Decatur (Illinois) Named After War of 1812 Hero-- Part 1

From the May 10, 2021, Decatur (Illinois) Herald and Review "City bears name of a hero, Decatur" by John Reidy.

When Stephen Decatur lead a successful raiding party into Tripoli Harbor to burn the captured U.S. frigate Philadelphia, it was called "the most daring act of the age" by none other than Britain's Admiral Horatio Nelson.

On that night in February 1804, the United States had a new hero as well, 21-year-old Lieutenant Stephen Decatur.

In 1829, nine years after his death in a duel at the hands of another rival in the Navy, a new city was founded in Central Illinois which bore his name.

Decatur was our country's first post-Revolutionary War  national hero, leading by example in the Quasi-War vs. France, the Barbary  Wars of North Africa before reaching legendary status when his frigate USS United States defeated the British frigate HMS Macedonian in the War of 1812.

He was swiftly promoted to captain then commodore.

--Brock-Perry

George Campbell Read-- USN-- Part 2: Married Into the Dale Family

George Campbell Read married Elizabeth Dale Read (Midshipman Richard S. Dale's sister and daughter of American Revolution Naval Hero Richard Dale).

He was in the Navy from the War of 1812 until the Civil War, a long time.

Entering the U.S. Navy in 1804 as a midshipman, he was promoted to lieutenant in 1810.  In 1812, he was serving aboard the USS Constitution under Commodore Isaac Hull during the War of 1812.  And that meant he was there for the famed battle with the HMS Guerriere.

As a matter of fact, after it became clear that the Constitution had won the battle on August 19, 1812, he was detailed by Hull to  board the English vessel and receive its surrender.

Later that year, he was with Commodore Stephen Decatur when his ship, the USS United States, captured the British frigate HMS Macedonian.

And, I'd never heard of him.

There At the Both Big Naval Victories!!  --Brock-Perry

U.S. Navy in War of 1812-- Part 7: The War at Sea to Capture Enemy Warships and Merchantmen

The war at sea to capture British warships and  merchantmen  was the most desirable objective for naval officers and has received the most writing in historical accounts.  The U.S. Navy had numerous victories in ship-to-ship duels.  Some of them are still the most recognizable events in our Navy's history.

They include Captain Isaac Hull and his frigate Constitution's capture of the HMS Guerriere, Captain Stephen Decatur and his frigate United States' capture of the frigate HMS Macedonian  and Captain William Bainbridge and his USS Constitution's capture of the frigate HMS Java.

However, these and most other U.S. victories occurred in the opening months of the war.

By early 1813, the British had eleven ships of the line, thirty-four frigates and fifty -two other warships operating off North America, while  the U.S. only had two frigates at sea.

By November 1813, Britain had established a commercial blockade that stopped all sea traffic regardless of nationality across the entire east coast south of New England.

--Brock-Perry

Dueling Frigates-- Part 4: Get Out With a Duel?

The day of the battle between the Chesapeake and Shannon off Boston, Captain Stephen Decatur of the 56-gun frigate USS United States, 38-gun frigate USS Macedonian (previously the HMS Macedonian) and 20-gun USS Hornet, into the Thames River, by New London, Connecticut.

They then found themselves blockaded there by British ships for the next six months.

Decatur tried various schemes to break out.  One of the first attempts were the blue light signals which caused him to cancel one attempt.  Then, he hit upon another scheme.

Captain Decatur was at Brown's tavern in New London, Ct., in January 1813, when Captain Nicholas Moran, a coasting ship commander, came to him and said that he had just been the "guest" aboard the HMS Ramillies, and that Captain Henry Hope of the 46-gun HMS Endymion had said he thought Decatur was afraid of an engagement between their two ships.

Moran also claimed that Sir Thomas Hardy had "remarked, that he should be delighted to see a match between the [HMS] Statira and [USS] Macedonian since they were sister ships."

In Other Word, "Duel."  --Brock-PerryDuel

Thomas Chambers-- Part 4: Paintings

Other paintings of Thomas:  Chambers"

**  "Capture of H.B.M. Frigate Macedonian By The USS United States on October 25, 1812", circa 1845.

 A critic remarked of this painting:  "The rolling waves and swirls of smoke convey the noise and excitement of battle."

**  "Pirate Ships and Cutter Firing Cannons, Seascape, Night Scene"  circa 1850.

Cutters were used by several navies in the 17th and 18th centuries and were usually the smallest commissioned ships in the fleet.  They were used for coastal patrol, customs duties, escort, dispatch carriers and for small "cutting out" raids.

--Brock-Perry

Sea Battle Paintings Sale at Auction

From Christie's September Sampling.

Sold in September.

If you had some extra bucks hanging around you could have some wonderful War of 1812 sea battle paintings.

The first one is believed to have been the battle between the frigates USS United States and the HMS Macedonian.  This was painted by Thomas Chambers.  It sold for 175% above the estimate.

There was also a pair of paintings of the War of 1812 sea battle between the USS United States and the Macedonian and the USS Constitution vs. the HMS Guerriere attributed to Michele Felice Corne.  They sold for 150% above estimate, for $25,000.

--Brock-Perry

The Second USS Macedonian-- Part 1: From the Original's Keel

After the first USS Macedonian was decommissioned in 1828, the U.S. Navy ordered another one to the design of the original captured HMS Macedonian.  It was a Lively-class frigate for the Royal Navy, one of 16 ships built to a 1799 design.  They proved to be quite a workhorse and efficient class of ships.

This new Macedonian was rebuilt from the keel of the original one and launched in 1836 as the USS Macedonian and placed in service under Captain Thomas ap Catesby Jones (there he is again) and served in the West Indies Squadron and was one of the six warships in Commodore Perry's opening of Japan in 1854.

It also saw service in the Civil War.

--Brock-Perry

The First USS Macedonian

The USS Macedonuian was originally the HMS Macedonian, captured during the War of 1812, captured by Stephen Decatur and his USS United States on October 25, 1812.  After the capture, the ship was repaired for two weeks then brought into Newport, Rhode Island as a prize.  Decatur became even more famous for this feat.

It was commissioned into U.S. service after further repairs and served out the war.

It was decommissioned in 1828 and broken up in 1834.

Serving Two Navies  --Brock-Perry

HMS Macedonian: Lively-Class Frigate-- Part 6

From Wikipedia.

The HMS Macedonian was one of the outclassed British frigates which lost a solo battle with an American frigate during the war.

In 1810, it operated off Portugal and was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. In Jan. 1812, it went to Norfolk, Virginia (before war was declared in June), for a secret deal to keep the Bank of England solvent. While there, its captain, John Garden, bungled the mission by revealing it to his friend, U.S. Navy Captain Stephan Decatur while dining and drinking together. Garden even bet his beaver hat that his ship could beat Decatur's ship, the USS United States in a ship-vs.-ship fight.

On October 22, 1812, the two ships and captains met in that fight. The United States had the much heavier broadside and in short time, all three of the Macedonian's masts were down and the ship's hull was riddled with shot.

The Macedonian became the second British frigate to surrender to the U.S. Navy, the HMS Guerriere being the first. However, the Macedonian could be saved and after repairs, was taken into the U.S. Navy as the USS Macedonian.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Macedonian: Lively-Class Frigate-- Part 5

The HMS Macedonian was ordered 28 September 1808 and built at Woolrich Dockyard. Laid down: May 1809. Launched 2 June 1810. Completed: 6 July 1810 at Chatham Dockyard.

FATE: Captured by the USS United States 25 October 1812 and served as USS Macedonian until broken up in 1834.

--Brock-Perry

British Lively-Class Frigates-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

The class consisted of 16 Royal Navy 38-gun frigates built starting in 1799 to the design of Sir William Rule. They served in the Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812, the most famous of them probably were the HMS Macedonian and Menelaus.

The prototype, the HMS Lively, was launched in 1804. By then, an additional four had been ordered to the same design and then eleven more to a similar design.

Even the United States Navy ordered one to the design of the captured HMS Macedonian in 1832 and launched in 1836 as the USS Macedonian. I'll write about this ship in my Civil War Navy Blog as it served during the war.

Up Next, A Short History of the Lively-Class Ships. --Brock-Perry

Commodore Jacob Nicholas Jones, USN

From Wikipedia.

(March 1768-August 3, 1850.  An American officer in the Quasi-War with France, the Barbary Wars and War of 1812.  Born in Kent County, Delaware.

He was definitely involved with some of the ships I wrote about last month on their 200th anniversaries.

Strangely, however, he didn't join the Navy as a midshipman until he was 31, that when some midshipmen were as young as 10.  Some think the death of his wife prompted him to do it.  During the Quasi War, he served on the USS United States under Commodore John Barry and was promoted to 2nd Lt. in 1801.

On Oct. 31, 1803, during the Barbary War, he was taken prisoner on the USS Philadelphia in the Bay of Tripoli, but freed in 1805.

In 1810, he was given command of the USS Wasp and during the War of 1812, on Oct. 18, 1812, captured the HMS Frolic and that same day he was again captured, this time by the HMS Poictiers.

He was widely acclaimed after his prisoner exchange despite losing his ship.  He then was given command of the USS Macedonian, a captured British ship before getting bottled up with the USS United States in New London, CT. in 1814.  He was then transferred to Lake Ontario and given command of the USS Mohawk during the last year of the war..

During the Second Barbary War, he again commanded the USS Macedonian and later captained the USS Guerriere, another captured British ship.  From 1821-1823, he commanded the Mediterranean Squadron, then the Pacific Squadron 1826-1829 and then was Navy Commissioner in Washington, DC. 

He commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard from 1847 until his death.

So here was a guy captured twice and then who commanded two captured ships.

Must Have Been In His Blood.  --Brock-Perry

HMS Macedonian/USS Macedonian

The HMS Macedonian was a 38-gun Lively-Class frigate launched in 1810 and as I earlier blogged, captured in a one-sided battle versus the frigate USS United States on October 25, 1812. 

The ship was repaired and purchased by the US Navy and commissioned the USS Macedonian and participated on the American side in the War of 1812 after that.  But, she spent much of the time bottled up by the British with the American fleet at New London, Connecticut.  Its first American commander was John Jacobs, who had commanded the hapless USS Wasp when it was captured by the Poictiers.

Later, in 1815, it participated in the Second Barbary War in the Mediterranean.  It later patrolled the US East Coast for three years and then was sent to the Pacific Station.  Decommissioned in 1828, it was then broken up at the Norfolk Navy Yard.

Serving Both Sides.  --Brock-Perry

The USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian-- Part 3: A Literary and Civil War Connection

Ordinary seaman Herman Melville served on the United States in 1843.  Great Moby Dick!!

The United States was at Norfolk, Virginia and was not burned by retreating Union forces when the Confederates advanced on the naval yard April 20, 1861, but it was scuttled.  The Confederates raised it and made it into a 19-gun receiving ship and known as the CSS United States.  Kind of a strange name for a Confederate ship if you ask me.  It was also referred to as the CSS Confederate States (better).

It was sunk in the Elizabeth River in May 1862 as an obstruction to advancing Union ships.  It was raised and towed to Norfolk where it remained until March 1864 when it was broken up and sold for its wood.

But, What Happened to the Macedonian?  --Brock-Perry

USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian-- Part 2

October 25, 1812, the two ships cleared decks for action and commenced battle maneuvers at 0900.  The Macedonian pulled parallel to the United States and Decatur intended to stay at a distance to allow his longer-range and heavier guns to blast the British ship..  At 0920, the United States fired an inaccurate broadside and the Macedonian returned the favor and brought down a small spar.

Decatur's next broadside destroyed the British ship's mizzen topmast and with it, much of the steering.  The United States took position on the Macedonian's quarter and riddled her.  By noon, the Macedonian was a dismasted hulk and forced to surrender with 104 casualties compared with 12 on the American ship, which, for the most part was undamaged.

The two ships lay alongside each other for two weeks as repairs were made and in December they entered New York Harbor.

The Macedonian was purchased by the US Navy, repaired and placed in service.

On June 1, 1813, the Macedonian, United States and sloop Hornet were driven into New London, Ct., by a powerful fleet and remained there until the end of the war.

Big Naval Victory.  --Brock-Perry

200th Aniversary of the Battle Between the USS United States and HMS Macedonian to Settle a Bet-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Two hundred years ago, the USS United States squared off against the HMS Macedonian to settle a bet.

The USS United States was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate, the first of six constructed by Congressional authorization (including the USS Constitution) according to the Naval Act of 1794.  These ships were larger and more heavily-armed than the frigates of other countries, kind of like Germany's pocket battleships during World War II. 

Thus giving the American ships a big advantage in fighting British frigates.  Plus, the American ship could outrun the heavily-armed British ships of the line, the most powerful ships afloat back then.

The United States cost $299,336 and was launched May 10, 1797 and abandoned by US forces to advancing Confederate troops in April 1861.  So, it had a Civil War connection as well.  The 15776 ton ship was 175-feet long, had a 43.6-foot beam, carried a complement of 400-600 and a 50-man Marine detachment.  The "Old Wagon" as it was nicknamed carried 32 X long 24-pdrs, and 24 X 42-pdr. carronades and took part in the Quasi-War with France but did not participate in the First Barbary War.

It was decommissioned in ordinary up until near the beginning of the War of 1812.  Recommissioned June 1810 and under the command of Stephen Decatur, the ship sailed to Norfolk, Virginia for refitting.

While there Captain John S. Carden of the new British frigate HMS Macedonian wagered a bet for a new beaver hat with Decatur that he could take the United States should the two ever fight.  One of Marines in the detachment assigned to the United States was named Ichabod Crane, whose name was used in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the United States joined a fleet under Commodore John Rodgers and cruised off the U.S. coast before a fruitless chase of a British convoy almost to England.

Returning to home water, on this date 200 years ago, the United States engaged that very same HMS Macedonian.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry