Occasional American Defeats as Well as Victories--Captain Decatur's
Misfortune--The _Chesapeake_ and _Shannon_.
You would gain a wrong impression if my account of the leading naval
events in the War of 1812 were made up wholly of American victories. It
was inevitable that our gallant officers and men should meet with some
defeats. In order, therefore, to give as true an idea as possible of
those times I shall devote this chapter to telling about some events
which went the wrong way.
Enough has been related concerning Stephen Decatur to show that he was
the most prominent of our naval leaders in our last war with Great
Britain. He entered into the work with the same dauntless enthusiasm he
showed whenever it was his privilege to serve his country, and his
capture of the _Macedonian_ was one of the most brilliant exploits of
the many that took place during those memorable years.
In order to understand my use of the words "captain" and "commodore," it
is necessary to explain that at the time to which I now refer the latter
rank was different from what it is to-day. The commodore of a squadron
was the highest ranking officer and he might be lower than a captain.
Thus "Commodore" Perry, who won the remarkable victory on Lake Erie, was
promoted from that rank to "captain."
Another interesting fact may be named. The Stars and Stripes used in
that war was slightly different in pattern from the present, for,
instead of containing thirteen stripes, as it did at the close of the
Revolution and as it does to-day, it had fifteen. The first law of
Congress bearing on this point was to add a stripe for every new State
admitted to the Union, but after two had come in and others were making
ready it became evident that before long the pattern of the beautiful
emblem would be spoiled if the rule were followed. So the increase in
the number of stripes stopped and remained fifteen for a few years after
the close of the war, even though new States had been admitted. Then the
law was changed so as to provide that the increase of States should be
shown by the stars in the blue field, while the stripes should always
remain thirteen in number, typical of the original colonies of the
Revolution.
It was decided early in the war to send a squadron consisting of the
_President_, Captain Stephen Decatur, and the sloops of war _Peacock_,
Captain Warrington, and _Hornet_, Lieutenant Biddle, and the storeship
_Tom Bowline_ on a cruise in the Indian Ocean. This squadron was to
rendezvous at Tristan d'Acunha, but failed to do so, for a reason that
has been stated in the account of the exploits of the _Hornet_ and
_Peacock_.
Captain Decatur lay in the harbor of New York with his vessels and found
himself so closely blockaded by the British squadron that it was
impossible for the Americans to sail in company. He sent out the two
ships named, and, on the night of January 14, 1815, when the blockading
squadron had been driven to the south by a gale, he sailed down the
Narrows, hoping to get to sea before it returned. There was good reason
to expect success, but misfortune speedily came. The beacon lights had
been removed and early in the evening the pilot ran the ship aground
just before reaching Sandy Hook. It required two hours of the hardest
kind of work to get her off. The _President_ was not very seaworthy at
the start, and the efforts to reach deep water so injured her that it
was necessary to return to the city for repairs, but the strong contrary
wind prevented and she was driven over the bar.
Meanwhile the blockading squadron had come back and, early the next
morning, Decatur had four of them in full pursuit. He put on every
stitch of canvas, threw overboard everything that could be spared and
wet his sails, but the _President_ was so badly crippled from having run
aground that, despite all that was done, she steadily lost ground. The
_Endymion_ led the pursuers and soon drew up within range, her position
such that Decatur could not reply to the shots which began to injure his
ship and kill and wound his crew.
He formed a desperate scheme that was characteristic of him. The
_Endymion_ was so far in advance of the other pursuers that there was a
possibility of turning about and capturing her. Then, by transferring
the American crew to her, the worthless _President_ could be abandoned
and swift flight be made in the _Endymion_, which had already
demonstrated her superior speed.
The great risk in this attempt (for no one among the Americans doubted
their ability to overcome the other crew) was that before the capture
could be accomplished the other vessels would come up and Decatur be
assailed by an overwhelming force, but he did not hesitate. He explained
his plan to his men and they responded with cheers. No commander was
ever more beloved by his crew than Decatur, and they were ready to
follow him to the death, for he was always their leader and the foremost
in personal danger.
Since every minute was valuable, Decatur put about and made for the
_Endymion_ with the intention of engaging her at close quarters. But the
British vessel suspected his purpose, for she also turned, and, being
much the superior sailer, was able to hold a safe distance between the
two. It was an exasperating disappointment, but Decatur opened with a
heavy fire, hoping to disable his antagonist before the arrival of the
others.
A furious engagement followed, in which Decatur lost several of his most
valuable officers and was himself painfully wounded by flying splinters.
But the American guns were served with perfect precision and the
_Endymion_ was so broken and shattered by the fire that after two and a
half hours she was incapable of further resistance. She would have
surrendered had the time been sufficient for Decatur to enforce the
demand, but the other blockaders were hurrying up and placed the
American again in grave danger. He crowded on all sail once more, but
the scurrying clouds which gave him a chance of escaping were swept from
the sky and the bright moon revealed him so plainly to his pursuers that
they rapidly overtook the _President_. A running fight followed, but the
_President_ was overmatched in every respect. In his official report
Decatur said: "Two fresh ships of the enemy, the 38-gun frigates
_Pomone_ and _Tenedos_, had come up. The _Pomone_ had opened fire on the
port bow, within musket shot, the other, about two cables' length
astern, taking a raking position on our quarter, and the rest, with the
exception of the _Endymion_, within gunshot. Thus situated, with about
one-fifth of my crew killed and wounded, my ship crippled and a more
than fourfold force opposed to me, without a chance of escape, I deemed
it my duty to surrender."
The British senior officer of the squadron to whom Decatur offered his
sword showed his appreciation of the American's gallantry and of his
chivalrous treatment of Captain Carden, when the situations were
reversed, by handing the weapon back to Decatur with the remark that he
was proud to return the sword of an officer who had defended his ship so
nobly.
Shortly after this misfortune news reached this country of the signing
of a treaty of peace, though several encounters took place on the ocean
before the tidings could reach the various ships.
Turning back to the earlier part of the war, mention must be made of
another American hero, James Lawrence, who was born in Burlington, N.J.,
in 1781 and was active in the war with Tripoli. He was commander of the
_Hornet_ when she captured the _Peacock_ in an engagement which lasted
only fifteen minutes, with the loss of one American killed and two
wounded. He was given the command of the frigate _Chesapeake_, which was
repairing in Boston harbor. The ship had gained the reputation of being
unlucky, and, having already passed through several accidents, Lawrence
assumed command with extreme reluctance.
Among the blockading vessels of the enemy outside of Boston was the
_Shannon_, commanded by Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke. She was one of
the most efficient ships in the British navy, carried 38 guns and had a
crew of 330 men, all well disciplined and skilled in firing guns and in
fighting, while Broke himself probably had no superior as an officer.
That he was brave was proven not only by his sending a challenge to
Lawrence, inviting him to come out and fight him, but by his conduct
during the battle.
Captain Lawrence sailed out of Boston harbor before Broke's challenge
reached him. He had learned that a single frigate had presumed to
blockade the port, and, having been ordered to sail as soon as possible,
he made unwise haste in venturing to give the _Shannon_ battle, even
though one cause was the wish to leave the port before other blockaders
appeared.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN JAMES LAWRENCE.]
The crew of the _Chesapeake_ was inferior in every respect to that of
the enemy, except that it contained ten more men. The majority had been
newly enlisted and contained many foreigners, landsmen, and
objectionable sailors. They were not only unaccustomed to the
ship--though they knew of its reputation as an unlucky one--but were
unacquainted with one another and nearly all were strangers to the
officers. The best of these were absent from illness and other causes.
Worse than all, many were in a maudlin state of drunkenness when the
_Chesapeake_ started out with flags flying to engage the well-manned
_Shannon_.
On the way down the bay some of the _Chesapeake's_ crew impudently
notified Lawrence that they would not fight unless they received the
prize money earned a short time before. It was a humiliating situation
for the young commander, but he was virtually in the face of the enemy
and he issued prize checks to the malcontents. Well aware of the
character of the foe he was about to encounter, he must have looked upon
the meeting with foreboding. Maclay uses these impressive words:
[Illustration: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE "CHESAPEAKE" AND THE "SHANNON."]
"The calm deliberation with which the American and English commanders
went out to seek each other's life and the earnestness with which they
urged their officers and men to steep their hands in the blood of
their fellow beings form one of the sombre pictures of naval history.
Lawrence was the youngest son of John Lawrence, Esquire,
counselor-at-law at Burlington, N.J., and was the second in command at
the celebrated capture of the _Philadelphia_ in the harbor of Tripoli.
Broke was the descendant of an ancient family which had lived in Broke
Hall, England, over three hundred and fifty years and for four hundred
years at Leighton. Both were men in the prime of manhood, Lawrence in
his thirty-second year and Broke in his thirty-seventh. Both were models
of chivalry and manly grace; both were held in the highest estimation in
their profession. Lawrence had just taken an affectionate farewell of
his two sons and an hour later was urging his men to "_Peacock_ them!
_Peacock_ them!" Broke a short time before had committed his wife to
God's mercy and soon afterward was urging his crew to 'Kill the men!
kill the men!' Both were men of the kindliest feelings and most tender
affections; both acknowledged the justice of the cause for which the
Americans were contending, yet with steady determination they went out
at the head of their ships' companies to take each other's life. A few
hours afterward, when Captain Broke fell on the _Chesapeake's_ decks
fainting and covered with his own blood, his lieutenants, on loosening
his clothes, found a small blue silk case suspended around his neck. It
contained a lock of his wife's hair."
[Illustration: DEATH OF CAPTAIN LAWRENCE.]
Lawrence, in accordance with his chivalrous nature, disdained to seek
any unfair advantage, his purpose being to engage in what is called a
fair yardarm and yardarm fight. It was toward the close of the first day
of summer, with thousands crowding the hills and points of advantage and
peering at the ships through glasses, that the battle opened by the fire
of the _Shannon_. Great damage was inflicted and much execution done by
the return broadside of the _Chesapeake_. The first fire severely
wounded Lawrence in the leg, but he refused to go below. Then the firing
became so close and rapid that half the American officers were killed or
wounded. The most frightful confusion that can be imagined followed.
When Lawrence formed his men to board after the two vessels had fouled
the bugler could not be found, whereupon Captain Broke led his own men
upon the deck of the _Chesapeake_.
It was at this critical moment that Lawrence was fatally wounded and
carried below. He kept calling out his commands while in the cockpit to
fight harder and to keep the guns going. His last words, often
repeated in his delirium, were "_Don't give up the ship!_" and they
formed the motto of the American navy for many years afterward.
[Illustration: THE OFFICERS OF THE "CHESAPEAKE" OFFERING THEIR SWORDS.]
In the wild, savage fighting, where everything was so mixed that an
American lieutenant joined the British boarders under the impression
that they were his own men, Captain Broke was fearfully wounded, though
he afterward recovered. The _Chesapeake_, with a loss of 47 killed and
99 wounded to 24 killed and 59 wounded of the enemy, became the prize of
the _Shannon_.