Elliott and the USS Constitution-- Part 3

Elliott then strong-armed his crew into buying him a set of plates.

When a midshipman was sorely wounded in an unauthorized duel, Elliott abandoned him without funds in a Turkish port.  On his last circuit through the Mediterranean, before returning to the United States, Elliott encumbered the gun deck with stalls to contain his menagerie of hogs, sheep, horses and donkeys.  All this was done without the Navy Department's approval.

When the ship returned to Norfolk, Virginia, in July 1838, he faced down a mutiny when he delayed payment and discharge of the crew.

He was removed from command of the Constitution and court-martialled in 1840 and found guilty on five counts which saw him sentenced to four years suspension from service and loss of pay.

The loss of pay was rescinded and the suspension shortened, thanks to his powerful political friends.

When he was restored to duty in December 1844 and made commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard where he died in office the next December.

--Quite An Interesting Story.  --Brock-Perry

Elliott and the USS Constitution-- Part 2: What Went On Aboard the Ship

Jesse Elliott received orders to sail to the Mediterranean Sea and take charge of the squadron there.  The next years, from 1835 to 1838, were a surreal experience for the Constitution's crew as Elliott repeatedly ignored regulations and abused his authority.

He took advantage of the annual circuits of Mediterranean ports to sightsee and gather memorabilia.  Along the way, he acquired antiques, "exotic" animals including donkeys, a set of papal busts, a stuffed ibis, a pair of Roman sarcophagi, antique coins and large marble spheres.

He toured parts of the Middle East with an entourage from the ship and swam in the Dead Sea.  Elliott also accepted unauthorized gifts from the Marmeluke ruler of Egypt.

Living in Style, That Elliott.  --Brock-Perry

Jesse Elliott, USN-- Part 2: Pre War of 1812 Service

From Wikipedia.

JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT  (14 July 1782 - 10 December 1845) was a United States naval officer and commander on American naval forces on Lake Erie during the War of 812.  He is well-known for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.

He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and enlisted in the Navy as a midshipman in April 1804 and saw action in the Mediterranean Sea during the Barbary Wars between 1805 and 1807, serving on the USS Essex under Commodore James Barron.

In June 1807, Elliott was on board the USS Chesapeake when Barron was forced to allow his ship to be searched by the HMS Leopard.

Elliott was promoted to lieutenant in April 1810 and was assigned to Lake Erie to oversee the construction of the American squadron there upon the outbreak of the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

John B. Montgomery, USN-- Part 2: War of 1812 Service

From Wikipedia.

He was born in New Jersey and entered service in the US Navy as a midshipman during the War of 1812 where he served during the attack on Kingston, Upper Canada, in Novenber 1812 and in the capture of York in April of the following year.

For gallantry and distinguished service aboard the USS Niagara at the Battle of Lake Erie, he received a vote of thanks and a sword from Congress.

In 1815, he served in Stephen Decatur's squadron in the Second Barbary War in the Mediterranean Sea.

From Geni.

He was also involved in the capture of Little York, Fort George and Newark.  In 1814, he was at the blockade and attack on Mackinaw Island in August.

--Brock-Perry

Captain Thomas Gamble-- Part 3: One of Four Brothers Who Died in the Service and Friend of James Fennimore Cooper

From Find-a-Grave.

U.S. Naval officer, veteran of the War of 1812, friend and former messmate of writer James Fennimore Cooper ("Last of the Mohicans").

Born in Recklestown (now Chesterfield, New Jersey) on the first Christmas Eve following the American revolution, he was the eldest of four brothers who died in the service of their country.

Only 34 at the time of his death, he became fatally ill while in command of the  sloop USS Erie of the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean Squadron, and died in the naval hospital in Pisa, Italy,  during the autumn of 1818.

His friendship with James Fennimore Cooper had begun a decade earlier when they had served together as midshipmen on Lake Ontario.  There they assisted future Commodore Melancton Woolsey in the construction of the brig USS Oneida, the  first American warship on the Great Lakes.

--Brock-Perry

The Traveling Body of Capt. Gwinn-- Part 1

As varied as John Gwinn's naval career was before his death, his remains also had quite an interesting history as he was reburied two times after the initial time in 1849 in Italy.  He was next buried in Philadelphia then Arlington, Virginia.

From the USS Constitution Museum  "Memento Mori."

Most of the many captains of The USS Constitution are known for the adventures during their lifetime, there is one captain who made waves during his life and his death.

That would be John Gwinn, the first captain to die while in command of the USS Constitution.

Following a short illness, Gwinn died in Palermo, Sicily,  on September 4, 1849.  The day after his death, carpenters and armorers fabricated Gwinn's coffin from wood and lead.   The captain's internment in Palermo was supposed to be only a temporary one.

The funeral took place on September 6, 1849, and "his remains  were followed to the tomb by the officers and men of [Constitution], as well as by officers of all the foreign ships in port  and by the civil and military authorities of this city," as noted in a letter from Assistant Surgeon Phineas Jonathan  Horwitz to Gwinn's widow.

--Brock-Perry

John Gwinn-- Part 7: The USS Constitution and Death

An ailing John Gwinn placed the USS Constitution back into commission early in October 1848.  The ship sailed for the Mediterranean Sea in December and made directly for Algiers, where she took on board Consul David Smith McCauley and his family for a transfer to Egypt.

As they entered the port of Alexandria, Egypt,  McCauley's wife, Frances Ann, gave birth to a son who they named Constitution Stewart McCauley in Captain Gwinn's cabin.

From there, the ship  returned west  to Italian waters  to join the rest of the squadron protecting American interests in revolution-torn Italy.  despite an injunction any action that might  indicate American bias, on August 1, 1949,  Gwinn hosted a visit by Pope Pius IX and the fugitive King of Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II, while anchored off  Gaeta, Italy.

Because a commissioned warship is considered U.S. territory,  this is considered the first visit by  a Roman Catholic pope to American territory.

Shortly thereafter, Gwinn's health deteriorated  to the point he was bed-ridden and suffered periods of delirium and mania.  He died  of chronic gastritis on September 4, 1849 while the ship was at Palermo, Italy.

Gwinn was buried with full military honors at Palermo, but the proceedings were  disrupted bu disaffected crew members who got roaring drunk along the route to the cemetery.  As a result,  at least 32 men were flogged in the days that followed.   He was reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery in 1931.

--Brock-Perry

John Gwinn-- Part 6: War of 1812 and Beyond

John Gwinn was later ordered to Boston for the commissioning of the sloop-of-war USS Frolic.  Unfortunately Gwinn and the crew were captured on the ship's very first  cruise by the frigate HMS Orpheus and schooner HMS Shelburne on 20 April 1814.   The crew remained prisoners until the end of the war.

After release, Gwinn was promoted to lieutenant in 1816 and in the following decade made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and a voyage to northern Europe in three different ships.

Between 1828 and 1848, he spent a total of ten years commanding the Philadelphia Navy Yard, three years on leave and five "awaiting orders."  The remaining two years was divided between commanding the sloop-of-war Vandalia and the frigate Potomac.

He was promoted to captain in 1842.

--Brock-Perry

George Campbell Read, USN-- Part 2: A Varied and Long Navy Career

He was promoted to commander in 1816 and then served in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Africa.  In 1825, he was promoted again, this time to captain and commanded the USS Constitution in 1826

In 1838-1839, he took part in the retaliatory action against pirates and raiders who preyed upon American shipping in India.  From 1836 to 1846 he commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  He also contributed to the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

Then from 1846 to 1849, he commanded the African Squadron.  When the Civil War broke out, in 1861, he was in charge of the Philadelphia Naval Asylum.

His final promotion came in July 1862, to the rank of rear admiral.   He died a month later.

A Long and Varied Career.  --Brock-Perry

Richard Dale (Midshipman Richard Dale's Father) Was a Hero of the American Revolution

From Find A Grave.

BIRTH:  6 November 1756  Norfolk City, Virginia

DEATH:  26 February 1826  (aged 69)  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

BURIAL:  Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  (A lot of famous people are buried there.)

He was the father of Midshipman Dale who is buried in Bermuda and considered the last American casualty of the War of 1812.  I have been writing about him earlier this month.

Revolutionary War  Naval Officer.    Served in the British Navy from 1776 to 1777, when he took up the American cause.

Served as second-in-command to Captain John Paul Jones on the USS Bon Homme Richard in the famous battle with the HMS Serapis.

Later promoted to lieutenant and commanded continental vessels.

Promoted to captain, U.S. Navy in 1794 and led the Navy squadron in the Mediterranean Sea during the 1801-1802  Barbary Coast War.

Originally buried at  at the Christ Church Burial Ground in  Philadelphia, was reinterred in Laurel Hill Cemetery in 1888.

If you want to read about more details of this man's very interesting life, look him up in Wikipedia.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Venturer (HMS Theodosia)

From Wikipedia.

In the last post, I mentioned the HMS Nimrod (1799) capturing the French privateer Nouvelle Enterprise in 1807, and it being taken into the British Navy as the HMS Venturer  and later having its name changed to HMS Theodosia.

It was 72 feet long with a 20,5 foot beam.  55 crew members as the French privateer, and one 12-pdr gun and four carronades when captured.

Served in thee Mediterranean until 1814, when she was sold.  Was a merchant ship after that, but no records of her after 1822.

Commissioned in 1809 for service in the Mediterranean.

In early September 1812, she reportedly destroyed a 22-gun privateer.  In 1814, returned to England where crew was paid off.

--Brock-Perry

USS Congress-- Part 4: A Special Kind of Frigate

In 1785, Barbary pirates, mostly from Algiers in North Africa, began to seize American merchant ships in the Mediterranean.  In 1793 alone, eleven sere taken with their crews and cargoes held for ransom.    This caused the U.S. to pass the Naval Act of 1794. to provide funds for the construction of six frigates.  But in cost cutting, a clause was added that if a peace treaty was signed with Algiers that construction would be stopped.

Joshua Humphreys design was unusual for the time with a long keel and narrow beam and mounting heavy guns.The "ratings" or number of guns carried, was a bit of a misnomer as these frigates carried many different numbers of cannons.  The USS Congress was rated at 38 guns, but often carried as  many as 48.

The designs also gave these ships much heavier planking on their sides than was to be found on frigates at the time, meaning they could withstand broadsides better.  Humphreys design took into account that the U.S. Navy could not stand toe-to-toe with the European powers at the time, but could do well against other frigates.  They could, though, escape from the more powerful but slower ships of the line.

--Brock-Perry

Stephen Champlin's Postwar Career-- Part 1

After his capture, the British paroled him figuring that his wounds would be mortal.  He went back home to Connecticut where he recovered from the wounds.  On March 28, 1815, he was ordered to join Perry's fleet which was heading to the Mediterranean to battle the Barbary Pirates off the coast of Algeria and Tunisia.

In the fall of 1815, in consideration of his wounds, he was ordered to  to return to Erie in the spring of 1816. There he underwent a difficult operation to remove the many splinters of shattered bone that remained in his leg.

From 1816-1818, he commanded the USS  Porcupine surveying the Canadian-American border along the upper Great Lakes.  Upon his return to Erie, he was beached in a strong gale at Buffalo.  During his enforced stay in Buffalo, he met and courted Minerva  Lydia Pomeroy whom he married there  on January 9, 1817.

She was a Buffalo socialite of the city. She and Stephen had eight children.

--Brock-Perry

USS New York-- Part 1: Quasi War and First Barbary War

From Wikipedia.

A three-masted, wooden sailing frigate that saw service during the Quasi War with France and the First Barbary War.  It was built by public subscription by citizens of New York, one of five frigates built by states to supplement the original six provided for by the Naval Act of 1794.

Length 145 feet, beam 28 feet,  340 officers and men,  Armament:   twenty-six  18-pdr. guns and twenty 32-pdr carronades.

It was built in New York City and commissioned in October 1800 with Captain Richard Valentine Morris in command.  The Quasi War took place in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas where French warships preyed on American shipping interests.  In 1800, the New York patrolled Caribbean waters.

In 1802, it went to the Mediterranean Sea.  Became flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1803.

--Brock-Perry

Samuel Livingston Breese-- Part 2: War of 1812 Service

During the War of 1812, Breese served under Commodore Thomas Macdonough at the Battle of Lake Champlain and for gallant conduct there, received a Congressional sword and the thanks of Congress.

Commissioned a lieutenant on April 28, 1816, commander in December 1835 and captain September 8,1841.

Attached to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1836 and to the naval rendezvous in Baltimore in 1841.

He served in the Mediterranean Sea fighting against pirates from Algiers 1826-1827 and was in Levant during the war between Turkey and Greece.

--Brock-Perry

Stephen Decatur and the Second Barbary War-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

On Friday I wrote about the USS Saranac which accompanied Stephen Decatur to the Mediterranean Sea in what became known as the Second Barbary War.  Again, I have not been able to find out much about this ship, but decided to at least find out something about the war it fought in back then.

Once the War of 1812 was over, it became necessary for the U.S. Navy to again turn its attention to the Mediterranean Sea where the Barbary pirates were once again harassing and capturing American merchant ships and holding them for ransom.

On February 23, 1815, President James Madison asked Congress for a declaration of war against them and it became so on March 2.

Two squadrons were assembled, one under Decautur at New York and the other at Boston under William Bainbridge.  Decatur's fleet of ten ships (one of which was the USS Saranac) was ready first and left for Algiers on May 20, 1815.

--Brock-Perry