Chapter 29

JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT was born in Maryland, July 14, 1782. He was appointed midshipman in 1804; was promoted to be lieutenant in 1810; served under Commodore Chauncey on the lakes in 1812; and on October 8, commanding an expedition, he cut out two British ships from under Fort Erie. For this daring act Congress voted him a sword of honor. He was master-commandant in July, 1813; and second in command in (p. 184) Perry's victory on Lake Erie, for which he received from Congress a vote of thanks and a gold medal. On Perry's departure in October, 1815, he succeeded him in command. He became captain in 1818; and afterward commanded the Mediterranean squadron, and the navy yards of Boston and of Philadelphia. He died in Philadelphia, December 10, 1845.

No. 33. (p. 185) PLATE XXXIV.

_February 24, 1813._

Jac Lawrence dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. [Rx]. Mansuetud. maj. quam victoria.

CAPTAIN JAMES LAWRENCE.

[_Capture of the Peacock._]

JAC. (_Jacobus_) LAWRENCE DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI[88] (_James Lawrence. It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country._) Bust of Captain Lawrence in uniform, facing the right. FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).

[Footnote 88: Horace, Book II, Ode II, 13.]

MANSUETUD. MAJ. QUAM VICTORIA. (_Mansuetudo major quam victoria: Clemency greater than victory._) The action is over. The United States sloop-of-war Hornet, of twenty guns, Captain Lawrence, is lying to and sending her boats to the rescue of the crew of the British brig-of-war Peacock, of twenty-two guns, Captain Peake, which has lost her mainmast, and is going down head foremost. Exergue: INTER HORNET NAV AMERI ET PEACOCK NAV ANG DIE XXIV FEB MDCCCXIII. (_Inter Hornet, navem Americanam, et Peacock, navem Anglicanam, die 24 Februarii, 1813: Between the American vessel Hornet and the English vessel Peacock, February 24, 1813._) On the platform, FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).

JAMES LAWRENCE was born in Burlington, New Jersey, October 1, 1781. He was appointed a midshipman in 1798, and became a lieutenant in 1802; served against Tripoli, 1802-1804, and was second in command under Decatur, in the Intrepid, when the Philadelphia was destroyed off (p. 186) Tripoli. In 1810 he became master-commandant, and on February 24, 1813, with the Hornet, captured the British brig-of-war Peacock, Captain William Peake. For this action, Congress awarded him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. As captain he commanded the Chesapeake in 1813 and fell, mortally wounded, in the engagement with the British ship Shannon, Captain Broke. His last words, when carried below, were, "Don't give up the ship!" He died four days after the combat, on June 5, 1813, and was buried with military honors at Halifax, Nova Scotia. His remains were afterward taken to the United States, and now lie in Trinity church-yard, New York city.

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ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

_Resolution of Congress Voting Medals to Captain Lawrence, etc._

_Resolved unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled_: That the President of the United States be requested to present to the nearest male relative of Captain James Lawrence, a gold medal, and a silver medal[89] to each of the commissioned officers who served under him in the sloop-of-war Hornet, in her conflict with the British vessel-of-war, the Peacock, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and crew in the capture of that vessel; and the President is also requested to communicate to the nearest male relative of Captain Lawrence the sense which Congress entertains of the loss which the naval service of the United States has since sustained in the death of that distinguished officer.

[Footnote 89: The silver medals are copies of the one in gold given to Captain Lawrence.]

Approved January 11, 1814.

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_Captain Lawrence to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honourable United States ship Hornet, William JONES, Holmes' Hole, March 19th, 1813. Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: I have the honour to inform you of the arrival, at this port, of the United States ship Hornet, under my command, from a cruise of 145 days, and to state to you, that after Commodore Bainbridge left the coast of Brazils, (on the 6th of January last,) the Hornet continued off the harbour of St. Salvador, blockading the Bonne Citoyenne until the 24th, when the Montagu 74 hove in sight, and chased me into the harbour; but night (p. 187) coming on, I wore and stood to the southward. Knowing that she had left Rio Janeiro for the express purpose of relieving the Bonne Citoyenne and the packet, (which I had also blockaded for fourteen days, and obliged her to send her mail to Rio in a Portuguese smack,) I judged it most prudent to change my cruising ground, and stood to the eastward, with the view of cruising off Pernambuco; and on the 4th day of February, captured the English brig Resolution, from Rio Janeiro, bound to Maranham, with coffee, jerked beef, flour, fustic and butter, and about 25,000 dollars in specie. As the brig sailed dull, and could ill spare hands to man her, I took out the money and set her on fire. I then ran down the coast for Maranham, and cruised there for a short time; from thence ran off Surinam. After cruising off that coast from the 5th to the 22d of February, without meeting a vessel, I stood for Demarara, with an intention, should I not be fortunate on that station, to run through the West Indies, on my way to the United States. But on the morning of the 24th, I discovered a brig to leeward, to which I gave chase; ran into quarter less four, and not having a pilot, was obliged to haul off; the fort at the entrance of Demarara river at this time bearing south west, distance about 2-1/2 leagues. Previously to giving up the chase, I discovered a vessel at anchor without the bar, with English colours flying, apparently a brig of war. In beating round Corobano bank, in order to get at her, at half past 3 P.M. I discovered another sail on my weather quarter edging down for us. At 4.20 minutes she hoisted English colours, at which time we discovered her to be a large man-of-war brig; beat to quarters, and cleared ship for action; kept close by the wind, in order, if possible, to get to the weather gage. At 5.10 minutes, finding I could weather the enemy, I hoisted American colours, and tacked. At 5.20 minutes, in passing each other, exchanged broadsides within half pistol shot. Observing the enemy in the act of wearing, I bore up, received his starboard broadside, ran him close on board on the starboard quarter, and kept up such a heavy and well directed fire, that in less than fifteen minutes he surrendered, being literally cut to pieces, and hoisted an ensign, union down, from his fore-rigging, as a signal of distress. Shortly after, his main-mast went by the board; dispatched Lieutenant Shubrick on board, who soon returned with her first lieutenant, who reported her to be His Britannic Majesty's late brig Peacock, commanded by Captain William Peake, who fell in the latter part of the action; that a number of her crew were killed and wounded, and that she was sinking fast, having then six feet of water in her hold; dispatched the boats immediately for the wounded, and brought both vessels to anchor. Such shot-holes as could be got at were then plugged, her guns thrown overboard, and every possible exertion used to keep her afloat, until the prisoners could be removed, by pumping and bailing, but without effect, and she unfortunately sunk in five and a half fathoms water, carrying down thirteen of her crew and three of my brave fellows, viz.: John Hart, Joseph Williams, and Hannibal Boyd. Lieutenant Conner, Midshipman Cooper, and the remainder of the Hornet's crew, employed in removing the prisoners, with difficulty saved themselves by jumping in a boat that was lying on her bows as she went down. Four men, of the thirteen mentioned, were so fortunate as to gain the fore-top, and were afterwards taken off by the boats. Previous to her going down, four of her men took to her stern boat, which had been much damaged during the action, which I hope reached the shore (p. 188) in safety; but from the heavy sea running at the time, the shattered state of the boat, and the difficulty of landing on the coast, I much fear they were lost. I have not been able to ascertain from her officers the exact number killed. Captain Peake and four men were found dead on board. The master, one midshipman, carpenter, and captain's clerk, and twenty-nine seamen were wounded, most of them very severely; three of them died of their wounds after being removed, and nine drowned. Our loss was trifling in comparison. John Place, killed; Samuel Coulson and Joseph Dalrymple, slightly wounded; George Coffin and Lewis Todd, severely burnt by the explosion of a cartridge. Todd survived only a few days. Our rigging and sails were much cut; one shot through the foremast, and the bowsprit slightly injured. Our hull received little or no damage. At the time the Peacock was brought to action, the L'Espiègle (the brig mentioned above as being at anchor), mounting sixteen two-and-thirty pound carronades, and two long nines, lay at about six miles in shore, and could plainly see the whole of the action. Apprehensive that she would beat out to the assistance of her consort, such exertions were made by my officers and crew in repairing damages, &c., that by 9 o'clock the boats were stowed, a new set of sails bent, and the ship completely ready for action. At 2 A.M. got under weigh, and stood by the wind to the northward and westward, under easy sail.

On mustering next morning, found we had 277 souls on board, including the crew of the American brig Hunter, of Portland, taken a few days before by the Peacock. And, as we had been on two-thirds allowance of provisions for some time, and had but 3,400 gallons of water on board, I reduced the allowance to three pints a man, and determined to make the best of my way to the United States.

The Peacock was deservedly styled one of the finest vessels of her class in the British navy, probably about the tonnage of the Hornet. Her beam was greater by five inches, but her extreme length not so great by four feet. She mounted sixteen twenty-four pound carronades, two long nines, one twelve-pound carronade on her topgallant-forecastle, as a shifting gun, and one four or six-pounder, and two swivels mounted aft. I find, by her quarter-bill, that her crew consisted of 134 men, four of whom were absent in a prize.

The cool and determined conduct of my officers and crew during the action, and their almost unexampled exertions afterwards, entitled them to my warmest acknowledgments, and I beg leave most earnestly to recommend them to the notice of government.

By the indisposition of Lieutenant Stewart I was deprived of the services of an excellent officer; had he been able to stand the deck I am confident his exertions would not have been surpassed by any one on board. I should be doing injustice to the merits of Lieutenant Shubrick, and of acting-lieutenants Conner and Newton, were I not to recommend them particularly to your notice. Lieutenant Shubrick was in the actions with the Guerrière and Java. Captain Hull and Commodore Bainbridge can bear testimony to his coolness and good conduct on both occasions.

With the greatest respect, I remain, &c., James LAWRENCE.

P.S. At the commencement of the action my sailing master and seven men were absent in a prize, and Lieutenant Stewart and six men on the sick list.

No. 34. (p. 189) PLATE XXXV.

_September 11, 1814._

Tho. Macdonough. Stagno Champlain clas. Reg. Brit superavit. [Rx]. Uno latere percusso. alterum impavide vertit.

CAPTAIN THOMAS MACDONOUGH.

[_Victory of Lake Champlain._]

THO. MACDONOUGH. STAGNO CHAMPLAIN CLAS. REG. BRIT. SUPERAVIT. (_Thomas Macdonough Stagno Champlain classim Regis Britannia superavit: Thomas Macdonough defeated the Royal British fleet on Lake Champlain._) Bust of Captain Macdonough, in uniform, facing the right. FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).

UNO LATERE PERCUSSO. ALTERUM IMPAVIDE VERTIT. (_Beaten on one side, he fearlessly turns the other._) Naval action on Lake Champlain, between the United States fleet, carrying eighty-six guns, under Captain Macdonough, and the British fleet, with ninety-five guns, commanded by Commodore Downie. To the right, the city of Plattsburgh in flames. Exergue: INTER CLASS. AMERI. ET BRIT. DIE XI SEPT. MDCCCXIIII. (_Inter classim Americanam et Britannicam, die 11 Septembris, 1814: Between the American and British fleets, September 11, 1814._) On the platform, FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).

THOMAS MACDONOUGH was born in Newcastle County, Delaware, December 23, 1783. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1800; served in the Tripolitan campaign, and was with Decatur in the Intrepid, when the latter blew up the Philadelphia. He was made a lieutenant in February, 1807, and a master-commandant in July, 1813. He defeated the British squadron, commanded by Commodore George Downie, on Lake Champlain, September 11, 1814, for which victory he received the thanks of Congress and a gold medal, and was promoted to the rank of (p. 190) captain. He commanded the Mediterranean squadron for several years, and died at sea, November 18, 1825, of consumption, on his homeward voyage to the United States.

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ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting Medals to Captains Macdonough and Henley, Lieutenant Cassin, etc._

_Resolved unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled_: That the thanks of Congress be, and the same are hereby, presented to Captain Thomas Macdonough, and through him to the officers, petty officers, seamen, marines, and infantry serving as marines, attached to the squadron under his command, for the decisive and splendid victory gained on Lake Champlain, on the eleventh of September, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, over a British squadron of superior force.

_Resolved_, That the President of the United States be requested to cause gold medals to be struck, emblematical of the action between the two squadrons, and to present them to Captain Macdonough and Captain Robert Henley, and also to Lieutenant Stephen Cassin, in such a manner as may be most honourable to them; and that the President be further requested to present a silver medal,[90] with suitable emblems and devices, to each of the commissioned officers of the navy and army serving on board, and a sword to each of the midshipmen and sailing-masters, who so nobly distinguished themselves in that memorable conflict.

[Footnote 90: The silver medals are copies of the one in gold given to Captain Macdonough.]

_Resolved_, That the President of the United States be requested to present a silver medal, with like emblems and devices, to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Peter Gamble, and of Lieutenant John Stansbury, and to communicate to them the deep regret which Congress feel for the loss of those gallant men, whose names ought to live in the recollection and affection of a grateful country.

_Resolved_, That three months' pay be allowed, exclusively of the common allowance, to all petty officers, seamen, marines, and infantry serving as marines, who so gloriously supported the honour of the American flag on that memorable day.

Approved October 20, 1814.

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_Resolution of Congress Complimentary to Lieutenant Silas Duncan._

_Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled_: That the provisions of the joint resolutions of Congress passed October twentieth, eighteen hundred and fourteen, entitled "Resolution expressive of the sense of Congress of the gallant conduct of Captain Thomas Macdonough, the officers, seamen and marines, and infantry (p. 191) serving as marines on board of the United States squadron on Lake Champlain," be so construed and extended as to include the names of Silas Duncan, a lieutenant in the Navy of the United States, in testimony of the sense which is entertained by both houses of Congress of the distinguished gallantry and good conduct of the said Lieutenant Duncan, in an action with the enemy's forces on the sixth of September, eighteen hundred and fourteen, on the same lake.

Approved May 13th, 1826.

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_Captain Macdonough to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honorable United States Ship Saratoga, William JONES, Off Plattsburgh, September 11th, 1814. Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: The Almighty has been pleased to grant us a signal victory on Lake Champlain, in the capture of one frigate, one brig, and two sloops-of-war of the enemy.

I have the honor to be, &c. T. MACDONOUGH.

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_Captain Macdonough to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honorable Ship Saratoga, William JONES, Plattsburgh Bay, September 13th, 1814. Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: I have the honour to give you the particulars of the action which took place on the 11th instant, on this lake.

For several days the enemy were on their way to Plattsburgh by land and water, and it being well understood that an attack would be made at the same time by their land and naval forces, I determined to await, at anchor, the approach of the latter.

At 8 A.M. the look-out boat announced the approach of the enemy. At 9, he anchored in a line ahead, at about 300 yards distance from my line; his ship was opposed to the Saratoga, his brig to the Eagle, Captain Robert Henley, his gallies, thirteen in number, to the schooner, the sloop, and a division of our gallies, one of his sloops assisting their ship and brig, the other assisting their gallies. Our remaining gallies, with the Saratoga and Eagle.

In this situation, the whole force on both sides became engaged, the Saratoga suffering much, from the heavy fire of the Confiance. I could perceive at the same time, however, that our fire was very destructive to her. The Ticonderoga, Lieutenant Commandant Cassin, gallantly sustained her full share of the action. At half-past 10 o'clock, the Eagle not being able to bring her guns to bear, cut her cable, and anchored in a more (p. 192) eligible position, between my ship and the Ticonderoga, where she very much annoyed the enemy, but unfortunately, leaving me exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's brig. Our guns on the starboard side being nearly all dismounted, or not manageable, a stern anchor was let go, the bower cut, and the ship winded with a fresh broadside on the enemy's ship, which soon after surrendered. Our broadside was then sprung to bear on the brig, which surrendered in about 15 minutes after.

The sloop that was opposed to the Eagle had struck some time before, and drifted down the line; the sloop which was with their gallies having struck also. Three of their gallies are said to be sunk, the others pulled off. Our gallies were about obeying with alacrity the signal to follow them, when all the vessels were reported to me to be in a sinking state. It then became necessary to annul the signal to the gallies, and order their men to the pumps. I could only look at the enemy's gallies going off in a shattered condition, for there was not a mast in either squadron that could stand to make sail on; the lower rigging being nearly shot away, hung down as though it had been just placed over mast heads.

The Saratoga had 55 round shot in her hull, the Confiance 105. The enemy's shot passed principally just over our heads, as there were not 20 whole hammocks in the nettings after the close of the action, which lasted, without intermission, two hours and twenty minutes.

The absence and sickness of Lieutenant Raymond Perry left me without the services of that excellent officer; much ought fairly to be attributed to him for his great care and attention in disciplining the ship's crew, as her first lieutenant. His place was filled by a gallant young officer, Lieutenant Peter Gamble, who, I regret to inform you, was killed early in the action. Acting-lieutenant Vallette worked the first and second division of guns with able effect. Sailing-master Brum's attention to the springs, and in the execution of the order to wind the ship, and occasionally at the guns, met my entire approbation; also Captain Youngs, commanding the acting marines, who took his men to the guns. Mr. Beale, purser, was of great service at the guns, and in carrying my orders throughout the ship, with Midshipman Montgomery. Master's mate Joshua Justin had command of the third division; his conduct during the action was that of a brave officer. Midshipmen Monteath, Graham, Williamson, Platt, Thwing, and Acting-Midshipman Baldwin all behaved well, and gave evidence of their making valuable officers. The Saratoga was twice set on fire by hot shot from the enemy's ship.

I close, Sir, this communication with feelings of gratitude for the able support I received from every officer and man attached to the squadron which I have the honour to command.

I have the honour to be, &c., T. MACDONOUGH.

No. 35. (p. 193) PLATE XXXVI.

_September 11, 1814._

Rob. Henley Eagle præfect. palma virtu per æternit. florebit. [Rx]. Uno latere percusso. alterum impavide vertit.

CAPTAIN ROBERT HENLEY.

[_Victory of Lake Champlain._]

ROB. HENLEY EAGLE PRÆFECT. PALMA VIRTU. PER ÆTERNIT. FLOREBIT. (_Robertus Henley, Eagle præfectus; palma virtutis per æternitatem florebit: Robert Henley, commander of the Eagle. The palm of bravery will flourish forever._) Bust of Captain Henley, in uniform, facing the right. FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).

UNO LATERE PERCUSSO. ALTERUM IMPAVIDE VERTIT. (_Beaten on one side, he fearlessly turns the other._) Naval action on Lake Champlain, between the United States fleet, carrying eighty-six guns, under Captain Macdonough, and the British fleet, with ninety-five guns, commanded by Commodore Downie. To the right the city of Plattsburgh in flames. Exergue: INTER CLASS. AMERI. ET BRIT. DIE XI SEPT. MDCCCXIIII. (_Inter classim Americanam et Britannicam, die 11 Septembris, 1814: Between the American and British fleets, September 11, 1814._) On the platform, FÜRST. F. (_fecit_).[91]