William Jones, New Secretary of the Navy

From "Inside the U.S. Navy of 1812-1815"  

When William Jones became Secretary of the Navy, he discovered he had inherited from his predecessor, Paul Hamilton, several burdens.  One was the Navy Department's posture in regard to  the concerns of citizens for the safety of their ports and shipping with the increasing British threat as forces were transferred from Europe to North America after the fall of Napoleon.

One of his earliest was an order for the reduction in the number of gunboats in service.  He believed  This would save funds on maintenance and put available seamen to better use.  Only 50 of the approximately 150 gunboats were sufficiently serviceable to remain active; the rest would be laid up and available in case of emergency.

Of those gunboats in service, Jones assigned 15 to New York, 5 to the Delaware River, 6 to the Georgia coast and 10 to New Orleans.  Fourteen remained  active on the Chesapeake Bay (mostly  assigned to Norfolk).

But these measures did not go over very well in several cities whose citizens were not happy with the move.  This was especially in the case of New York City and its new flotilla commander Jacob Lewis.

--Brock-Perry

Jacob Lewis Writes to Secretary of State Monroe About His New York Flotilla

February 27, 1813

** "I am very desirous of possessing the confidence of the present  Secretary of the Navy as I did the late Mr. Secy. Hamilton.'  (Paul Hamilton)  The Secretary of the Navy after Hamilton was William Jones.  (Evidently Lewis did not get along with Jones very well.  At first I thought Mr. Secy. Hamilton was Alexander Hamilton.)

**  Raising and organizing crews of NY Flotilla.    Intends to make them able to fight on land as well as sea.    Wants to be able to put as many as 1000 on the shore and also be be able to "place the  flotilla in of perfect safety where the Enemy could not possibly  get at them."

**  Will train crews on landing, embarking marching, forming and "displaying  Colloms."  (columns)

**  "They shall be  amphibious Soldiers."

**  But needs  the support of the Secretary of the Navy.  (Evidently not getting it.)

**  The gunboats are  "held in the utmost contempt" by the City of New York.

--Brock-Perry

The USS Constitution Goes to Washington Navy Yard-- Part 3: Heaved Over and Ready to Go

In contrast to the slow work done on the USS Chesapeake, not so for the USS Constitution.  There was a sense of urgency because of the increasingly bad relations with Britain and all the cries for conflict from the Congressional War Hawks.

The Constitution arrived on March 5, 1812.  The Secretary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton visited the ship to determine what needed to be done.  Once the spars and uppermasts were removed and anything else removable removed, the ship was heaved down.  Heaved down is when a ship is turned onto her side so that work below the waterline can be done.  This would occur in very shallow water where a dry dock was not available.

It was heaved down on May 2 using teams of oxen to perform the heavy moving.  First the port side was exposed, then the starboard.  By May 12, cleaning and patching  the copper sheathing  and caulking was completed.  Work began to re-rig the ship with new spars and foremast.

The bowsprit had been intended for the USS Constellation, but Captain Hull redirected this  and other timbers to his ship.  The Constellation would have to wait.  Sky poles  and a double dolphin striker (no idea what these are) were added.

Preparing for War.  --Brock-Perry

First Year of War Ends With U.S. in Turmoil-- Part 2

Then, in late December, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton, resigns after having served in that position since 1809.  He had wanted new ships, but that was not funded.

At this time, money became a huge problem for the government.

The British military was hardened after years of fighting France and Napoleon.  Along with the experience, the Army was 13 times larger than it had been during the American Revolution.

The British Navy had 1000 ships and 140,000 sailors.  To match that, the U.S. Navy had barely 20 ships.

On Boxing Day, after Christmas, 1812, orders were sent to Admiral Sir John Warren and his 142 ships based in Newfoundland, Halifax, the Leeward Islands, Jamaica and Bermuda to enforce a full blockade of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays.

Perhaps a Young Country Had Bit Off More Than It Could Chew.  --Brock-Perry