John H. Dent, USN-- Part 2

During the War of 1812, he was senior officer in charge of U.S. Naval affairs in Charleston, S.C..

He married in South Carolina and made it his home and is buried in Jacksonboro, South Carolina.

From another source:

John H. Dent commanded the USS Hornet from 1801-1809, took a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea and served on the Hornet while acting as senior naval officer in Charleston, S.C.  He next commanded the USS John Adams and operated along the southern U.S. coast and in 1811, took a voyage to Europe.

Promoted to captain in 1811 and was sent back to Charleston to serve as commandant of the naval station there and the one in Wilmington, North Carolina.  he held this post during the entire War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

American Privateer Saucy Jack-- Part 6: Unparalleled With Any Southern Privateer

From Carolina Ships-in-Bottle--  handcrafted by Jim "Goose" Goodwin.

You can buy your very own model of the privateer Saucy Jack in a bottle.  Price for a hal gallon bottle with a lighthouse is $165 and a hal gallon jug with stand is $180.

Length of the Saucy Jack was 90 feet, 170 tons and 7-13 guns.

After cruises under Thos. Jervey (3 captured vessels) and Captain Peter Sicard on second cruise in April 1813, the Saucy Jack was then commanded by John P. Chazal for the rest of the war.  The ship and captain were a good fit.

During several cruises, they captured 5 ships, 4 brigs, 7 schooners and 2 sloops.  They often put into Savannah, a safe haven for them.  While there on September 21, 1814, its fore mast was struck by lightning and the bolt exited at the stern..

After repairs, the Saucy Jack departed and returned on November 28th with another prize and returned to Charleston on New Year's Eve.  When word of the end of the war reached Charleston in february 1815, the Saucy Jack became a merchant ship.

"Her captures, engagements with foreign ships, and narrow escapes were unparalleled with any Southern privateer."

--Brock-Perry

American Privateer Saucy Jack-- Part 6: Chazal Takes Command

In April 1813, command of the Saucy Jack was turned over to John P. Chazal who commanded her for the rest of the war.  he had a crew of 150 and also 1st Lt. Dale Carr, 2nd Lt. Lewis Jantzen and Surgeon Dr. James McBride.  Chazal, Jantzen and McBride were all formerly of the Defiance (probably also a privateer).

The Saucy Jack and captain John P. Chazal proved to be a good match and a very profitable one for its owner, John Everingham.

The 19800-1830 census showed that John Everingham lived in Charleston, S.C., and the city directory listed him as a merchant.  Court records show he owned or co-owned several ships.  Evidently, he was the sole owner of the schooner Doris.

In 1813, he is shown as co-owner of the privateer General Armstrong (but this iwas not the more famous New York registered General Armstrong).  Cemetery records list his death as in 1831.

--Brock-Perry

American Privateer Saucy Jack-- Part 4: Launched With Much Fanfare

From the Everingham Family History Record 2014 "The Saucy Jack, An Everingham owned American Privateer Schooner: Legal Pirate of the War of 1812."

Privateer schooner,, 90-foot deck, 24-foot beam, 170 tons, mounted anywhere from six to thirteen guns at various times during the War of 1812.  Its third commission list shows it had nine 12-pdr guns and a crew of 150.  Some logs also show that at times it had two long guns.

The Saucy Jack was Charleston-based and launched with much fanfare August 6, 1812 by Pritchard and Shrewberry Yard on the Cooper River in Charleston.  Its first captain was Thos. Jervey.

It was by far the most successful privateer to operate out of Charleston.  It was painted black with a white streak along her side to give a very formidable look.

--Brock-Perry

American Privateer Saucy Jack-- Part 3: Owned by John Everingham

A comment was written to the article in the last post I made.

It said the Chazal family never owned the Saucy Jack.  John Everingham owned the ship.  Thomas Jervey was its first captain and then John Chazal took it over for the rest of the war.

Captain Chazal had captured the Amelia and Kingston Packet on his first voyage as a privateer in the Mary Ann and took them into Charleston.

--Brock-Perr

American Privateer Saucy Jack-- Part 2: 40+ Prizes

Jean Pierre Chazal was the captain of the Saucy Jack for most of its career and during its career, the privateer captured over forty British vessels.  Lots of prize money for the captain, officers and crew.  Thomas Hall Jervey (1778-1846) commanded the ship on its first cruise.

The Saucy Jack's signal book recently came up for auction and consists of ten pages.  One page had nine hand-drawn and colored signals and 90 separate instructions for combinations of those flags.  One is for "rendezvous in Savannah," another "rendezvous in Wilmington" and yet another for "engage the enemy on her weather bow."

--Brock-Perry

John Cassin, USN-- Part 3

Near the turn of the century, it became necessary to increase the size of the U.S. Navy because of the Barbary Pirates and other threats to American shipping.  That meant, officers and sailors were needed.

John Cassin enlisted in the Navy as a lieutenant and on April 6, 1806, was promoted to master commandant and became the second to command the Washington Navy Yard.  On July 3, 1812, he became a captain, the then'highest naval rank.

In the War of 1812, he initially led naval forces in Delaware for the protection of Philadelphia and later became commanding officer of the Norfolk Navy Yard from August 10, 1812, to June 1, 1821.  On that date he became the commanding officer of the Southern Naval Station at Charleston, South Carolina.

--Brock-Perry

Southern Privateers

From History of American Privateers by Edgar Stanton Maclay.

There were a total of 36 privateers operating out of Southern ports during the War of 1812.  This did not include Baltimore.

These ships sailed primarily from Norfolk, Virginia;  Wilmington, NC; Charleston, SC; Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Probably the most famous was the privateer Decatur which captured a British cruiser.

--Brock-Perry

John Cassin-- Part 4: Defended Norfolk Navy Yard

During the War of 1812, John Cassin was placed in command the Navy in Delaware and charged with defending Philadelphia.

Later he commanded the Norfolk Navy Yard from August 10, 1812 until January 1, 1821. This was when he helped plan the defense of that spot.

Later, he commanded the Southern Naval Station headquartered at Charleston, SC.

--Brock-Perry

The Sinking of the Revenue Cutter Gallatin-- Part 2

The Charleston newspaper at the time reported: "We have to state a most melancholy occurrence which took place in our harbor this morning-- the blowing up of the revenue schooner Gallatin, commanded by Captain John Silliman.  She arrived here yesterday from Savannah and a cruise, and was anchored abreast of the City.

The confusion and distress which the accident occasioned, have prevented us from obtaining any correct information as to its cause, or to the number of persons who have suffered.  We have seen four of the unfortunate men who were picked up and who are lacerated and torn in a manner the most pitiable."

A year later, the March 31, 1814 Charleston newspaper reported that a diving bell had been built to help salvage ordnance and equipment from the Gallatin.  Also, it said that since the 1813 explosion, attempts had been made to raise the ship.

If they succeeded in recovering the cannons, I doubt that the current searchers are going to have much luck finding the wreck by looking for the cannons.

Hipe They Find It, Though.  --Brock-Perry

The Sinking of the Revenue Cutter Gallatin-- Part 1

From the U.S. Coast Guard Site, Gallatin 1807.  I wrote about this ship blowing up back on May 4th entry.

Named for Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin.  Cost $9,432 and commissioned 1807.  Bought December 7, 1807 and sent to Charleston for service as a revenue cutter.

On March 31, 1813, the Gallatin, under John H. Silliman arrived back at Charleston after a five-day cruise from Savannah.  They had noticed British ships off Port Royal, South Carolina.

On April 1st, at 11 AM, the crew was cleaning muskets when the powder room exploded and blew off the ship's stern and quarterdeck, killing three and seriously wounding five. The ship immediately sank off Blake's Wharf in Charleston harbor.  This wharf's location, unfortunately has been lost to time.  Had it still been there or its location known, it would have been much easier to locate the Gallatin.

Captain Silliman was ashore at the time.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Looking For Charleston's Revenue Cutter Gallatin

From the April 4, 2013, Charleston (SC) Post and Courier "Search for War of 1812 ship in Charleston Harbor ongoing."

Searchers have found some promising sites, but nothing definitive of the U.S. revenue Cutter Gallatin which exploded on the morning of April 1, 1813.  An official investigation of the incident determined it to be accidental.

News 4, ABC, says searchers are looking in the Ashley River and using a magnetometer. The ship had been tied up off a pier that no longer exists when it blew up.  They think a crew man was cleaning a musket and set off a spark that set off the ship's gunpowder.  The Gallatin had just returned from a five-day voyage when it happened.

Searchers hope to find the ship's cannons.

Hope They Find It.  --Brock-Perry