The Navy in 1814 -- Cruise of Captain Morris in the Adams --
Narrow escapes -- The Wasp and Reindeer -- Cruise of the
Wasp -- Sinks the Avon -- Mysterious fate of the Wasp -- The
Peacock captures the Epervier -- Lieutenant Nicholson.
During the season of almost uninterrupted success on land and on our
inland waters, we had but few vessels at sea, the greater part being
blockaded, but those few nobly sustained the reputation won by the
navy in the two previous years. The Guerriere 44, the Independence 74,
and the Java 44, were launched during the summer, but remained in
their docks till the close of the war. In the January previous Captain
Morris, commanding the Adams, which had been cut down to a sloop of
war, got to sea and took a few prizes. In the spring he captured an
East Indiaman, but while taking possession of her an English fleet
hove in sight, which compelled him to abandon the prize and crowd all
sail to escape. Succeeding in throwing off his pursuers he gave chase
to the Jamaica fleet which had passed him in the night, but failed in
every attempt to cut out a vessel. [Sidenote: July 3.] Continuing
eastward he at length made the Irish coast, but was soon after chased
by an English frigate and pressed so closely that he found it
necessary to throw overboard his anchors and two guns. This sacrifice,
however, did not increase materially the distance between him and his
adversary, and after dark, it falling a dead calm, Capt. Morris and
his first Lieutenant Wadsworth, both of whom were on board the
Constitution when first chased by the English fleet, got out their
boats and by towing all night, succeeded in gaining two leagues by
daylight. As soon as the commander of the English frigate discovered
the trick that had been played him, he crowded all sail and kept in
the wake of the Adams till ten at night, when the latter altering her
course, escaped.
But the ocean being filled with the enemy's cruisers, this persecuted
solitary vessel was soon chased again by two frigates, for twenty-four
hours, and only got off at last by the aid of a friendly fog. In
August, however, she went ashore off the coast of Maine, while
attempting to run the English blockade, as mentioned in the preceding
chapter, and was so injured that Morris run her into the Penobscot
River, where he was compelled to burn her to prevent her capture by
the British.
The Wasp put to sea, from Portsmouth, the first of May, and giving her
canvass to the wind steered boldly for the English Channel. Leaving
the British fleet blockading our ships at home, her commander, Captain
Blakely, sought the English coast, resolved to strike at the enemy's
commerce assembling there from every sea. It required constant
watchfulness and great prudence to cruise on such dangerous ground as
this, and had not all suspicion of an enemy in that quarter been
removed, she would doubtless have been captured. The unexampled daring
of the act alone saved her.
On the 28th of June Blakely gave chase to a sail, which proved to be
the English brig of war Reindeer, commanded by Captain Manners. The
latter, though inferior in strength, showed no disinclination to
close, and came down in gallant style. As they approached, the
Reindeer by using a shifting twelve-pound carronade, was able to fire
it five times before Blakely could get a gun to bear. At first within
sixty, and afterwards within thirty yards, the crew stood for twelve
minutes this galling fire without flinching. But when at length a
favorable position was obtained, the broadsides of the American was
delivered with such awful effect, that Captain Manners saw at once his
vessel would be a wreck unless he run her aboard; and setting his
sails he drove full on the Wasp. As the vessels fell foul he called
to his men to follow him, and endeavored to leap on the deck of his
antagonist. But coolly, as on a parade, the crew of the latter
steadily repulsed every attempt to board.
Captain Manners had been wounded early in the action, but still kept
his feet, and just before boarding was struck by a shot which carried
away the calves of both his legs. In this mangled condition he gave
the orders to board, and leaping into the rigging of his own vessel in
order to swing himself on that of his adversary, he was struck by two
musket balls which entered the top of his head and passed out through
his chin. Waving his sword above his head he exclaimed, "Oh, God!" and
fell lifeless on the deck.
After the enemy had been repulsed three times, the Wasp boarded in
turn, and in one minute the conflict was over. The English vessel was
literally a wreck, and had lost in killed and wounded sixty-seven out
of one hundred and fifteen, constituting her crew, or more than half
of her entire number. The Wasp had but five men killed and twenty-two
wounded. [Sidenote: July 8.] Captain Blakely took his prize into
L'Orient, where he burned her to prevent recapture. Up to this time he
had taken eight merchantmen. [Sidenote: Aug. 27.] Remaining here till
the latter part of August, he again set sail, and on the 1st of
September cut out a vessel loaded with guns and military stores from
a fleet of ten sail, convoyed by a seventy-four. Endeavoring to repeat
the saucy experiment he was chased away by a man-of-war. The same
evening, however, making four sail, he in turn gave chase to one,
which immediately threw up rockets and fired signal guns to attract
the attention of the other vessels. But Captain Blakely held steadily
on, crashing along under a ten knot breeze, and as he approached the
stranger fired a gun and hailed. His fire being returned he poured in
a destructive broadside. Notwithstanding the swell was heavy and the
night dark, his fire was terribly effective. For a night action it was
remarkably short, and in forty minutes the enemy struck. But as the
boat was about being lowered to take possession of her, Blakely saw
beneath the lifting smoke a brig of war within musket-shot, and two
more vessels rapidly closing. Ordering the boat to be run up again
quickly, and the men to hasten to their posts, he filled away and
catching the wind dead astern was soon out of sight. [Sidenote: Sept.
1.] The enemy gave him one broadside and then turned to the captured
vessel, whose guns of distress were echoing loudly over the sea. She
soon sunk. This vessel was afterwards ascertained to be the Avon, of
eighteen guns.
Continuing his cruise, Blakely took three more vessels, among them a
valuable prize, the Atalanta, of eight guns, which was immediately
dispatched to the states.
[Sidenote: Sept. 22.]
This was the last direct tidings ever received from the gallant Wasp.
Various rumors were afloat concerning her fate, but nothing certain of
her after cruise, or the manner in which she was lost, was ever known.
One report stated that an English frigate had put into Cadiz badly cut
up by an American corvette, which had sunk in the night time, and so
suddenly, that her name could not be ascertained. This was thought at
first to be the Wasp, but no confirmation of this report being
received, it was discredited. The spirited conduct of this little
vessel had made her a great favorite with the nation, and a deep
sympathy was universally felt for her mysterious fate.[8] Years passed
by, when an incident occurred which awakened a fresh interest in her.
Two officers on board the Essex, when she was captured at Valparaiso,
had gone to Rio Janeiro, but were never after heard from. Inquiries
were made by friends in every direction, but in vain. At last it was
ascertained that they had taken passage in a Swedish brig for England,
from which they had been transferred to the Wasp. The commander stated
that on the 9th of October he was chased by a strange sail, which
fired several guns, when he hove to and was boarded. The boarding
officer, ascertaining there were two American officers on board, took
them with him to his own ship. On their return, they told the Swedish
captain that the strange sail was the Wasp, and they had determined to
accept a passage in her. They did so, and nothing more was ever heard
of them.
[Footnote 8: She had been built to take the place of the vessel
captured by the Poictiers, after she had taken the Frolic. She did not
disgrace the name and character she bore.]
This was sixteen days after the prize left her, and, according to the
Swedish brig's reckoning, she was at the time nearly a thousand miles
farther south, and where she very naturally might be. Added to this
was another rumor, which seemed to throw still more light on her fate.
Soon after her rencontre with the Swedish vessel, it was said that two
English frigates chased off the southern coast an American
sloop-of-war, and while in pursuit were struck with a heavy squall.
After the squall was over, the sloop was no where to be seen. If the
rumor be true, that vessel was no doubt the Wasp, for we had no other
sloop-of-war in those seas at that time. Besides, when met by the
Swedish brig, she was evidently bound in that direction, and should
have arrived off the coast about the time mentioned in the rumor.
Nothing is more probable than that she capsized and went down, while
carrying a press of sail to escape her pursuers.
At all events, whatever was her fate, the sea never rolled over a
more gallant commander and crew. Watchful, full of resources,
indefatigable and fearless, Captain Blakely was the model of a naval
commander, and had he lived would no doubt have reached the highest
rank in his profession.
[Sidenote: March, 1814.]
The Peacock, Captain Harrington, also started on a cruise in the
spring, steering southward. On the 29th of April she made three sail,
which proved to be merchantmen under convoy of the Epervier, a large
brig-of-war. The former took to flight, while the latter bore up to
engage. At the first fire the forward sails of the American were so
cut up that they became nearly useless. There was, consequently, but
little manoeuvering; the vessels moved off together, and a steady
discharge of broadsides settled the contest. The force and weight of
metal in this case were nearly equal, but the superior gunnery of the
American was soon manifest, for in forty-two minutes the Epervier was
so riddled that she had five feet of water in the hold. In this
condition she struck, and with great difficulty was kept from sinking.
Twenty-two of her crew were killed and wounded, while not a man in the
Peacock was killed, and only two wounded. A hundred and eighteen
thousand dollars in specie were found on board of her.
Lieutenant Nicholson was sent home with the prize. He reached the
American sea board in safety, but while running along the coast,
steering for Savannah, was chased by an English frigate, and escaped
capture only by one of those artifices so common among Yankee sailors.
The wind being light, he crept close along shore, and kept in shoal
water where the frigate dared not approach. The commander of the
latter observing this, manned his boats and sent them forward in
pursuit. The prize had but seventeen officers and men all told, and
hence could make no serious resistance if boarded. As the boats came
steadily on under sweeps, the fate of the Epervier appeared to be
sealed, but Nicholson, putting the best face on the matter, took down
his trumpet and thundered out his orders to yaw and pour in a
broadside. The boats hesitated on hearing this dangerous command, and
finally withdrew, leaving the prize a safe passage to the Savannah.
[Sidenote: May 1.]
Three days after, the Peacock also came in. The latter, however,
remained in port but a short time, and again set sail, sweeping the
seas to the bay of Biscay.
Her cruise was conducted with great prudence and sagacity, and she
returned in October, having captured fourteen merchantmen.