigate was likely to appear at any moment, and she
would make short work of the _Constitution_ in her crippled condition.
It took but a short time to complete the work, when she returned to her
former position beside the wallowing _Guerriere_. A lieutenant was sent
on board to receive the surrender, which Dacres gave with painful
reluctance. When brought to the side of the _Constitution_, Hull
assisted him up the rope ladder. Dacres extended his sword.
"No" replied Hull, "I will not take it from one who knows so well how to
use it, but I must trouble you to pay me that hat I have won."