Captain James Sever-- Part 7: Others' Opinions of Him

Stephen Higginson, the Navy Agent at Boston thought that"  "Sever will be an excellent naval commander; he is a cool, firm, discreet, gentlemanlike man, who feels and conducts with dignity and zeal proper is station; he is remarkable  for discipline and regularity."

Charles Morris (the Constitution's first lieutenant in 1812)  served under Sever on the USS Congress and held only a partial flattering  opinion of his first commander:  "He was well educated, very austere and distant in his manner, not very amiable in temper, rigid in discipline, , and very punctilious in all manners of military etiquette.

"I believe he was rather deficient in seamanship, but remarkable coolness and self-possession in trying situations  enabled him to decide and direct what was proper to be done better than most of his officers who better understood their profession practically."

He evidently was one of those aboard the Congress when they ran into the problems on its maiden voyageand Sever's junior officers gave him a no confidence vote and several shipped off to the USS Chesapeake.

--Brock-Perry

USS New York-- Part 3: Service in the Mediterranean and Burned at Washington Navy Yard

The USS New York sailed to Malta on June 14, 1803, where she received a 17-gun salute from the British Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and then sailed for Gibraltar by way of Naples and Malaga..  Once there on September 14, she met the fleet of Commodore Edward Preble sent to relieve the New York and Commodore Morris.

Captain John Rodgers came aboard and relieved Morris and a month later, the New York sailed for home.  She arrived at Washington Navy Yard 9 December 1803 and was immediately placed in ordinary.

The New York remained in that state for the next eleven years and was burned when the British captured Washington, D.C., on August 24, 1814.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Naval Officers in My Cooter's History Thing Blog:

The last two days, I have written about three naval officers from the War of 1812 who got their experience in the First Barbary War.  They are Thomas Macdonough, Charles Morris and James Lawrence.

Check it out by clicking on the Cooter's History Thing blog in the My Blogs section to the right of this.

--Brock-Perry

Charles Morris, USN-- Part 2

Charles Morris was promoted to captain in 1813 and in 1814, commanded the frigate USS Adams on raiding expeditions against British commerce.

The ship was cornered in the Penobscot River in Maine and put his crew and guns ashore to help American militia fight off a British amphibious attack at the Battle of Hampden, but enemy regulars routed the Americans and Morris was forced to scuttle the Adams and he and the crew escaped overland.

Later in his career, he commanded the Mediterranean Squadron and from 1823-1827 was a Navy Commissioner, Chief of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repairs 1844-1847 and also Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance.

His daughter eloped and married William W. Corcoran in 1835, one of the richest men in the country.

--Brock-Perry

Charles Morris, USN-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I was researching about William W. Corcoran for my Civil War blog and found out he eloped and married Louise Morris, the daughter of naval officer Charles Morris in 1835.  Further research showed that Charles Morris fought during the War of 1812.

CHARLE MORRIS (1789-1856) was a U.S. naval officer and administrator.  Born in Maine and appointed midshipman in 1799.  Served in the Quasi War with France, both First and Second Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.

In 1812, he was the executive officer aboardthe USS Constitution under Isaac Hull in its famous fight with the HMS Guerriere where he was severely wounded..

--Brock-Perry