William Bainbridge, of the American navy, was born at Princeton,
New Jersey, on the 7th of May, 1774. He was the son of Dr. Absalom
Bainbridge, a respectable physician of that town. His education was
limited to the usual branches of an English school, with a pretty good
knowledge of the French language.
His first setting out in life was in a counting-house in New York.
Thence he removed to Philadelphia, and was for some time employed as
clerk in a mercantile house in that city. Some of his biographers
say he was sent in some capacity to sea, by the house in which he
was employed; others, that, tired of a mercantile life, he wished to
try the sea. Be that as it may, he sailed as mate of the ship Hope,
on a voyage to Holland, during which voyage he saved the life of his
captain, who was seized by a mutinous crew with the intention of
throwing him overboard. On his return home, he was offered the command
of a merchant vessel in the Dutch trade which he accepted, being
then but nineteen years of age. In this and other trading vessels he
remained until 1798, when he entered the naval service of the United
States as lieutenant. His first cruise in the American service, was to
the West Indies, in command of the schooner Retaliation, of fourteen
guns, which unfortunately was captured by two French frigates and
carried into Guadaloupe; after remaining there a short time, he, with
his vessel, was permitted to return to the United States. In 1799,
he again sailed to the West Indies in the brig Norfolk, eighteen
guns, with the commission of master commandant. During this cruise
he was more fortunate, for he captured several merchant vessels, and
a privateer, destroyed a number of barges, and compelled another
privateer of sixteen guns to run ashore. He also gave protection to our
merchants trading in those seas. In 1800, Bainbridge was promoted to
the rank of captain, and sailed in the frigate George Washington, with
presents to the Dey of Algiers. On his arrival there, he was anxiously
solicited to convey an ambassador with presents from the Dey to the
Grand Seignior, at Constantinople. To this he reluctantly consented,
and the sight of an American frigate struck the wondering Turks with
astonishment. They were unable to comprehend where this country, called
the New World, was situated, but being pleased with a visit from such a
stranger, they gave Captain Bainbridge a most cordial welcome, treating
him with the greatest respect. The Algerine ambassador was, on the
contrary, repelled with indignity by the pacha, his presents refused,
and he not permitted to land, on account of the depredations on the
commerce of nations in amity with the Porte, committed by the Dey.
Captain Bainbridge, accompanied by Dr. Clarke, the celebrated
traveler, and many other persons of distinction, proceeded to the
Black Sea in his long boat, where he had the honor of displaying
“the star-spangled banner” for the first time. On his return to
Constantinople, he gave a splendid entertainment on board his
frigate, and beheld, among his distinguished guests, natives of the
four quarters of the globe mingled together at the same table. This
visit to Constantinople opened the way to subsequent negotiations and
friendly intercourse, besides leaving a favorable impression of the
American character. On the return of Bainbridge to Algiers, he found
that war had been declared against France, and that the French consul
and citizens had been ordered to leave forthwith. To save them from
captivity he received them all on board his ship, and landed them at
Alicant, on his return to Philadelphia, where he arrived in April,
1801. In the following June, he was ordered again to the Mediterranean,
to protect our commerce against the Tripolitans. After remaining there
a year, he returned in 1802; and in July, 1803, sailed to join the
squadron under Commodore Preble.
This voyage he sailed in the frigate Philadelphia, which had been built
by the merchants of that city, and by them presented to the government.
An able historian has described the loss of this beautiful ship in the
following lines: “While Commodore Preble was engaged in negotiation,
Captain Bainbridge proceeded to blockade Tripoli with the Philadelphia
and Vixen. Being informed that a Tripolitan cruiser had escaped from
the port, the Vixen was ordered to cruise off Cape Bon, in quest
of her. After her departure, the Philadelphia was driven from her
cruising ground by strong westerly gales; but the wind coming round to
the eastward, she was returning to her station, when a strange ship
was discovered in shore, and running for the harbor of Tripoli. The
Philadelphia gave chase, and when about four knots, she ran upon a
reef of rocks which were unknown to our navigators in that sea. This
unfortunate event occurred on the morning of the 31st of October. Every
exertion was made to float the ship by throwing overboard the guns and
anchors, starting the water, and cutting away the fore-mast, but to
no purpose. The gun boats came out of the harbor and fired upon her,
but so long as she kept an upright position, they were kept off by
the few guns which could be brought to bear upon them. At length she
turned upon her side, and could no longer be defended; the magazine
was drowned, every article of value was thrown overboard, the ship
skuttled, the pumps choked, and all this being accomplished, the colors
were struck at five o’clock in the afternoon. The officers and crew
were plundered of everything valuable on their persons, before they
reached the shore, but were afterwards kindly treated by the pacha,
until Decatur burnt the Philadelphia, after which they were closely
confined in the castle, through fear of their escape. On a treaty being
concluded, by which the pacha was to receive sixty thousand dollars,
they were liberated.” From this period till the declaration of war
in 1812, Captain Bainbridge was occasionally employed in the public
service, either in the navy yards or at sea.
At the commencement of the war, Captain Bainbridge was appointed to
the command of the Constellation frigate; he was thence transferred
to the Constitution, on the arrival of that ship at Boston, after the
capture of the Guerriere. His destination was a cruise to the West
Indies in company with the sloop-of-war Hornet, Captain Lawrence.
Having parted with the Hornet on the coast of Brazil, he fell in with
the Java, a British frigate of forty-nine guns, commanded by Captain
Lambert, with a crew of more than four hundred men, and upwards of
one hundred officers and men, intended for ships on the East India
station, together with a lieutenant-general and suite of the British
army. The ships were separated from each other about half a mile, when
the action commenced, but they gradually approached each other until
the jib boom of the Java came in contact with the mizzen rigging of
the Constitution. The contest, which lasted nearly two hours, only
terminated when the last spar of the Java had gone by the board.
After the British frigate had struck, the Constitution wore and reefed
top-sails. One of the only two remaining boats out of eight, was then
hoisted out, and Lieutenant Parker, of the Constitution, was sent
to take possession of the frigate. She proved to be his Britannic
majesty’s frigate Java, rating thirty-eight, but carrying forty-nine
guns. She was manned by upwards of four hundred men, and was commanded
by Captain Lambert, a very distinguished naval officer, who was
mortally wounded. The Constitution had nine men killed, and twenty-five
wounded. The Java had sixty killed and one hundred and one wounded.
But, by a letter written on board the Constitution, by one of the
officers of the Java, and accidentally found, it is evident her loss
must have been much greater. He states it to have been sixty killed,
and one hundred and seventy wounded.
The Java had her own full complement of men, and upwards of one hundred
supernumeraries, for British ships in the East Indies. Her force,
in number of men, at the commencement of the action, was probably
much greater than the officers of the Constitution were enabled to
ascertain. Her officers were extremely cautious about concealing the
number of her crew. By her quarter-bill she had one man more stationed
at each gun than the Constitution.
The Java was an important ship. She was fitted out in the most
complete manner to carry Lieutenant-General Hyslop and staff to
Bombay, of which place he had been appointed governor, and several
naval officers for different vessels in the East Indies. She had
dispatches for St. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope, and for every British
settlement in the India and Chinese seas. She had copper on board for
a seventy-four, and for two brigs, building at Bombay, and a number of
other valuable articles.
The great distance from the United States, and the disabled state of
the Java, forebade the idea of attempting to bring her to the United
States. No alternative was therefore left, but to burn her, which
was done, after the prisoners and their property were removed to the
Constitution. They were all landed at St. Salvador and parolled.
The commander of the Java, Captain Lambert, died soon after he was put
on shore. Commodore Bainbridge was received by his countrymen, on his
return to the United States, with every demonstration of joy and esteem
that his gallant exploit merited.
The Congress of the United States voted fifty thousand dollars, and
their thanks to Commodore Bainbridge, his officers, and crew. They
likewise ordered a gold medal (_see_ Plate X.,) to be presented to him,
and silver ones to each of his officers, in token of their esteem.
The citizens of Philadelphia presented him with an elegant piece of
plate, and the common council of New York voted to him the freedom of
their city, in a gold box; and ordered that his portrait be obtained,
and placed in the gallery of portraits belonging to the city. The
Constitution now became an object of national pride, and having seen so
much service, with so little injury, during her numerous encounters,
that she acquired the popular _sobriquet_ of “Old Ironsides.” At
the conclusion of the war, Commodore Bainbridge went again to the
Mediterranean, in command of the Columbus, seventy-four, which was
the last of his services at sea. He commanded for several years, at
the different naval stations, till his health became infirm, when he
retired to Philadelphia, and breathed his last on the 27th of July,
1833.